Including Ethnocultural Communities in Neighbourhood Life
For many years, newcomers from a country tended to move into the same Montreal neighbourhood. As a result, specific neighbourhoods gradually became identified with the nationality concerned—Little Italy, Chinatown, the Greek district, and so on. The concentration of national groups in specific areas had a purpose: to make social and economic integration easier. Today, this tendency is less apparent because of the housing situation, greater mobility and the broad cultural diversity in Montreal.
As Lyne Poitras shows in this article, Centraide of Greater Montreal has chosen the “neighbourhood” as an agent of change. By investing in the collective efforts of local communities, it hopes to facilitate the inclusion of ethnocultural communities who are presently excluded. Six participating neighbourhoods developed their own strategies to bring about change and Centraide offered them an adapted support according to a sustainable perspective. Of course, developing harmonious relationships between people of different origins and improving newcomers’ access to local resources takes time. Accordingly, Centraide has adjusted its funding timelines in order to support these processes over the medium and long term.
Lyne Poitras, Planning and Development Consultant
Centraide of Greater Montreall
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