Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria

The Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) creates welcoming and inclusive communities for immigrant and refugee newcomers. By modelling and fostering engaged citizenship in Canada, ICA has helped individuals and organizations connect across cultures for more than 45 years.

ICA is widely recognized as an exemplary advocate for the human rights of people from all ethnocultural backgrounds. The organization supports newcomers with settlement and integration counselling, translation, English classes, mentoring, job search assistance, volunteer matching and peer support and provides community outreach and development workshops to promote cultural understanding and eliminate racism.

More than 40,000 immigrant and refugee newcomers have started new lives in the Capital Regional District due to ICA’s leadership, commitment to partnerships and the efforts of the organization’s 80 staff members and 250 volunteers. In 2015 alone, ICA supported more than 2,500 newcomers with settlement and integration processes.

ICA’s swift and exceptional response to the Syrian refugee crisis facilitated the resettlement of more than 200 Syrian refugees in the Capital Regional District since December 2015. Last year, ICA received federal designation as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder to support the private sponsorship of refugees and in early 2016 was approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to provide Resettlement Assistance Programs for government-assisted refugees. ICA’s longstanding community partnerships and well-supported capacity of staff and volunteers allowed the organization to provide much needed services for Syrian families and individuals at this critical time.

ICA provides diversity training and resources for the community through the Community Partnership Network (CPN) of more than 200 businesses and organizations focused on building diversity and inclusion in Greater Victoria. ICA is active in national initiatives that advocate for sound immigration programming and policies, and leads the new Greater Victoria Local Immigration Partnership organization to develop community-based partnerships and an immigration strategy for Greater Victoria.

The Inter-Cultural Association’s recent awards and accolades include the “Operation Syrian Refugees 2016” Commemorative Coin from Immigration Minister John McCallum for ICA’s refugee resettlement efforts and the 2015 Community Partner Spirit Award from United Way Greater Victoria. ICA received the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of B.C. Riasat Ali Khan Diversity Award for the promotion of cultural diversity in 2013 and also that year, ICA’s Chief Executive Officer Jean McRae received Leadership Victoria’s United Way Greater Victoria Award for Collaboration and Partnership.