Episode 68: The Changing Face of Guelph

Between 2011 and 2016, around 700 immigrants per year settled in Guelph.  In 2019, Immigration Services Guelph-Wellington had 1400 new clients; that number is expected to increase in the years ahead.  Newcomers settle in Guelph for a variety of reasons, including its strong community support networks and job availability in the manufacturing sector.  Still, newcomers to Guelph face various challenges such as finding affordable housing, overcoming language barriers, and navigating subsidy programs.

Anu Saxena immigrated to Canada from India in 1991 and has been living in Guelph since 1994.  As a trained microbiologist, Anu worked as a researcher at the University of Guelph for 17 years until 2011.  She is currently active in the community and gives her time to many local organizations, including the Guelph & District Multicultural Festival, Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington, Children’s Foundation Guelph-Wellington, City of Guelph’s Tourism Advisory Committee, Guelph Women in Crisis and YMCA-YWCA of Guelph.

Sandra Cocco is the Executive Director of Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington.  She joined the agency in 2016.  Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington is the primary settlement agency in Guelph, serving over 2500 clients in the last fiscal year.

Sara Sayyed is the City of Guelph's senior advisor of Equity, Anti-Racism and Indigenous Initiatives.

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