Exciting Developments at Moncton Cares: Join the Movement of Volunteer Obboarding!
Last Tuesday was a day of inspiration and connection as Moncton Cares celebrated a dynamic volunteer onboarding training session! We’re bursting with pride to share that our volunteer database has now soared past 800 passionate individuals! This vibrant and diverse group represents a multitude of countries, weaving a rich tapestry of cultures and experiences that truly strengthens our community. Empowering Our Volunteers! As part of our ongoing mission to foster a caring environment, we launched this dynamic training initiative to ensure that every volunteer is equipped with the essential skills and knowledge they need to make a meaningful impact. Our program is designed not only to provide invaluable resources but also to empower participants to excel while showcasing best practices in service delivery. Highlighted Focus Areas of Our Training Experience: During our latest onboarding session, we proudly welcomed 20 enthusiastic new volunteers who are ready to make waves in our community! Our training covered vital topics, including: Food Safety: We passionately delve into the essential practices necessary for safe food handling and preparation, nurturing the health and wellbeing of those we serve. Empathy and Compassion: We believe that empathy is the heart of our mission. We emphasize the importance of showing compassion in every interaction, creating a nurturing environment where everyone feels valued, seen, and heard. Privacy and Confidentiality: Our volunteers are educated on the crucial importance of respecting individual privacy and safeguarding sensitive information, reinforcing our commitment to a safe space for all. Following this enriching training, comprehensive police background checks are conducted to ensure the utmost safety for our vulnerable populations. This includes thorough criminal and vulnerability sector checks, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to providing a secure and supportive environment for everyone involved. A Journey of Continuous Growth! At Moncton Cares, we wholeheartedly recognize that volunteer training is an ongoing adventure! To further enhance our volunteers’ skills and contributions, we are excited to hold eight consecutive training sessions that will support their development and growth. Join Us in Making a Meaningful Difference! Volunteering with Moncton Cares grants you the incredible opportunity to connect with a diverse group of dedicated individuals, learn invaluable new skills, and give back to the community in impactful ways. Together, we can cultivate a compassionate and inclusive atmosphere that uplifts everyone—regardless of their background. Are you ready to be a force for positive change? Join us at our next onboarding session and become part of our multicultural workforce, united in our mission to care for and uplift our community! For more information about the exciting volunteer opportunities awaiting you, visit our website or reach out to us directly. Together, let’s continue to grow, nurture, and celebrate the remarkable spirit of our community!
Canada’s Brain Drain: Why Highly Skilled Immigrants Aren’t Staying (And What It Means for Our Future)
Canada has long been celebrated as a beacon for global talent, attracting highly skilled and educated immigrants to enrich our society and fuel our economy. But a new report from The Conference Board of Canada, “The Leaky Bucket 2025,” reveals a troubling reality: our immigration system is struggling to retain these valuable newcomers, leading to a significant and persistent brain drain. This isn’t just a minor issue; it’s a critical challenge that could impact Canada’s economic growth and competitiveness for decades to come. The Alarming Numbers: A Deep Dive into the “Leaky Bucket” The report’s findings, alongside other recent studies, paint a stark picture, showing that the very individuals Canada targets for their skills are the most likely to depart: A Fifth of Immigrants Leave – And It’s Worsening for the Highly Skilled: Over the past 25 years, a staggering one in five immigrants has left Canada through onward migration. The risk of departure is highest in the crucial first five years after landing, a period deemed “critical for retention” by the Conference Board. For higher-skilled immigrants, this risk is even more pronounced: they are more than twice as likely to leave Canada within five years than their lower-skilled counterparts. The Doctorate Dilemma: Highest Education, Highest Mobility: The data clearly shows a direct correlation between education level and the likelihood of leaving. Immigrants with doctorates are nearly twice as likely to leave Canada within five years compared to those with a bachelor’s degree. Within 25 years of landing, this disparity becomes even more pronounced, with doctorates more than twice as likely to depart than immigrants with secondary education or less. This challenges the very premise of selecting highly educated individuals, as their global marketability means they are quick to seek better opportunities elsewhere if unfulfilled in Canada. Critical Occupations Are Vulnerable to Outflow: Many of the occupations projected to be most in-demand over the next decade are experiencing the weakest retention rates. These are the very sectors Canada needs to innovate and grow: Legislators and senior managers top the list, with an astonishing 35% leaving within 25 years, far exceeding the overall 19% average. Business and finance managers see 10% depart within 5 years, rising to 32% within 25 years. Immigrants in Information and Communications Technology (ICT)—including computer, software, and web designers—experience 7% onward migration in 5 years, escalating to 19-21% within 25 years. Even essential roles like engineering and architecture managers and manufacturing and processing engineers face significant losses, with 6-7% leaving within 5 years and 15% within 25 years. Healthcare professionals, a critical sector facing severe shortages, see approximately 25% of immigrants with relevant experience depart within 25 years. This is particularly alarming given that immigrants account for a substantial portion of Canada’s healthcare workforce. Beyond the Numbers: The Deeper Issues Driving Departure The “Leaky Bucket” report and other research point to several systemic issues that contribute to these departures: Underemployment and De-skilling: A significant proportion of highly skilled immigrants in Canada find themselves working in jobs for which they are overqualified or outside their field of expertise. According to a 2022 Statistics Canada report on immigrant economic outcomes, immigrants with university degrees are significantly more likely to be overqualified for their jobs than Canadian-born graduates, especially in their early years in Canada. This underemployment leads to professional dissatisfaction, lower earnings, and a feeling of wasted potential, prompting many to look elsewhere. Credential Recognition Barriers: Despite Canada’s efforts, the process of recognizing foreign credentials remains a major hurdle. Many highly skilled professionals, particularly in regulated fields like healthcare and engineering, face lengthy, costly, and often opaque processes to get their qualifications recognized, forcing them into lower-skilled jobs or out of their professions entirely. This delay in full integration can be a powerful driver for onward migration. Economic Struggle Drives Departure: The Conference Board report highlights that stagnant or declining earnings are a major predictor of onward migration. Immigrants with doctorates facing no income growth are nearly three times more likely to leave over 15 years than those with bachelor’s degrees in a similar situation. Unemployment further compounds this, with 4.6% of unemployed immigrants with doctorates leaving within five years, compared to 2.8% for those with secondary education or less. This underscores that economic integration is paramount. Family Reunification and Social Integration: While less quantifiable, anecdotal evidence and some qualitative studies suggest that challenges in family reunification processes or difficulties in forming strong social ties can also contribute to onward migration. Immigrants often seek holistic well-being, not just economic opportunity. Global Competition for Talent: Canada isn’t the only country vying for skilled immigrants. Nations like the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom offer competitive salaries, faster career progression, or specific opportunities that might draw immigrants away, especially those who feel their skills are not fully utilized in Canada. The Broader Impact: More Than Just Lost Individuals These departures are not just statistics; they represent a tangible loss to Canada’s future. With a record-low fertility rate of 1.26 births per woman and an aging population, Canada relies heavily on immigration to sustain its workforce and economic dynamism. The federal government’s decision to decrease immigration targets by up to 24% in the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, combined with this outflow of skilled talent, is projected to slow labor force growth and reduce real GDP by an estimated $16.2 billion in 2026. This situation also creates a paradox: Canada’s selection policies prioritize highly skilled and educated individuals, yet these are often the most globally mobile and sought-after professionals who may find better opportunities or more aligned career paths elsewhere. In critical sectors, immigrants already make up a significant portion of the workforce—for example, 24% of construction managers, 25% of healthcare workers, 42% of physicists and astronomers, and 57% of chemists are immigrants. Losing these professionals deepens existing labor shortages and undermines Canada’s capacity for innovation and growth. The financial cost of attracting, processing, and integrating an immigrant, only for them to leave, also represents a significant public investment lost.Plugging the Leaks: A Call to ActionThe “Leaky Bucket 2025” report isn’t just about identifying problems; it offers concrete recommendations to transform insight into action: Develop a National Retention Policy Framework: Beyond simply selecting immigrants, Canada needs a comprehensive national strategy with clear targets and performance metrics to guide retention efforts.
Moncton Cares Hosts Multicultural Color Festival: A Day of Unity, Culture & Color
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, Moncton Cares, a leading multicultural community organization in New Brunswick, hosted one of the most inclusive and vibrant celebrations of the year — the Multicultural Color Festival at Riverfront Park, Moncton. From noon until 10 PM, the park was transformed into a dynamic space filled with color, culture, music, and connection. As a recognized multicultural center, Moncton Cares focuses on creating barrier-free spaces that promote integration, inclusion, and community building. The Color Festival was a true reflection of that mission — bringing together over 3,000 people from across the Greater Moncton Area to celebrate diversity in action. 🎉 A Celebration of Over 20 Cultures The festival proudly represented the cultural richness of Moncton and surrounding areas, featuring communities from: India, China, Brazil, Haiti, Iran, Lebanon, Nigeria, Ukraine, Mexico, Philippines, Colombia, Egypt, Syria, Bangladesh, South Korea, Venezuela, France, Jamaica, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Vietnam. From traditional foods and crafts to music and dance, each cultural expression added to the beautiful mosaic of our shared community. 🎤 Opening Ceremony & Dignitary Support The day began with a welcoming Opening Ceremony including a Land Acknowledgement, the Canadian National Anthem, and enthusiastic hosting. The presence of local and provincial leaders highlighted the importance of community-led multicultural events. While they didn’t deliver official speeches, several dignitaries joined in the festivities and participated in the iconic color throw, including: Hon. Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor MLA Claire Johnson MLA Rob McKee Moncton Councillors: Shawn Crossman, Monique LeBlanc, Paul Richard, Brian Butler Riverview Councillor: Cécile Cassista Their participation underscored the growing recognition of multicultural events as key drivers of community integration and social harmony. 💃 Cultural Performances That Moved Us The stage was packed with performances that celebrated global traditions and local talent, including: Indian Classical and Bollywood Fusion by Samruddhi & Seema High-energy Punjabi Bhangra by Harminder & Group Haitian cultural dance by the Haitian Association Latin music by Manual Olvera A lively Zumba session led by Olivia and GoodLife Fitness Each performance showcased the cultural depth and artistic brilliance of the ethnic communities living in our region. 🎧 Six-Part Color Party & Glow Finale Our Color Party, led by top local DJs, was divided into six energy-packed segments, including: DJ Macky (Color Throw 1 & 2) DJ Andress (Color Throw 3 & 4) DJ Garçon (Color Throw 5, Harminder’s Segment & Glow Party Finale) Crowds danced together, threw colors joyfully into the air, and celebrated unity in diversity under the open Moncton sky. 🛍️ Multicultural Market: A Taste of the World Our bustling Multicultural Market was a key attraction, featuring food, crafts, art, and services from dozens of local immigrant entrepreneurs and cultural groups: Monsieur Chichero, Masala Bites, The Latin Corner, Bravo Pizza, 1302Atelier, Everlasting ReVibe, Chickenin Brazilian Snacks, LeVeg, L&S Flavors, Subus Kitchen, Vina’s Kitchen, Sweet Treats and More, Marie Gold ToyLand, Rayas, Click and Chew, Badr Tabet, Lemonade Stand Omista Credit Union, LeafFilter, Moncton Rent, SERC, NeuriX AI, Petitcodiac Watershed Alliance, Persian Association, and GoodLife Fitness Vendors brought flavors and experiences from five continents, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit of newcomers and their contributions to our local economy. 🙌 Volunteers, Sponsors & Community Partners Over 100 volunteers, many of them newcomers themselves, made this festival possible. With clear roles in setup, logistics, hosting, and coordination, they are the backbone of Moncton Cares as a community-driven multicultural organization. A heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors, partners, performers, and attendees. Your commitment to building an inclusive community continues to make Moncton a beacon of multicultural integration. 🌟 More Than a Festival: A Movement This wasn’t just a one-day celebration. It was a movement for equity, inclusion, and cultural pride — the kind of work Moncton Cares does every day as a multicultural center supporting newcomers, immigrants, and marginalized communities. Whether it’s through language programs, job support, cultural events, or wellness activities, we’re building a future where everyone belongs. ✔️ Join the Movement 📍 Visit our multicultural center: 607 St. George Blvd, Moncton 📷 Follow us on Facebook: Moncton Cares ✉️ Contact us to get involved, volunteer, or sponsor Moncton Cares – Different backgrounds. Shared vision. One community.
