Annie-Claude Scholtès, shown here at a job fair for immigrants in March, said the city offers two welcome sessions to newcomers, including a bus tour. (CBC)Immigration is now driving population growth in the Outaouais, and the City of Gatineau says it is working hard to welcome the flood of newcomers with open arms.

"What we want [is] that the people feel...like any citizen in the city — that they have the same opportunities to work, to develop themselves, to be involved in the development of this city," said Annie-Claude Scholtès, the cultural community coordinator for the City of Gatineau.

Last year, more than 1,200 immigrants moved to the region. In fact, between 1,000 and 1,200 immigrants have arrived in the Outaouais every year since 2001-2000.

Migration is already outstripping births as the major force behind population growth in the Outaouais, and its relative influence will grow significantly between 2010 and 2031, the Institut de la statistique du Québec forecasts. The proportion of immigrants and visible minorities within the population of Gatineau are expected to double between 2006 and 2031, Statistics Canada predicts.

Scholtès said the City of Gatineau has been working hard to make all newcomers feel at home. A staff of three, working with about 80 community groups, implements the city's cultural diversity policy with a budget of $400,000. It offers a variety of programs for newcomers including two welcome sessions:

• One is an orientation that provides information about services that connect residents with the history, geography and regulations in the city. It is delivered in conjunction with the city's police force and its recreational services department.
• The other is a bus tour of the region in collaboration with the Societé de Transport de L'Outaouais, with visits to a police station and other centres that offer city services from Aylmer to Buckingham.

Scholtès said it is important for immigrants to have the chance to step inside a police station.

"'Cause some of them are afraid or insecure," she said, adding that the trip provides an opportunity to develop links with the police.

About 50 people a month take part in the tour, she estimated.

Lower earnings

That doesn't mean everything is easy for immigrants in the Outaouais. In 2005, immigrants in the region aged 15 and over had a median income of $34,839 — $4,181 less than that of residents born in Canada, according to findings from Emploi-Québec based on figures from Statistics Canada's 2006 census. That is despite the fact that census data show immigrants are better educated — 33.9 per cent had a university degree, compared to 17.5 per cent of non-immigrants.

In spite of such challenges, Scholtès points to evidence that the city's efforts to integrate newcomers and make them feel at home have been successful. She said 93 per cent of immigrants who came to Gatineau last year have stayed.

During the last municipal election, half a dozen candidates running for a council seat were immigrants, demonstrating their civic engagement, Scholtès said. Three were elected.

Meanwhile, a poll commissioned by CBC/Radio-Canada seems to indicate that Gatineau residents are adapting well to the changes in their city's population.

The telephone survey of 1,221 people found that 64 per cent consider the changes in ethnic composition in their sector of the city over the past decade to be somewhat significant, significant or very significant. Nearly nine out of 10 respondents said the changes were either positive or neutral. Increased variety, diversity, enrichment and openness were listed most often as positive effects. The poll was conducted by Segma Research.

Migration is already outstripping births as the force behind population growth in the Outaouais, and its relative influence will grow significantly between 2010 and 2031.