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4 uw 3 Continued from page 1 Jaydeep Bhatt has called Hal- ton home for the past four years. Originally hailing from Guja- 8 rat, India, his immigration jour- an ney began asa student at Hum- r College in 2011 before being 3 oon ajob the year after — and 6 eventually becoming a citizen. "This land has everything for everyone. I wanted to have a nice family life, a balanced 1 fe. Tal- ways wanted that. anada has given me that," res art “This s a Jand of opportunity, for | Thursday, November 24, 2022 | 2: w Bhat, 36, lives with his wife id young daughter. He is now employed by the City of Missis- sauga, working on projects where "I can give back to the community." "So, that kind of completes the cycle,” he said. According to the 2021 census, than 8.3 million people are or have been a landed immigrant or permanent resident in 2021, representing about 23 per cent of the population — the highe: years. In its recent projections, Sta- tistics Canada says the propor- CODES for first two instalments of census series, focusing on challenges facing seniors and the rise in multl-generational homes. “This land has everything for everyone ... This is a land of opportunity." ~ Jaydeep Bhatt tion could increase to between 29 and 34 per cent by 2041. The con- tribution of immigrants to the country's labour force is also highlighted in the report. a the more than 1.3 million immigrants settled perma- nentlyi inthe country from 2016 to 2021, most came from India (18.6 per cent), followed by the Philip- pines (11.4 per cent) and China (8.9 per cent). The record number of new- People who pected as visi- ble minorities made up 42.5 per cent of Oakville's population in 2021, up from 30.8 per cent in 2016. This compared to Milton's 55 per cent (up from 42.7 per cent), Burlington's 20.8 per cent (up from 16 per cent) and Halton Hills' 13.5 per cent (up from 7.4 per cent). The two largest visible minor- ity groups in Oakville are South Asian and Chinese, the latest census data reveals, while South Asian and Black residents were the top two in Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills. a partial breakdown of the visible minority population in 2021 (based on 25 per cent sam- ple data): Halton's growing diversity. OAKVILLE: South Asian (28,685), Chinese (23,055), Arab (10,020), Black (7,020) BURLINGTON: South (11,955), Black A 670), chee (4,380), Arab (4,1 IN: South ‘asian (37,100), Black (7,655), Arab (7,405), Filipi- no (5,300) Dennis Scott, chair of the Halton Black History Awareness Society, welcomes ALL AREAS OF HALTON BECOMING MORE Graham Paine/ Metroland HALTON HILLS: South Asian (3,505), Black (1,090), Chinese (720), Filipino (650) Dennis Scott, chair for the Halton Black History Awareness Society, welcomes the diversifi- cation. "It's been going on for quite some time now," he said of the de- DIVERSE HALTON'S POPULATION IN 2021 Oakville: 213,759 Halton Hills: 62,951 Source: Statistics Canada mographic trend. While the region has many unique qualities that attract newcomers, he said, there is a lot more to be done to promote inclu- sivity and make sure everyone feel belong. For its part, the multicultural organization focuses on promot- ing Black history, culture and arts — and fighting anti-Black racism. Among his goals is to get Black history into the education system across the country. The group is also working to create a vibrant community for all. He would like to see society continuing fo! apath toward multiculturalism one diversity, ecause “anything else is going to hold us back." “We are moving gradually to- ward what we need, and that's equality and appreciation on an equal basis to anything and ev- erything that's happening within Seng a Because cherie {he Dot: m line is ev with the exception of Hw tae nous, are immigrants," he said. STORY BEHIND THE STO- : We wanted to examine the growth of visible minorities in Halton following the latest 2021 census data released from Statis- tics Canada. FP _ eo) a] Se Simple Cremation Package Includes All disbursements & Crematorium Fees - Monthly Payments Starting at *45 CREMATIONHELP.ca by Dermody ».X. DERMODY 905-512-5799 « info@cremationhelp.ca tion