Project Overview

Helping Newcomers with Key Information and Links

(Note: The Dayplanner website is currently under reconstruction.)

CFEE has undertaken a variety of projects over the years to help newcomers to Canada. Our most successful has been the “Newcomers to Canada DayPlanner” – a dayplanner resource chock full on information relevant to newcomers. In the past, with support from partners like the federal government and Scotiabank, we produced a hard copy version of the DayPlanner and, working with over 800 immigrant-serving agencies, we distributed over 760,000 copies.

When funding was no longer available for the hard copy version, we developed an online version of the DayPlanner (the site is currently under reconstruction). The DayPlanner provides a working personal calendar tool but, on each page, there is key information related to working in Canada, finding a job, education, money and finance, business in Canada and much more along with images of Canada and key dates, facts, and figures. Much of the information needed for the Canadian Citizenship Test is included in the DayPlanner.

For those who want to know more than the information provided, there are links to a wide variety of contacts and sources in Canada. And there is a concluding section which lists the contact info for key organizations in Canada, Canadian rights and responsibilities, where to look for jobs in Canada, and much more – including the words to our national anthem.

Over the years the DayPlanner has helped tens of thousands of new Canadians address their integration and settlement challenges.  We hope it continues to do so for many years to come.

Highlights

• Available in English and French
• Full of small bits if relevant information on key topics – with links provided to more information if desired.
• Key topics include government, careers, money matters, jobs and business, and education and training.
• Every page has an image of Canada, a “Did You Know…? Box, and important “Dates and Events”
• Contains most of the information one needs to know for the Canadian Citizenship Test
• The DayPlanner has been widely used as a resource to assist language training – both English and French

Goals

• Help newcomers with their settlement and integration questions and challenges
• Help introduce “Canada” to newcomers
• Support immigrant efforts to prepare for the Canadian Citizenship Test
• Assist newcomers with links to key information and organizations that can help with job search, starting a business, health care questions, and much more.
• Help newcomers develop their English and/or French language skills

Outcomes

• Newcomers have a handy and important resource at their disposal as they encounter questions and decisions
• Newcomers are provided with an opportunity to learn a little about a lot of things and then access additional information, according to their interest, through the links provided
• Newcomers can keep a log of their activities and appointments as they undertake their integration and settlement activities
• Newcomers quickly learn key information and facts about Canada
• Newcomers are supported in their efforts to attain Canadian Citizenship
• Newcomers become familiar with terms and terminology used in Canada in the worlds of business, banking, education, etc.