HIPC Research Reports
The Hamilton Immigration and Partnership Council (HIPC) studies the needs of newcomers and researches on Hamilton’s demographics, labour market, economy, and settlement services.
HIPC’s Annual Reports can be found in the What We Do section.
Mapping Immigration and Languages in Hamilton
This report builds on the HIPC’s Demographic Profile by providing maps of some country-specific and spoken language groups. The numerous maps depicting the top countries of birth of recent immigrants and top languages spoken at home reveal that our city does indeed have pockets of concentration in various broad neighbourhood areas. The report also speaks to reasons why some immigrant groups may be co-located in some parts of the city.
What “Belonging” Means to Newcomer Youth in Hamilton
Based on recommendations for future research identified in HIPC’s 2023 Immigrant Survey and 2024
Community Planning Forum Report, the goal of this project was to investigate what a “sense of
belonging” means for newcomer youth in Hamilton, how much they feel they belong in Hamilton, and
how they believe sense of belonging among newcomer youth could be improved. Findings in this report
will inform HIPC’s future work and community planning.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Checklist
Prepared by HIPC’s Anti-Racism Working Group, this tool is designed to promote anti-racism and anti-oppression. Drawing from the City of Hamilton’s draft Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Handbook, this checklist acts as a valuable guide for identifying and addressing the barriers faced by diverse groups.
This checklist outlines important considerations in the following areas:
- Events and Meetings
- Project Development and Planning
- Research and Evaluation
- Communications
While it may not be possible to check off every item for every event or project, the checklist encourages us to stay aware of these challenges, take proactive steps to overcome them and respond to the distinct needs of different individuals and communities.
Demographic Profile of Immigrants in Hamilton
This report presents data from census 2021 on immigrants in Hamilton, including both recent and more established immigrants. Its objective is to increase our understanding of Hamilton’s immigration populations, including how the characteristics of immigrants have changed over time and how Hamilton fares when compared to the province and other cities in Ontario.
Now with information added in French: À propos de ce rapport, À propos de HIPC, Résumé
Community Planning Forum Report
This report is intended to succinctly synthesize data collected through the March 1, 2024, HIPC community planning forum, “Envisioning Successful Settlement and Belonging for Newcomers in Hamilton.” This event was co-facilitated by HIPC and the Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR). The intention was to engage the broader community in collaboratively determining HIPC’s future priorities.
Immigrant Voices: Hamilton Immigrant Survey 2023 Report
This report presents findings from Hamilton Immigrant Survey 2023 – the largest survey of immigrants conducted locally in the recent past. In this survey, immigrant refers to anyone who was born outside Canada and lives, works, or studies in Hamilton.
This includes economic class immigrants, family-sponsored immigrants, refugees, international students, refugee claimants, temporary foreign workers, and recent Ukrainian arrivals.
SUMMARY REPORT – Hamilton Immigrant Survey 2023
Infographic of Hamilton Immigrant Survey 2023 Summary Report
Migration and Mobility in Hamilton, 2007-2019
Immigrants to Canada do not always stay in their first place of arrival. Economic class immigrants in particular are highly mobile, moving around in search of optimal employment and affordability. Family class immigrants and refugees are less mobile, often staying close to families and settlement services in their original places of landing.
How does Hamilton fare in the attraction and retention of immigrants to Canada?
Welcome to Hamilton – Settlement Services
For newcomers looking for an overview from the top settlement service providers in Hamilton…
Our new PDF guide includes:
- Introduction to settlement services
- Key settlement service providers and their offerings
- Contact information, links and more!
A Guide to Finding Housing in Hamilton
Finding the right place to live can be hard, but there are people and agencies that can help you find a home. This guide to Hamilton housing can help you start your search for a home that meets your needs!
Discrimination Experienced by Immigrants, Visible Minorities, and Indigenous Peoples in Hamilton
This report contains findings from a representative survey in Hamilton, Ontario to examine:
- the extent and context of discrimination
- type of discrimination and who is perpetrating these acts
- response to discrimination, including coping mechanisms
- general feelings of acceptance and welcome
A Guide to Inclusive and Meaningful Research with Newcomers in Hamilton
This report was created in collaboration with McMaster Research Shop to provide important ethical, methodological, language and cultural considerations for conducting research with the newcomer population in Hamilton. From getting started to communicating your findings, check out the recommendations in this report to help you ensure your research is inclusive and meaningful.
Newcomers and Immigrants in the Hamilton Labour Market: Outcomes and Opportunities for Improvement
This spring we have witnessed some parts of our economy and society brake suddenly while others go into overdrive. Canada is now in sharp recession, significantly affecting the livelihoods of too many of our immigrants, especially recent immigrants, as well as Canada’s ability to return to robust immigration levels this year.
Employment is a hallmark of settlement for many newcomers, many of whom struggle to find work suitable to their skills at the best of times. Immigration is a positive for our economy, but it often takes a toll on individual immigrants who are unable to find work that suits the skills they brought with them. Hamilton has approximately 15,000 immigrants who have arrived since 2011, many of whom are in the labour market or wish to be. (May 2020)
Mapping Newcomer Services in Hamilton
Initiated by HIPC’s Coordination of Services Committee, this project was driven by the question of whether Hamilton’s newcomers would benefit from the addition of mobile services. The starting point was to increase our understanding of where newcomers live with respect to where services are located. To this end, HIPC staff undertook an engagement exercise with local service providers to identifynewcomer-focused services and then worked with a student team from McMaster to categorize and map these services. HIPC staff also examined alternatives to the predominant 9-to-5, in-person model of service delivery for newcomers, including examples from settlement services in other cities and from various local service providers. (April 2020)
Finding a Place to Call Home
This report presents the results of a McMaster Research Shop project for the Hamilton Immigration Partnership Council (HIPC). Through this project, a review of affordable housing initiatives across Canada was conducted in order to provide recommendations for future newcomer housing efforts in Hamilton. Data sources for this project include a literature review and an environmental scan. (February 2020)
Migration and Mobility in Hamilton
This report was commissioned by HIPC to acquire data on the number of immigrants living in Hamilton, Ontario, their admission categories, and occupational and employment characteristics. Of particular interest is their mobility, including whether they arrived directly from overseas, lived elsewhere in Canada before relocating to Hamilton, or left Hamilton for other Canadian cities. (August 2019)
Exploring Informal Settlement Services in Hamilton
Immigrants arrive and find their way in Hamilton thanks to the concerted efforts of many
individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. This oft-hidden array of supports came to the
fore in late 2015 when Hamilton began to receive hundreds of refugees fleeing war in
Syria. With initiatives such as the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Syrian Newcomers, Hamilton
witnessed the gathering and leveraging of partners from local government, service provider
organizations, not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, faith-based groups,
ethnocultural associations, and individuals—all of whom worked together to welcome
newcomers into our community. (April 2019)
A Demographic Profile of Immigrants in Hamilton
Immigrants have been central to Hamilton’s growth and identity for two centuries, and the economic, social, and cultural contributions of immigrants have been invaluable to this city. Today, Hamilton is characterized by an established and aging immigrant population that continues to be supplemented by new arrivals. (March 2019)