March 19-22, 2009
Hyatt Regency Calgary
&
Telus Convention Centre
Calgary Alberta
Over a century ago, our ancestors dreamt of opening the Canadian frontier with a transcontinental route to populate this nation’s interior. Building the national dream of creating an equitable, diverse and innovative society continues to attract people from around the world to Canada.
There are now new frontiers to explore and new challenges to overcome. Migrants are arriving from non-traditional source countries, representing a vast range of linguistic, ethnic and religious diversity. The strong economy in Canada in general and in the Prairies in particular has brought an increasing number of temporary foreign workers. Smaller communities - including rural and francophone minority communities - are now experiencing unprecedented growth through immigration.
The new trends in migration call for renewed thinking about local, regional and national policies for immigration and integration. The 11th National Metropolis Conference, March 19-22, 2009 in Calgary—a city poised to become one of Canada’s major immigrant-receiving cities—will bring together researchers, policy-makers and community practitioners to explore the frontiers of research and practice in six policy priority areas: 1) Citizenship and Social, Cultural and Civic Integration; 2) Economic and Labour Market Integration; 3) Family, Children and Youth; 4) Housing and Neighbourhoods; 5) Policing, Security and Justice; and 6) Welcoming Communities: The Role of the Host Communities in Attracting, Integrating and Retaining Newcomers and Minorities.
Recognizing the growing interconnectedness of the local with the national and the global, the conference is a good opportunity for participants to develop a better understanding of immigration and diversity in the Prairies—and how this will build a better future for Canada.
Call for Proposals (Download Call for Proposals)
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