About Us

Our Vision

We envision a community where every newcomer to Edmonton has the opportunity to thrive.

This means creating pathways for success that are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the unique needs of newcomers at all stages of their settlement journey.

As a cornerstone of Edmonton’s welcoming ecosystem, we provide newcomers with the tools, connections, and resources they need to build fulfilling lives, contribute meaningfully to their new community, and fully engage in all that Edmonton has to offer. 

Our Values

Empowerment
We believe people thrive when they have the information, tools, support, and opportunities to shape their own path.
 
Compassion
We believe care, empathy, and understanding build lasting connections that positively impact lives.
 
Interconnectedness
We believe we are all connected — our collective progress and well-being depend on the relationships we build with each other and our community.
 
Accountability
We believe trust comes from taking responsibility for our actions, following through on our commitments, and upholding integrity along the way.

Service Commitment

At the Newcomer Centre, you have:​

  • The right to receive service in a trusting, respectful, and supportive environment free of any form of discrimination or harassment.
  • The right of privacy and confidentiality, and to disclose only what you believe is necessary at any time. Confidentiality is limited by the requirements to report suspected incidents of child abuse, to comply with court orders and to prevent harm.​
  • The right to review your file and make comments if you disagree with any contents. (Your file is the property of the Newcomer Centre)​
  • The right to make decisions about your needs and goals.​
  • The right to decline services at any time or to request services from an alternate person. ​
  • The right to receive accurate, complete and timely information and service.
  • The right to have a fair, safe and transparent process when you feel your rights have been violated.​

About Newcomer Centre

In the 1980s North America was welcoming a whole new culture of people – the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian refugees of a long protracted war in their homelands. The Canadian and Edmonton community was doing their part to welcome these new arrivals, but some realized there was little in place to help them settle. Mennonites – with a persecuted past, as well as international relief experience through MCC – understood the problem as well as the potential for response. Several Mennonite church members met, adding the wisdom of Ann Falk, who understood the Vietnamese people, the Vietnamese culture as well as the language through her time as an MCC volunteer in Vietnam. That was the beginning of the Edmonton Mennonite churches’ response. The Centre started with one and a half staff in 1980 under the direction of a board consisting of appointees from First Mennonite Church, Holyrood Mennonite Church and Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church.

And so the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN) was born – to walk with newcomers in their integration process – to fill out forms they couldn’t understand – to advocate for newcomers when the system did not serve them adequately – to build relationships through language classes taught by volunteers – to pile newcomers into cars in the search of employment – to reflect the new cultural landscape by hiring first, Vietnamese, and later other nationalities who were now established and who could mentor newcomers – and to support the community as they established their own organizations.

And these remain the main pillars of today: language, employment, settlement, community engagement, and an ethnically diverse staff that reflects the groups coming to Canada. At first, Newcomer Centre operated through 1.5 paid staff and many volunteers. Soon after, by shifting to a community agency model, government funding grants allowed Newcomer Centre to grow its paid staff as needs and opportunities allowed.

In the mid-1990s, as more and more skilled immigrants were moving to Canada, the need for bridging programs emerged as a solution to immigrants unable to find work in their professional field because of barriers in the area of language and understanding Canadian workplace culture, credential recognition and Canadian experience. This need developed into a very innovative collaboration between EMCN, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), and the professional bodies.

In 2001, the Federal government made changes to refugee sponsorship, which resulted in an influx of more vulnerable refugees. With this change came the need to support in a much more comprehensive and holistic manner. We have embraced principles that include community-based, team-based, client-centered and client-driven approaches to sustainable support for successful settlement outcomes.

On May 6, 2024 – the agency name officially changed from the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN) to the Edmonton Newcomer Centre (Newcomer Centre).

We continue to work with up to 10,000 newcomers each year, from all parts of the world, out of two locations and various community locations in the Edmonton area. We currently have about 230 staff, that together, speak and offer service in over 25 languages. 

Newcomer Centre Central Office