Adam Prudhomme
Editor
Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives will kick off its first Tuesday Night at the Museum talk of 2023 on Feb. 21 with a visit from Cat Fisher Andrews of Quinte Immigration Services.
Titled Immigration Today, the talk will cover a wide assortment of topics relating to both the history of immigration in the Lennox and Addington region as well as a look at the future.
With over a decade of experience working with Immigration Services, Fisher Andrews has a unique insight on the topic.
“I’m going to look at a brief history of immigration, so some factual, historical immigration information about beginnings and perceptions about immigrants and refugees over time up to the present day in Canada,” said Fisher Andrews. “That’s just to give some context from where we’ve come from in terms of immigration. Then I’m going to look at where we are now, our newest immigration policies for immigrants and refugees, policies generally from the federal government.”
Her role with Immigration Services gives her a firsthand look at what someone arriving to Canada will experience.
“I’m also going to be taking about barriers that newcomers face in our communities,” she said. “Things that make it challenging for them to settle in our community and solutions to that as well, and then benefits that newcomers can bring with them to Canada.”
Her presentation aims to clear up some of the misunderstandings that often get associated with Canada’s immigration program.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about immigration on the whole and immigrants and refugees,” said Fisher Andrews. “I think it’s because it’s a pretty complicated system and if it’s not something in your every day radar, you’re not going to be paying a lot of attention to how it works and who is coming here and what the programs entail. A lot of assumptions get made about immigrants and refugees in our community and I hope that during the talk I’ll be able to break some of those myths and assumptions and ensure that people understand the realities of what is happening with newcomers in our communities.”
Her talk will conclude with a look ahead to the future of immigration in Canada while outlining some of the strategies in place for the coming years.
According to her bio on the L&A County Museum website, in her current role as the Quinte Local Immigration Partnership (QLIP) Coordinator at Quinte Immigration Services (QUIS), Fisher Andrews coordinates partnerships with over 72 stakeholders in the Quinte region including in Greater Napanee. In the early days of her work at QUIS, Cat coordinated the Central Eastern Ontario Translation and Interpretation program, following that she worked as a frontline Settlement Worker for QUIS for six years.
Her presentation ties in perfectly with the Museum’s current exhibit Refuge Canada, which shares stories of refugees arriving to Canada.
The Feb. 21 presentation, which gets underway at 7 p.m., is for ages 13 and up. The cost is $3 per person, which can be paid at the door. No pre-registration is required.
The museum is located at 97 Thomas St. E in Napanee.