The St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership (STELIP) is a collaborative community initiative that aims to build welcoming, caring, and inclusive communities by supporting the integration of immigrants and promoting the value of diversity. Our work is guided by the STELIP Council, which is composed of community members and representatives from local businesses, social services, and other organizations.
Our Vision
St. Thomas and Elgin County will be a culturally diverse, welcoming, caring, and inclusive community that will retain current residents and welcome immigrants. St. Thomas and Elgin County will provide immigrants with opportunities to successfully integrate, where they can contribute to, and benefit from, social, cultural, and economic inclusion.
Our Principles
Inclusivity – Our work will be inclusive of all immigrants in the St. Thomas-Elgin community regardless of their immigration status, citizenship, age, gender, health status, sexual orientation, and number of years in the community. We will work towards equal participation while promoting social justice.
Collaboration – Our work will emphasize developing a strong and respectful relationship with immigrant communities to ensure a welcoming, caring, and inclusive environment.
Empowerment – Our work will strive to support new immigrants’ capacity to provide for themselves and their families through their own means and their own decisions.
Sustainability – Our work will be planned and evaluated to ensure continued effectiveness and long-term feasibility.
Our Priorities
In 2020, we began to implement our new strategic plan, which includes increasing community measurement and working towards a Theory of Change model. The aim is that, by 2025, 80% of newcomers to St. Thomas and Elgin County will progress from settlement to integration within five years of arriving in the area.
The new strategic plan sets out five priority areas to reach this goal:
- Civic and Social Inclusion
- Community Readiness
- Education
- Workforce Development and Employer Supports
- Equitable Supports
