information for practice

Millions of people from more than 200 different cultural and ethnic backgrounds now reside in Canada’s provinces, cities and communities. In 2001, about 18% of the population was born outside of Canada, and increasing numbers of immigrants are settling in Canada’s major urban centres. But how are immigrants to Canada faring? Are they engaged in the social, economic, and political activities of their cultural communities – and the broader community at large? Do they volunteer? Vote? Donate to charities? Join groups? Do they follow current affairs? In other words, how are they doing with respect to social inclusion? This report tries to answer those questions by examining different measures of social and civic engagement among the immigrant population and flagging areas of concern. In the report, social and civic engagement is broadly defined as “the active connections between people that foster mutual respect and facilitate cooperative action.”