Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council

Pardon the inconvenience, we're moving things around. If you can't find what you're looking for please reach out to our team.

HIPC's Community Plan

As a collaborative community table, HIPC is in a unique position to focus on the collective impact of efforts to improve local settlement outcomes. 

To this end, in 2024 a small team of HIPC members began working with advisors from the Centre for Community Based Research. Meeting regularly over the course of a year and collecting input from two large public sessions, we drafted a new Community Plan to shape our focus until 2028.

It is hoped that HIPC partners and the wider community can see how their own work can move our community towards these outcomes.

HIPC’s impact statement is tri-fold, focusing on making Hamilton a welcoming community where newcomers have a positive settlement experience and feel a sense of belonging.

Graphic Designer: Tatiana Subbotina

Inclusion Principles

These principles inform all of our work:

Working Collectively

Working collectively to realize the impact that we envision

Newcomer Leadership

Leveraging newcomer leadership

Centring Newcomers

Centring newcomer lived experience, especially equity deserving groups

Anti-Racism

Working from anti-racism and anti-oppression lens, promoting education and recognition of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as it relates to Indigenous and Francophone communities

Focus Areas

Welcome

Focus Areas

Information Access & Coordination

A Welcoming Culture

Responding to the Unexpected

Settle

Focus Areas

Employment

Language & Education

Healthcare

Housing & Affordability

Belong

Focus Areas

Anti-Discrimination

Public Spaces

Inclusion

Committee Members

Cansu Ekmekcioglu

McMaster University

Colleen Hynes

Service Canada

Evelyn Arrua

Templo Nueva Vida

Ghanwa Afach

CAPC-SPRC

Ghayt EL Gouach

RIFCSO – CFA Hamilton

John Coburn

YMCA

Juhainah Hussein

Mohawk College (Programs for Newcomers)

Krista Rao

Welcome Inn

Maham Khalid

The YWCA Hamilton

Phellan Kaburu

Refuge Newcomer Health

Queenette Martins

FirstOntario Credit Union

Samwel Langat

Rafiki Hamilton Centre

Sandra Penagos Arboleda

Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area) – SACHA

Sara Omar

McMaster University

Stefa Sokolowski

City of Hamilton – Economic Development

Tracy Akitt

Hamilton Health Sciences – McMaster Children’s Hospital

Tyler Bouman

Micah House

Yesha Panchal

Community Member

Zahra Jouda

Good Shepherd

Aida Masuka

Goodwill Amity

Amanda Rice

YMCA HBB

Beth Gibson

Fedcap Canada

Chantelle Ashley

Empowerment Squared

Cynthia Kandi

Hamilton Health Sciences

Elham Bakri

Immigrants Working Centre

Erin Carr

Solidarity Place Worker Education Centre

Ersa Lybesha

Good Shepherd Reaching Home (Employer)

Frances Madukwe

Community Member

Funmilayo  Daramola

Community Member

Jennifer Patterson

City of Hamilton – Economic Development

Liliane Kabamba

Rafiki Hamilton Centre

Mary Anne Peters

Mohawk College

Nilofar Yousof

HMC Connections

Obiageli Marien Diru

Neighbour2Neighbour

Omar Mahamed

Mishka Social Services

Ovee Mirza

Popular International, Quebec INC

Paula Castano

Immigrants Working Centre

Purity Mbogoh

Community member

Rafia Hina

Community member

Raul Morales

Asociación Fraternidad Hispana (AFH)

Sushmitha Thirumalaivasan

Treefrog Accelerator

Tariq Ismati

Wesley

Tehreem Zafar

YWCA Hamilton

Terri Bedminster

Refuge Newcomer Health

Tracie Daigle

Centre de Santé Communautaire H/W

Abir Alsaid

YMCA HBB

Ala Mohamed

Hamilton Police Services

Alison Bailey

Community Member

Bita Pejam

McMaster University

David Quezada

Community Member

Eveyln Myrie

Afro Canadian Caribbean Association

Jen Anisef

City of Hamilton

Jennie Hamilton

Hamilton Public Library

Lil Acive

Community Member

Mahsa Tavassoly

Community Member

Michelle Shivbarran

Refuge Newcomer Health

Mouna Bile

Hamilton Wentworth District School Board

Sarah Razek

Community Member

Suad Badri 

McMaster Research Ethics Board 

Theresa Phair

Public Works / Enviro Business Services

Theresa Vidal

Woodview Mental Health & Autism Services

Violetta Nikolskaya

YWCA Hamilton

Wasan Mohamad

Immigrants Working Center

Learn More & Get Involved

Download the Plan

This Community Plan will guide HIPC's work from 2025-2028.

Sign the Pledge

Together, We Move Our Community Forward!