City Awarded $300,000 from Alberta Government in Support of Inclusive and Caring Community Initiative

City Awarded $300,000 from Alberta Government in Support of Inclusive and Caring Community Initiative

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The City of Grande Prairie has been awarded a $300,000 Settlement, Integration, and Language Project (SILP) Grant from the Alberta Government for the Grande Prairie Inclusive and Caring Community Initiative (GPICC), until March 31, 2025.

The GPICC focuses on building community capacity to attract and retain newcomers, educate employers, and enhance service provider knowledge to create a welcoming and inclusive community where the voices of everyone are heard, valued, and understood.

“This grant provides the City funding to help employers and service providers effectively integrate newcomers into our community,” said Angela Sutherland, Director Community Social Development. “Employers, service providers, ethnocultural organizations, and all community members have a role in filling labour gaps, stimulating the economy, and fostering a sustainable, inclusive ecosystem that welcomes newcomers to Grande Prairie.”

At the end of the two-year grant, the anticipated outcomes are:

  • Increased awareness of resources and service/program opportunities to support newcomer settlement and integration.
  • Increased awareness of current information and resources that support labour market integration.
  • Increased knowledge of newcomer needs.
  • Improved ability to respond effectively to the needs of newcomers, including knowledge, skill, and attitude.

The GPICC is anticipated to benefit newcomers, community members, service providers and employers and will consist of the following activities:

  1. Employer engagement sessions
  2. Service provider and ethnocultural organization engagement sessions.
  3. Integration roadmap
  4. Employer retention package-culture integration guide & activities
  5. GPICC building community connections: networking

The City of Grande Prairie will lead GPICC and maximize the collective strength of local stakeholders to achieve the anticipated outcomes.

The City of Grande Prairie is committed to welcoming newcomers to Grande Prairie and invites anyone interested in immigrating to Grande Prairie to learn about the Rural Renewal Stream by visiting cityofgp.com/immigration.