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Every hand, every voice, and every effort counts in building a community where everyone feels they belong. Here at the Chilliwack Local Immigration Partnership, we believe that collective action can transform lives and foster a truly welcoming environment for newcomers.
Discover how you can make a difference and be a part of this transformative journey.
The LIP Council includes a diverse array of members from organizations like Fraser Health, Service Canada, the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), Chilliwack YMCA, and the Fraser Valley Regional Library, among others. Each member brings a unique perspective and expertise, contributing to the richness of our collective efforts.
Indigenous Liaison
Bridget Findlay is from Chicago, Illinois. Her parents and grandparents were from Alabama. Her ancestry is European and Creek Native American. She is a mother of two: Brian, her 30-year-old son and Shelby, her 28-year-old daughter. She also has a 6 ½-year-old granddaughter, Octavia, who is Shelby’s little girl.
Bridget works with Chilliwack Community Services Local Immigration Partnerships (LIP) program as an Indigenous liaison. As the LIP Indigenous liaison, Bridget works at engaging the Indigenous community and developing relationships between Indigenous peoples, newcomers, and the whole community.
Chilliwack Community Services
Director of Immigrant Services and Senior Services
Geraint started his role as Director of Immigrant Services and Senior Services in Summer 2024.
University of the Fraser Valley
Chilliwack Coordinator – Upgrading and University Preparation, UFV
Shauna has been with the LIP for years.
First as a coordinator of an Employment Program for Skilled Immigrants, then as a practicum coordinator for a local college and the Recruitment and Retention Specialist for CSCL.
Recently, as a coordinator for highschool completion and upgrading.
In all roles, she has advocated for consideration and support of newcomer talent.
She has presented at past LIP forum events and contributed to their past research partnership with UFV.
Chilliwack Youth Health Centre
Executive Director
Tara is the Executive Director for Chilliwack Youth Health Centre. She has served on the LIP Council for many years and brings significant knowledge and expertise to the council.
Fraser Valley Regional Library
Community Librarian
Shelby promotes the library by liaising, planning, and overseeing programs and events that serve the community. Shelby recently joined the LIP Council in 2024.
Service Canada
Citizen Services Specialist-Community Outreach and Liaison Services
Julie and Brenda share a spot on the Council as alternate members. Together, they bring a wealth of knowledge and experience of citizen services and Francophone services to the Council.
Fraser Health
Cristal is of Indian and Portuguese ancestry and has called Chilliwack home for 26 years. She currently works as a Resilience Community Health Specialist with Fraser Health in Chilliwack. She was an Expressive Arts Therapist with Ann Davis Services for 5 years and then 15 years with the Ministry for Children and Family Development as an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Clinician/ Aboriginal Child and Youth Mental Health Clinician/ Adolescent Mental Health Consultant for SD# 33. Cristal joined the Council to build relationships as one of their priority populations for the ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) strategy is newcomer and immigrant children, youth and families.
Vision 2 reality foundation
Winnie Hsu came to Canada thirty years ago as a financially struggling student from China, working several low-paying jobs to sustain herself. Eventually, she started her own small accounting business. But that was 20 years ago. Today, she has a team of fifteen professionals serving over 200 small businesses in the greater Vancouver and Fraser Valley in B.C.
Fall of 2021, with three fellow co-founders, she started her dream impact project by founding Vision2Reality Foundation (V2RF) – a 100% online, free business community to help newcomers with their entrepreneur journey. Today, the V2RF online community has over seven hundred members on its platform who have and are all willing to share, learn and grow with local business owners and professionals. These have and will include people of different races, colours, genders, and cultural backgrounds who came to North America and dreamed of building a better life for themselves and their families. Winnie believes that V2RF is a rare, truly multicultural, inclusive online community that welcomes anyone with a dream and the ambition to turn their visions into reality.
Today, Winnie and her professional advisors in NexGen Accounting Inc. made V2RF the company’s social impact project, so all staff in NexGen Accounting and their business clients could contribute knowledge and money and offer support and mentorship to anyone who has an entrepreneurial mindset.
Your organization, whether it’s a Band Council, faith group, business, or grassroots entity, brings a unique perspective and set of visions to the table. The LIP Council offers a structured yet flexible framework for collaboration, allowing your capacity to be amplified through mutual partnerships. By joining, you’ll help streamline connections between newcomers and service providers, enhancing the integration process and making a lasting impact on our community’s social fabric.
The Newcomer Advisory Table (NAT) is a cornerstone initiative of the Chilliwack Local Immigration Partnership, designed to ensure that the perspectives and experiences of newcomers are at the forefront of community planning and decision-making processes.
It’s a dedicated group that brings together newcomers from various backgrounds to contribute their valuable insights, helping shape policies and programs that directly affect their settlement and integration into Chilliwack and the Upper Fraser Valley.
The Newcomer Advisory Table (NAT) has a key role: it provides essential advice based on the real experiences of newcomers, helping shape plans that genuinely meet their needs. By including these firsthand perspectives, the strategies we create are more effective and supportive. The NAT’s work makes our community a place where newcomers feel welcome and can thrive in every way.
The LIP Council comes up with topics, questions, or ideas and sends them to the NAT for discussion. The NAT members then review these points, offering their insights and suggestions based on their own experiences. If needed, NAT members can also talk directly with the Council to provide more detailed feedback or to further clarify their suggestions. This process ensures that the LIP Council’s decisions are informed by the diverse perspectives of newcomers, helping to make the community more welcoming and supportive for everyone.
Join the Newcomer Advisory Table (NAT) and share your unique insights to help shape a more welcoming Chilliwack. Your voice matters, and together, we can create a place where everyone feels at home. Reach out to us and become part of the change today!
Connect with service providers and employers to discuss shared goals, celebrate successes, and explore employment opportunities for newcomers.
Being part of this group doesn’t require any ongoing commitment. Simply join us when you can.
If your agency seeks a hassle-free way to network within the employment sector or to broadcast exciting program updates regionally, ESPN is your platform.
Send us an email at [email protected] for more information!
Are you passionate about contributing to your community and making a tangible difference in the lives of others?
Chilliwack Community Services offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities that cater to various interests and skills. Whether you’re looking to support newcomers, engage in social programs, or assist in community development projects, your efforts can have a profound impact on the well-being of our community members.
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©2024 Chilliwack Local Immigration Partnership
We acknowledge we are on unceded, traditional Stó:lō territory. We are committed to working towards the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action.
We gratefully acknowledge our funding partners: Chilliwack Community Services, and Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada
