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WHAT WE DO

At the Fort Erie Multicultural Centre, we offer programmes and services which focus both on the personal and legal aspects of a refugee claimant’s experience when arriving in Canada. Our staff is friendly, compassionate, able to offer the best support  throughout the settlement process. Our organization’s focus is to provide education, settlement services, counselling and other support services for newcomers to Canada. This including language instruction, translation services, youth services and assistance with navigating the information network.

  • Ms. Berni Candeloro – Director
  • Dr Hilda Makken – Director
  • Ms. Theresa Murphy- Director
  • Ms. Aurora Naz – Director
  • Mr. Percy Turner – Vice President
  • Mr. Tim Seburn – Secretary
  • Ms. Cindy Warkentin – Director
  • Ms. Monica Witvoet – President
  • Mr. Jonathan R. Wright – Director
The Fort Erie Multicultural Centre welcomes newcomers to Canada and provides a continuum of services to support their inclusion and integration into local communities. Adopted May 2019
  • We respect the world’s diverse cultures and ethnic peoples
  • We value the gifts and abilities of the world community
  • We celebrate our community’s cultural heritage and history
  • We promote inclusion and diversity
  • We support and encourage all efforts toward equality, fairness, social and economic justice
  • We advocate for the rights, safety, and respect of newcomers
  • We recognize the importance of building relationships that demonstrate positive and cooperative interaction between all people, community groups, and organizations
  • We promote the feeling of belonging through the building of caring, cooperative, inclusive, and trusting relationships
  • We value the essential contributions of volunteers and staff
  • We demonstrate leadership and compassion in our thinking and actions
  • We think broadly, creatively, and long term
  • We demonstrate best practice and ethical standards in our service delivery
Responding to the evolving needs of newcomers and advising empowerment strategies to overcome cultural barriers and integration obstacles. Services include: orientation, information and referrals, immigration and legal assistance, translation, outreach and access to primary health, mental health and social services, facilitating medical and legal appointments and assistance with short and long term housing.
Adopted September 16, 2020 We stand in solidarity with, and alongside all people, in supporting justice, accountability, and equity. We call for a fair, unbiased justice system which includes reparations from any government and authority involved in violence against racialized communities, particularly Black and Indigenous communities. We recognize the additional vulnerabilities experienced by racialized women and youth, and the tremendous systemic barriers faced by these populations. We recognize and support the resilience, the actions, the will, and the power of all oppressed people to fight for their freedom. We recognize this self-determination with conscious awareness of our own privileges and welcome the responsibility of joining in the resistance and refusing to stand silently by while systemic oppression continues. We commit to actively and deliberately breaking the silence that protects and promotes structural and systemic racism wherever it exists.

The health and safety of our staff, clients and the general public is paramount. To aid in slowing the global spread of COVID-19 the following is immediately in effect:
Fort Erie Multicultural Centre (FEMC) is closed to the public until further notice, with essential and urgent services available remotely by phone or email. Those contacting us will be screened and forwarded to a program staff person for follow-up within 24 hours.
ESL (English as a Second Language) and LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) classes are available. Please call St. John’s South Campus 905.991.8951 between 9 am and noon (Monday thru Friday) for information about on-line and in-person language classes.
In the interim, we will provide updates as they become available.
We appreciate your support and understanding as we all work together during this time.
Thank you
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Fort Erie Multicultural Centre

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