By Curtis Galbraith

GPLIP launches survey on immigrant experience

Mar 2, 2021 | 2:18 PM

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. – The Grande Prairie Local Immigration partnership is wondering about COVID-19’s impacts on newcomers to the city.

It has launched a survey of immigrants in Grande Prairie. The goal is to see if its priorities of housing, education/language, employment, health and wellness, settlement services, and inclusion match up with what people are actually experiencing.

Partnership chair Darrell Wiens says it can be hard to determine who qualifies as an immigrant.

“I would define an immigrant as somebody that was born outside of Canada and moved here. But there are many people that were born outside (of Canada), moved here, obtained Canadian citizenship, and they consider themselves Canadian.”

He adds the main reason people from other countries come here is employment.

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“Grande Prairie has traditionally been a place where it brings people from across Canada for jobs and it also attracts people from overseas. Or often, people will come to Edmonton or Calgary and that will be where they enter Canada. They might be there for a year or two and they have a hard time maybe finding a job or they see there is an opportunity in Grande Prairie.”

And, just like people who move here from other parts of Canada and only plan to be here for a year or two, many end up staying.

“They have their families here. They get integrated. Grande Prairie is the kind of place that has been attracting people from the outside for a while now, as long as there have been employment opportunities,” says Wiens.

The survey can be found here. It is open through March 15.