March 2009
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2009 Diversity Health Fair
Visitors of all ages enjoyed a variety of interactive fitness demonstrations, gathered valuable health information in multiple languages from the exhibitor booths, participated with their children at the LEAP BC’s Kid’s Activity Area, and learned about healthy cooking. Honored guests at the Opening Ceremony included Honourable Minister Wally Oppal, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism, Adrian Dix, MLA Vancouver Kingsway The winner of this year’s exhibitor Outstanding Booth Contest is ASIA, the Asian Society for the Intervention of AIDS. Congratulations on superb job! Media promotion and coverage was provided by our generous media sponsors: OMNI Diversity Television, Fairchild Radio, Vancouver Co-op Radio, Radio Rim Jhim, Vancouver Courier, JR FM and The PEAK, Ming Pao Daily News, Indo Canadian Times, Apna Roots, Global Chinese Press and La Source. For the complete list of this year’s Health Fair funding partners and sponsors, go to: www.amssa.org/healthfair2009/supporters.htm . The Diversity Health Fair Steering Committee would like to thank all funders, sponsors, donors, exhibitors, presenters, volunteers and AMSSA staff who made the 2009 Diversity Health Fair possible!
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National Safe Harbour: Respect for All Initiative Safe Harbour is gaining momentum in our five Alberta communities. The Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers has recruited staff from 17 locations of the Edmonton public library and City of Edmonton representatives to their next Safe Harbour orientation, alongside eight local businesses. The Centre for Newcomers in Calgary has approached their local mall and C.A.R.E. in Red Deer successfully trained the Central Alberta Aids Network, Blackfalds Neighbourhood Place, and Innisfail Public Library.
"Alberta is a province that is enriched with its diverse citizens and proud of its openness and understanding of other peoples' cultures, social structures, values and faiths. Safe Harbour recognizes that diversity is an asset that makes Alberta a better place to live." AMSSA is thrilled to be producing a 30-second video Public Service Announcement that will be submitted for broadcast to various TV networks across Canada, as well as remain downloadable from our website. AMSSA is working with a communications firm in Edmonton to launch Safe Harbour with high-impact news conferences in Edmonton and Calgary and targeted media relations support for Community Organizers.
Safe Harbour: Respect for All Dimensions of Diversity
The Safe Harbour: Respect for All program recognizes all dimensions of diversity and people All types of storefront businesses and organizations are eligible to participate. Safe Harbours are making positive contributions to society by taking a proactive stand against racism and discrimination. By learning of the needs of their diverse customers and clients they are better able to understand and serve them. We now have over 500 organizations participating as Safe Harbour locations across BC communities such as: credit unions, banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, city councils, universities, faith-based and non-profit organizations, restaurants, home improvement stores, government agencies, city parks & recreation facilities, and libraries.
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Temporary Foreign Workers Outreach ProjectThe Temporary Foreign Worker Program is tying up to a final close at the end of March. A total of 56 workshops on Employment Standards have been delivered thus far, covering urban and remote areas of BC from Campbell River on Vancouver Island to Fort St. John and Dawson Creek in the Northern Interior, and Cranbrook in the Southern Interior. Throughout the project, information was gathered from the 25 participating member agencies, each of whom collected feedback from the workers and employers in attendance at the Employment Standards workshops. From this information we prepared the following report: “Report on the Status of Temporary Foreign Workers in BC: Challenges and Service Needs”, which uses the statistical data and first person accounts to demonstrate the need for provincially funded support services for Temporary Foreign Workers. The report was released February 23, 2009 and is available on Settlement Net in the Temporary Foreign Workers section. AMSSA supports frontline workersAMSSA is finding new ways to support frontline workers at our immigrant-serving member agencies. A task committee including representatives from immigrant serving agencies, SWIS school districts, the Immigrant Integration Branch and AMSSA, has been formed to develop a policy manual for Stream 1 service providers. A networking event is being organized for Stream 2 program coordinators, and will take place in May. AMSSA will also be hosting two research webinars, which are scheduled for May and July respectively. They will be broadcast live over the Internet, so frontline staff from across the province can participate. AMSSA staff have been providing immigrant serving agencies with orientations to Settlement Net, the frontline service staff website. Access will soon be made available to Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS) program staff, with similar orientations being organized over the spring and summer.
AMSSA Staff ChangesGoodbye Vivianne, Melissa and Brian! AMSSA bids a fond farewell to Vivianne de Pass, our 2009 Diversity Health Fair Coordinator. This was Vivianne's third year working on the Heath Fair and the event was again, a success. Melissa McDowell, the Volunteer Coordinator for the 2009 Health Fair, has also finished her time with AMSSA. Although she was only here a short time, Melissa will be sorely missed around the office. AMSSA is also saying goodbye to Brian, who was completing a volunteer internship though UBC. Brian was a wonderful help around the office and we wish him the best of luck as he finishes his Engineering degree in Korea.
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The 5th Annual Diversity Health Fair was held on Saturday, February 21st at the Croatian Cultural Center and was another success. With a sold out Exhibitor Hall, the Healthy Cooking Stage featuring a Cooking for Your Life! team from the Canadian Diabetes Association, an amazing line-up of dynamic and multicultural entertainment on the Coast Capital Entertainment Stage, health screenings by Vancouver Coastal Health’s Healthy Living Program, BC Cancer Agency - BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program and UBC Faculty of Dentistry, the day was very busy and well attended. 
2009 Multifaith Calendars 
AMSSA is continuing to expand Safe Harbour nationally and has connected with the Metropolitan Immigrant Settlement Association (MISA) in Nova Scotia and the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. (MIIC) to be our Lead Organizations for the upcoming year. By continuing to promote Safe Harbour provincially and nationally through broadcast of our PSA, networking within business associations, and use of social media, AMSSA aspires to have Safe Harbour become a household name across Canada. 
of all kinds of backgrounds. Safe Harbour offers an opportunity for businesses to educate their employees about the value of diversity and how to create a welcoming environment within their workplace and local community. Employees are trained to provide equitable treatment to everyone who walks through the door and support to anyone who may have experienced discrimination.
