CICS Expands into Newmarket with Opening of New Centre

Diversified programming aimed at engaging newcomer women, youth and seniors

NEWMARKET, ON - June 28, 2022 — The Centre for Immigrant and Community Services (CICS) today celebrated the official opening of the CICS Newmarket Centre, which marks an important step in CICS’ commitment to providing much-needed settlement and community services for the newcomer women, youth and seniors settling further north.

 

Over the last 50 years, CICS has grown into one of the leading settlement service agencies in the Greater Toronto Area, serving and empowering newcomers through a wide array of integration services. In recent years, CICS has noticed that an increasing number of newcomers are settling in the Newmarket-Aurora region and hence decided to expand into Newmarket to meet the needs of newcomers in one of the fastest-growing communities in York Region.

 

“We have clients who recently moved from Toronto to Newmarket, and they would call us and ask if we have a location north of Toronto that they can visit. They are delighted with the news that we are opening up this new location,” CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam said. “We envision our Newmarket Centre will benefit the community by becoming a space and a platform for people from different backgrounds to come together and put the concepts of inclusion and diversity into action.”

 

Primarily funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the CICS Newmarket Centre is a 2300-square-foot community-based centre that offers programming and services geared towards newcomer women, youth and seniors from diverse backgrounds. The centre was inaugurated in December 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and started on-location activities in April 2022. As the community reopens, CICS continues to provide quality virtual and in-person services to help immigrants build their new lives in Canada.

 

Derek Ho, Chair of Board of Directors, CICS Foundation; Mercy Yan, Chair of Board of Directors, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services; Maia Fujimoto, Supervisor, Settlement Network, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada; His Worship John Taylor, Mayor of the Town of Newmarket; Chief Jim MacSween, Chief of York Regional Police; Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora; and Alfred Lam, Executive Director, Centre for Immigrant and Community Services at the Grand Opening of CICS Newmarket Centre.

 

A lion dance performance at the Grand Opening of CICS Newmarket Centre.

 

Guests and CICS staff at the Grand Opening of CICS Newmarket Centre.

 

CICS Executive Director Alfred Lam at a media interview.

 

 

Quotes:

 

“I’d like to offer my sincere congratulations to the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services for the opening of their Newmarket Centre. Your ongoing commitment to supporting newcomers in the GTA has had positive and profound impact on your clients, as well as the community at large. All of Canada is richer thanks to the team, staff, donors, and volunteers at CICS. As you continue to build on 50 years of success, even more newcomers will benefit from your excellent programs for many years to come.”

 

– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

 

“As we strive to make Newmarket a place where everyone feels welcome and their contributions are valued, support from agencies like the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services is invaluable. Diversity makes Newmarket richer and stronger and we welcome CICS to our growing and diverse community and we look forward to working with them. ”

 

– His Worship John Taylor, Mayor of the Town of Newmarket

 

Quick Facts:

 

  • The census shows a 28.44% increase in recent immigrants settling in the Newmarket-Aurora region from 2006 to 2016.
  • Newcomer women, youth and seniors have been identified by York Region as priority populations requiring tailored services to meet their unique needs.
  • The CICS Newmarket Centre is primarily funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Other funders include the Government of Ontario and the United Way Greater Toronto.
  • The CICS Newmarket Centre is the second new service location CICS launches in 2022. In March, CICS celebrated the grand opening of the relocated language training centre at Woodside Square in Scarborough. The centre is also funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

 

CICS Newmarket Centre

Address: 130 Mulock Drive, Unit 2, Newmarket, ON L3Y 7C5 (Yonge and Mulock)

Telephone: 905-895-3789

Opening hours: Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9 am – 6 pm

For news and program updates about the CICS Newmarket Centre, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

About Centre for Immigrant and Community Services

Founded in 1968, CICS is a not-for-profit organization and a registered charity that provides core settlement and integration services, including language training and employment, at eight locations across Toronto and York Region, serving more than 20,000 clients every year from early years children to seniors. CICS has also established a community food program that aims at increasing food security through our own community garden, community kitchen and food bank. CICS is as well committed to building welcoming and inclusive communities by being a strong advocate for social justice and anti-racism. 

Learn more at CICS’ website or follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

 

Media Coverage:

'Racism is fuelled by bad stories': Centre for newcomers in Newmarket, Aurora creates better stories of inclusivity (Toronto Star, July 3, 2022)

Newmarket immigrant service centre opens to help newcomers (NewmarketToday, June 28, 2022)

'Part of Canada's DNA': Newmarket's growth of culturally diverse grocery stores points to growth of many ethnicities (Toronto Star, June 28, 2022)