Reports and Policy Briefs

Newcomers face unique emotional challenges that aren’t fully addressed by current mental health or immigration policies. This policy brief highlights the urgent need to institutionalize emotional wellness services as part of settlement supports. It calls for culturally sensitive, preventive, and accessible approaches tailored to newcomers’ experiences, bridging the gap between immigration and mental health systems.

A TIES April 2024 study of 140 clients found major gaps in newcomer safety knowledge (home, nature, work, sanitation). It calls for targeted education, language-specific training, better resource access, and community partnerships to improve awareness and support safe integration in Calgary.

Between 2021 and 2023, TIES registered 8,357 clients, with numbers growing each year—most sharply in 2023. The majority were Permanent Residents, though refugee registrations increased notably in 2022 and 2023. Ukrainian, Tigrinya, Arabic, Spanish, and Dari were the most common languages spoken. Clients mainly came from Ukraine, Eritrea, Afghanistan, India, and Ethiopia. Most had more than 12 years of education and were between 31 and 50 years old at arrival. The vast majority registered within five years of landing in Canada.

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The current report is a part of the Hybrid Education for Literacy Learners Optimization (HELLO) study, aiming to evaluate the impact of the HELLO toolkit1 on digital literacy skills, attitudes toward computers, and satisfaction with hybrid delivery mode. Over the course of one semester, six dedicated TIES literacy instructors actively integrated the HELLO toolkit into their classes. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, this exploration centers on a pilot group (n=16) and a comparison group (n=15), carefully selected from TIES literacy classes.

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This report, part of the Hybrid Education for Literacy Learners Optimization (HELLO) project, analyzes full-time LINC Literacy classes at TIES from 2019 to 2022. Focused on adult immigrants and refugees with little or no formal education, it evaluates outcomes across hybrid, in-person, and remote delivery modes by examining attendance, completion, and CLB score improvement.

This study, part of the Calgary Local Immigration Partnership (CLIP) project and conducted by TIES, explores how Calgary’s immigrant-serving sector is evolving. Using a core-periphery model, it maps services and relationships among SPOs, non-SPOs, and informal networks through a webscan, survey, and interviews. The research captures service types, organizational interactions, funding, and how both providers and immigrants experience the system.

This report, part of the Hybrid Education for Literacy Learners Optimization (HELLO) project, explores the critical role of language training in newcomer integration, especially for adult refugees with disrupted education. Triggered by challenges faced during the shift to online LINC instruction during COVID-19, the project used participatory action research to co-develop a hybrid literacy toolkit, addressing low digital literacy and the need for interactive learning environments.

This final report from the Remote and Online Services for Professional Immigrants (ROSPI) project examines how technology can improve access to settlement services for skilled newcomers. In response to Canada’s rising intake of Federal High Skilled immigrants, ROSPI explores the barriers professionals face and how digital tools can help meet their specific information and service needs.

This report, part of the Empowering Communities Together Anti-Racism Initiative project, summarizes insights from the final stage “Unconference” on racism faced by newcomers in Calgary. Drawing from prior surveys and interviews, around 40 participants from immigrant services, government, and academia discussed real experiences and actions on five key themes: intergroup hostility, language-related racism, workplace discrimination, educational bias, and public safety. The event aimed to inform local anti-racism strategies through lived experiences and cross-sector dialogue.

This report, part of the Empowering Communities Together Anti-Racism Initiative, presents research led by TIES, CFN, ISC, and CENC, funded by FCSSAA. It explores how racism affected newcomers in Calgary during the pandemic, using surveys, interviews, and focus groups—including data from CFN's self-defence sessions and ISC's Unconference. Findings center on five themes: intergroup hostility, language-related racism, workplace discrimination, educational bias, and public safety. The report offers recommendations focused on identity, power, and inclusive action in public, work, education, and digital spaces.