$2.2 million invested to strengthen immigrant services in Outaouais

Tashi Farmilo

Immigrant integration in the Outaouais is receiving a $2,240,984 boost as of June 2, with funding distributed to eight local partners through Quebec’s Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration’s Programme d’appui aux collectivités (PAC) to support French-language services that help newcomers settle and participate in community life.

The City of Gatineau receives the largest portion, $1,278,200, to fund municipal initiatives designed to facilitate integration at the local level. Service Intégration Travail Outaouais (SITO), which focuses on employment access for immigrants, is allocated $570,688. Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi du Pontiac will receive $127,221 to assist young immigrants with employment and orientation, while Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Vallée-de-la-Gatineau is granted $63,515 for similar support in its area. Carrefour Emploi des Collines is awarded $88,950 to continue its work with immigrant jobseekers in the Collines-de-l’Outaouais.

Other recipients include Accueil-Parrainage Outaouais, which receives $12,410 to continue offering welcome and pairing services between newcomers and local residents. Two regional county municipalities — the MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais and the MRC de Pontiac — will receive $25,000 and $75,000 respectively, funding coordination and services in rural areas.

“It’s the entire region, with each of its welcoming communities, that is mobilising to contribute to the successful integration of immigrants,” said Jean-François Roberge, Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration. “The Outaouais region is a great example.”

The PAC programme is designed to allow communities to tailor their integration efforts to local needs, whether through job market access, civic orientation, or community-building. The projects funded under this announcement reflect that diversity, spanning urban, rural, youth-focused, and employment-based initiatives.

“These projects ensure that immigrants who settle here find a French-speaking environment where they can thrive and contribute,” Roberge added.