WINS LIP Reports & Resources
The Welcoming and Inclusive New West (WINS) Local Immigration Partnership works to strengthen inclusion, collaboration, and service coordination for newcomers in New Westminster. Over the years, WINS has produced a series of reports and resources that document community needs, highlight challenges, and propose strategies for building a more welcoming community.
These documents have served as a knowledge base for policymakers, service providers, employers, and community members working toward a more welcoming and equitable city.
Key Reports
WINS Backgrounder – Our story
A short history of the WINS Local Immigration Partnership, including its purpose and role in bringing organizations together to build a welcoming community
WINS LIP Community Plan 2025–2028
Outlines priorities and actions for the next three years, focusing on newcomer inclusion, stronger service coordination, and deeper community engagement.
Strategic Action Plan 2020 – 2025
The Strategic Action Plan lays out where and how WINS Local Immigration Partnership Council should concentrate efforts to address issues and challenges faced by newcomers.
Talking Points – WINS Local Immigration Partnership
A concise reference tool that communicates WINS’ vision, goals, and impact, helping partners and community members share a unified message.
Research & Community Reports
Checking the Pulse (2021)
An anti-racism report prepared for the New Westminster Spokes Committee. It captures community feedback on experiences of racism, identifying both challenges and pathways for improvement.
Navigating the Newcomer Maze (Settlement Delivery Improvement Project)
A community-based model developed in 2021 to enhance settlement success. WINS was one of 12 projects across Canada to inform Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) about innovative approaches.
Key findings included:
- Only about 30% of newcomers access settlement services—raising questions about the other 70%.
- Significant gaps in housing, employment supports, and translation/interpretation.
- The need for a collaborative hub model, anchored by the Welcome Centre, to provide a “one-stop shop” for services.
The Welcoming Spaces Report
The Welcoming Spaces Report was created to help organizations and communities make their spaces more inclusive for newcomers. It introduces a practical self-assessment tool, shares feedback from immigrants, and highlights promising practices to improve access, belonging, and intercultural connection.
Talking Points – Welcoming and Inclusive New West (WINS) Local Immigration Partnership
In 2021, New Westminster LIP was invited to design a model community-based plan to enhance the community’s capacity to help newcomers find settlement success.
This purely experimental project was one of 12 from across Canada to inform the settlement sector and Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) of various community based models.
It began with a comprehensive Environmental Scan of resources available to newcomers in the community. Two hundred and eleven local services and programs were analyzed to identify gaps and unmet needs, and became the baseline for the development of the model. This exposed where local services were strong, and where support was lacking. For example, interviews with newcomers found:
- Inadequate awareness about settlement services
- Critical gaps around housing
- Employment barriers, including recognition of credentials
- Lack of translation and interpretation services
- Highly skilled workers need more supports
Some of the thoughts from stakeholders from a series of discussions and workshops about the present settlement model:
- About 30% of newcomers are accessing settlement services, where are the other 70%?
- Critically need a “one-stop shop” and a “suite of services” for the whole sector
- Greater relationship building with faith-based organizations and cultural organizations
- More institutional connections amongst settlement and non-settlement agencies
- There is a “connection gap” between newcomers’ knowledge and the offering of settlement programming
- Present funding model is very competitive and needs to change to a more “non-competitive model” involving non-bias and transparency approaches.
- With knowledge of “politics behind the scenes”, there is a need to de-politicize governance groups/structures
- Structural change needed in reporting to measure collaboration amongst agencies and the newcomer community
- Complementary does not always equate to duplication; it can also equate to choice
A request that the Welcome Centre be included in the model eventually became the Hub around which the model revolved. The Welcome Centre was given the role as a core service, and a collaborative hub model was developed. For an outline of the Collaborative Hub Model, see here.
Other Reports
Earlier Foundational Reports
- Inclusive Workplaces Final Report (2013)
Part of the Welcoming Workplaces Initiative, this report consulted over 200 employers in New Westminster to identify barriers, gaps, and promising practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining immigrant workers. It informed the creation of An Employer’s Guide for Welcoming and Inclusive Workplaces. - Myths and Benefits: Immigrants in New Westminster (2010–2012, Welcoming Spaces)
A myth-busting resource that counters misconceptions about immigrants (on jobs, social assistance, crime, language, and integration) while documenting their economic, cultural, and social contributions locally and nationally. - Receptive Communities Dialogues Toolkit (2013)
A practical guide for hosting Common Ground Circles—community dialogues that build empathy, reduce stereotypes, and foster trust between immigrants and long-term residents.
2nd New Westminster Welcoming and Inclusive Event, 2010