The Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia (AMSSA) reports that British Columbia (BC) is “the province with the second highest proportion of immigrants in Canada… [and is] home to a population with significant linguistic diversity. Approximately one in three (29.6%) of BC residents has a mother tongue other than English or French, which exceeds the Canadian average of 22.9%. The most common immigrant language mother tongues are Punjabi, Cantonese, and Mandarin.”
More than 2 in 5 seniors in Canada are immigrants. AMSSA has highlighted the challenges, barriers, and needs that BC’s newcomer seniors contend with, which includes:
- Income insecurity
- Language barriers
- Social isolation
- Inadequate healthcare
- Transportation barriers
Other Web Links
- BC Seniors’ Guide – Province of BC
- Connecting Seniors – Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Government of Canada
- Immigrant Seniors Go Digital – S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
- Lived or Living Outside Canada – Pensions and Benefits – Government of Canada
- Programs – Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of British Columbia (AMSSA)
- Seniors Club – MOSAIC BC
- Warmth & Caring Action Project Video – Chinese CRN
