Notes from the Rotary Meeting 12.30pm Thursday, March 26, 2026.
President Olaf chaired the meeting and welcomed everyone to the Rotary lunch meeting.
Guest Presentation
After lunch Olaf introduced the guest presenters Dr Majunath Suthesapavan, Community Connection Officer for the Association for New Canadians, ANC, and Damon Clark, ANC’s Regional Settlement Coordinator.
Damon with the aid of power point slides spoke about the programs and services that ANC offers across the province and in Western Newfoundland. The main office is in St John’s with 8 satellite offices across the province. The Corner Brook office covers the West Coast of the province. This office has about 2000 clients with about 1500 living in the Corner Brook area. Many of the clients are academic students at Grenfell Campus and Corner Brook College of the North Atlantic Campus. There are 8 officers based here which is the largest satellite office.
Damon continued by looking at the mission, values and vision of the ANC.
The Association for New Canadians (ANC) is a non-profit, community-based organization delivering settlement and integration services to immigrants and refugees in Newfoundland and Labrador. For many years, the Association has delivered programs and services that support all aspects of immigrant integration.
The newcomers can be temporary workers, students or permanent residence status seekers. Those seeking permanent residence status can work anywhere in Canada and they are all needed in this area to help sustain the economy. The challenge is to retain these people. He helps these newcomers by helping them with information like starting a business, buying a house or a car which are things necessary for the newcomer to have good quality of life. In the past year, 60 newcomers bought houses, and some have started businesses.
This is part of the service offered by ANC. There are also language training and assessment, career and employment services, settlement services, community connections, planning of religious and recreational events, children and youth programs. He explained in greater detail the programs offered and their value.
Damon spoke of the ANC employees at the Corner Brook office and the work they are each doing to help the different status newcomers.
He went on to speak of the Ukrainians recently now living in the area who face many challenges including some not being English speakers and trauma from leaving their country because of war.
He ended his talk by explaining how a local person can connect and help newcomers. This can be by volunteering, private sponsorship of refugees, offering needed services, employment and asking the local office of what help could be needed.
Damon answered several questions before being thanked on behalf of the club and the meeting was adjourned.