Since being granted the status of a metropolis in 2017, the City has played a growing role in fostering the inclusion of immigrants and racialised people at the local level. More than ever before, the metropolis is seeking to work in concert with its partners and develop projects enabling all Montrealers to get fully involved in creating more inclusive spaces. The BINAM (Office for the Integration of Newcomers in Montreal) also wanted to help boost local initiatives by developing six priority inclusion zones, which are home to 62% of newcomers to Montreal.
Since 2018, the BINAM has offered two subsidy programmes. These programmes have been renewed for 2021-2024 and will make it possible to provide funding for a number of projects.
- Inclusive Montreal programme (C$2M) to back projects with a strong focus on social development that engage with members of the host society and immigrants alike. The main objective of these projects is to promote intercultural relations between the host society and immigrants. In 2021-2024, the Inclusive Montreal programme will build towards another specific objective: fighting racism and discrimination.
- Priority Inclusion Zones programme (C$3.3M) to speed up the inclusion of immigrants and/or racialised people by promoting intercultural relations, the fight against racism and discrimination and civic participation so that Montrealers from all backgrounds can play a full part in the life of the city: these are the key objectives of the Priority Inclusion Zones subsidy programme.
The ultimate goal of these programmes is to actively involve Montreal’s host society in ensuring that immigrants and racialised people are fully integrated into the area’s living and work environments.
Drawing from its previous experience, in particular through the programme’s independent evaluation process, with this companion guide the BINAM wishes to offer flexible, clear and relevant support for community organisations that would like to submit an application for project funding in response to the 2021-2024 call for projects.
Montreal attaches great importance to projects designed and launched in a spirit known as “by and for”, meaning projects run by organisations whose members are immigrants and/or racialised people, or which actively involve them in designing, implementing and assessing their projects.
