NIIP Northern Summit 2024
The NIIP Northern Summit provides a platform for service providers in the Northern territories to connect, learn, and exchange ideas. Speakers from across Canada will provide insights from their diverse experiences, tailored to resonate with the unique challenges and opportunities of the Northern perspective.
This event is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and it is being organized by the Northern Immigration and Integration Partnership (NIIP).
A Northern meeting ground for shared insights and development
September 24th and 25th, 2024
Day 1
Insights: The sector's responses to changes with technology and contracting to increase newcomer service accessibility and better reach remote communities
Chris Friesen - Chief Operating Officer, ISSofBC
This presentation will provide a space for discussion of a tested alternative model to contracting (hub and spoke), its potentials in thinking approaches to better reaching remote communities, as well as insights on how technology is impacting and influencing client service delivery with relevance to Northern communities and providers.
Chris Friesen
Chris has been a veteran of Canada’s refugee and immigrant settlement sector for over 30 years. Besides his role as Chief Operating Officer for ISSofBC, Mr. Friesen was recently the Interim Co-Executive Director of the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector Alliance (CISSA-ACSEI) and co-chair of Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven National Steering Committee as well as for 10 years, the Co-Chair of Canada’s National Settlement and Integration Council. Under his tenure with ISSofBC, Chris has been at the forefront as a key leader, media spokesperson and academic research collaborator of the shifting immigration and refugee resettlement changes in BC, Canada and Internationally. Mr. Friesen was also an instrumental member of the concept and design of the ISSofBC Welcome Centre building in Vancouver. He was also the NGO focal point as co-chair with Canada on the Annual Tripartite Consultation on Resettlement in Geneva. Prior to ISSofBC, Mr. Friesen coordinated a British Educational Trust for Refugees for nearly 3 years based in Nairobi, Kenya. As a UBC student, Chris successfully led a 1985 referendum on campus to increase the student fees to establish a permanent WUSC student refugee scholarship program. This referendum concept has now spread to over 90 post-secondary institutions across Canada and has recently been embraced globally as part of alternative resettlement pathways (through education) for refugee. He is the recipient of the 2024 National Metropolis Service Provider Award of Excellence.
Day 2
Panel - Exploring foreign credential recognition programs: government and organizational roles, processes, and participation
Nathanaël Poli, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)
Aliyyah Nazeem, WES Canada
Elaine May Tan, Estrada & Tan Chartered Professional Accountants (ETCPAS)
Megan Wood, College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CANNN)
Credential assessment and recognition in Canada: an overview with the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials.
Nathanaël Poli, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)
Canada’s commitment to international conventions relating to credential recognition greatly influence the evaluation processes conducted by competent evaluation bodies and recognition authorities. On another level, Canada’s federal configuration has also shaped a decentralized approach to credential assessment and recognition; as a result, a diverse array of interested third parties can sometimes be involved in a single recognition process.
For internationally-trained individuals seeking meaningful employment in Canada, credential assessment and recognition processes can appear quite complex to navigate. The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC) is mandated by the provinces and territories of Canada to complimentarily service individuals by providing referral services and offering up-to-date information relating to credential assessment and recognition. This presentation will be an overview of the landscape of assessment and recognition in Canada, so attendees can better identify the competent bodies and authorities; in addition, this presentation will be an opportunity to present CICIC’s resources and services.
International Academic Credential Authentication and Evaluation
Aliyyah Nazeem, WES Canada
WES will cover aspects of international academic credential evaluation and recognition by the employers, academic institutions, licensing bodies and other end-users. We will touch upon Canadian academic equivalency for labour market integration and Canadian society at large. A brief reference will be made to Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) for IRCC Express Entry Program.
Journey to Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) certification
Elaine May Tan, Estrada & Tan Chartered Professional Accountants (ETCPAS)
This presentation will discuss the steps to take if an individual wishes to further pursue their careers in accountancy. We will cover the initial educational requirements and rigorous CPA Professional Education Program (PEP). This presentation aims to provide a clear roadmap and practical insights into the rigorous yet rewarding process of becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant in Canada.
Nursing in the NWT and NU as an Internationally Educated Nurse
Megan Wood, College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CANNN)
In her presentation Megan will go over the ways in which internationally educated nurses can work with both CANNN as a regulatory body, and employers to work as a nurse in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. She will review some of the pathways for licensing, regulatory requirements, as well as next steps in the exciting opportunities held in the NWT and NU.
Nathanaël Poli, Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials (CICIC)
As CICIC’s Digital Communications Officer, Nathanaël oversees the maintenance and content curation of CICIC’s information systems in order to ensure an efficient dissemination of information of general interest. He is also involved in various projects of the ENIC-NARIC Networks relating to student mobility, recognition of qualifications of refugees and digitization of student data. Nathanaël is the current Chair of the Working Party for Electronic Communications for Recognition, one of the two governance bodies of the ENIC-NARIC Networks.
Nathanaël has a background in digital communications and is an institutional relations expert. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from University Paris Panthéon-Assas (France) and is currently completing a Master of Law in Business Law/International Law and European Law with Aix-Marseille University (France).
Aliyyah Nazeem, WES Canada
Aliyyah is a passionate international education professional with experience developing partnerships with academic institutions in Canada and the U.S. Aliyyah’s previous experience working in Recruitment and Admissions in the academic sector provides her with a unique understanding of their needs. Aliyyah is keen on building mutually beneficial partnerships with institutions and facilitating the recognition of international academic credentials.
Elaine May Tan, Estrada & Tan Chartered Professional Accountants (ETCPAS)
Elaine is a qualified professional, holding both the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified General Accountant (CGA) designations. Her career spans over twenty years in the field of public accounting, where she has developed a deep expertise in providing assurance, bookkeeping, and tax services to a diverse range of clients. Her extensive experience is underscored by her previous role as an audit manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Singapore. In this capacity, she was responsible for overseeing audit engagements and ensuring compliance with international financial reporting standards.
Before her time at PwC Singapore, Elaine gained valuable experience as a senior associate at KPMG in Dublin, further broadening her experience and understanding of various accounting practices across different countries. She also worked with Ernst & Young (EY) in Manila, where she honed her skills in financial auditing and client management.
Upon relocating to Canada, Elaine, alongside her husband, established their own firm, Estrada & Tan, nine years ago. Their venture has grown significantly under their leadership, now employing a dedicated team of seven professionals. This firm serves a wide array of clients, leveraging Elaine's vast experience and expertise.
Currently, Elaine is advancing her knowledge further by participating in an in-depth tax course program. This additional training underscores her commitment to maintaining a cutting-edge understanding of tax laws and practices, ensuring that she and her firm continue to provide exceptional service in an ever-evolving field.
Megan Wood, College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut (CANNN)
Megan Wood is the Executive Director and Registrar of the College and Association of Nurses of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, otherwise known as CANNN. Megan is passionate about nursing regulation and ensuring public safety is upheld in health care while advocating for the profession of nursing. When not working, you can find Megan spending time with her young family, travelling, or participating in community events in her home of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Workshop - Cultural Competence within the Settlement Sector: Definitions and Dilemmas
Kaltrina Kusari, University of Calgary
This workshop will help case managers better understand the concepts of cultural competence and cultural humility, and their usefulness in practice with newcomers to Canada. Key areas of focus will include: defining cultural competence/humility; exploring the significance of a person-in-environment approach; engaging with the usefulness of the internationality; and working with individuals/families impacted by trauma and culture shock.
Kaltrina Kusari
Kaltrina Kusari received her PhD in social work from the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary. Informed by her own migration experiences, her research focuses on the forced return of rejected asylum seekers in Kosova, refugee settlement in Canada, and the experiences of immigrants who are homeless. She is particularly invested in understanding the intersection between migration and identity factors such as gender, ethnicity, and class. Much like her research, her other work is transnational in nature. She teaches as a Sessional Instructor for the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary and is an Independent Consultant for various social service agencies in Canada and Kosova.
Panel - Building Bridges: Strategies from Northern SPOs for Strengthening Connections with Indigenous Communities and Facilitating Cultural Integration for Immigrants
Isabelle Salesse, Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY)
Francis Essebou, Carrefour Nunavut
Christine Martin and Tamlin Gilbert, Collège Nordique Francophone (CNF)
Contributing to Reconciliation, one action at a time
Isabelle Salesse, Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY)
The Association franco-yukonnaise will present its recent initiatives aimed at fostering stronger connections between French-speaking Yukon communities and local Indigenous communities. In collaboration with various French-speaking organizations and Indigenous groups, the Association has been working to establish a governance table to promote dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding. This initiative seeks to create a framework for sustained collaboration and to further strengthen cultural and social ties between these distinct communities in the Yukon.
Relationships with indigenous peoples
Francis Essebou, Carrefour Nunavut
An economic development organization active since 2009, Carrefour Nunavut is a non-profit corporation based in Iqaluit, specializing in Employability, Economic Immigration, Tourism, Youth, and Sustainable Development. It offers comprehensive services for the growth of Francophone and Francophile individuals and businesses seeking well-being in Nunavut. In this role, it fully considers and integrates the socio-political and cultural dimensions of Nunavut in its actions, inviting and involving Indigenous peoples in all its community activities. Indigenous groups and the territorial government now place significant importance on this, increasingly recognizing Carrefour Nunavut as a serious partner in supporting and integrating new arrivals into the territory.
Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Perspectives into LINC Classes
Christine Martin and Tamlin Gilbert, Collège Nordique Francophone (CNF)
Coming up with ways to incorporate indigenous language, customs, perspectives and knowledge in classes where newcomers to Canada learn the language can be difficult, however Collège Nordique has come up with ways to make it into an integral part of the learning experience.
Isabelle Salesse, Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY)
Bio details will be available shortly.
Francis Essebou, Carrefour Nunavut
General Director of Carrefour Nunavut since 2019, Francis Essebou is an expert in economic development and communication. A creative, motivating, and engaging leader, he has over thirty years of experience in managing various projects and issues related to economic development, employability, and immigration.
Christine Martin, Collège Nordique Francophone
As an acadian New Brunswicker, I hold a Bachelor's degree in Education from University of Sainte-Anne. After moving around a bit over the past 15 years and spending a cumulative 8 years in Yellowknife, I've come to realize that this is now the place I call home. Passionate about nature, travel, adventure and connecting with people, I feel that my position working with the student experience is not only fulfilling, but important to the students' journey and the college's growth.
Tamlin Gilbert, Collège Nordique Francophone
Originally from the United Kingdom, I worked as an English teacher in several European countries before emigrating to Canada. It is the pleasure of seeing people acquire new skills and self-confidence that attracts me to teaching. I have worked as a teacher of Newcomers for 3 years in Yellowknife and I find the work fulfilling, gratifying and constantly changing. my educational background is an MA in English and Italian Literature from the University of Glasgow and I love reading novels and anything related to Italian and Spanish.