News Release — The Government of Canada Invests Record Funding for Settlement Services for Newcomers to Yukon

Ottawa, December 13, 2012 —The Government of Canada will invest a record $1 million in settlement services for immigrants to Yukon for the 2013–2014 fiscal year, Ryan Leef, Member of Parliament for Yukon, announced today.

“The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring newcomers to Canada integrate and contribute fully to the Canadian economy and their community as soon as possible,” said MP Leef, speaking on behalf of Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “We have made important changes to restore fairness in settlement funding by moving to a funding model based on the percentage of immigrants that each province or territory receives. This model ensures a similar standard of settlement funding is available for all immigrants, regardless of where they choose to settle in Canada.”

The allocation for settlement services in Yukon will be $1 million for the 2013–14 fiscal year, an increase of $80,000 from this current fiscal year. Since 2006, settlement funding to Yukon has almost quadrupled. Also since 2006, the Government of Canada has tripled settlement funding outside of Quebec, increasing funding from $200 million per year to approximately $600 million.

A national settlement funding formula is used by the Government of Canada to allocate funding for settlement services in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec. The formula is based on the provinces and territories share of immigrant intake and gives additional weight for refugees to account for their unique settlement needs. The Canada-Quebec Accord provides the Government of Quebec with an annual grant, the amount of which is calculated using a formula set out in the Accord. 

“More newcomers are choosing to settle in Yukon, in part because of the federal government’s increase in provincial nominee spaces for the territory,” added MP Leef.  “Our improvements ensure that newcomers to Yukon receive their fair share of settlement funding.”

The priority for the 2013–14 settlement services funding is to focus on delivering services directly to immigrants and away from supporting expenses such as administration, travel, or capital costs for organizations.