Exploring recreation and leisure issues affecting immigrants in Atlantic Canada

1
Exploring recreation and leisure issues
affecting immigrants in Atlantic Canada

• Susan Tirone, PhD
• School of Health and Human Performance,
• Dalhousie University

2
Why recreation and leisure?

• Recreation and leisure broadly defined - are
  part of the reason for immigration, but not well
  studied
• Much current migration/ethnicity research focuses
  on employment issues, economics, and social
  justice
• Media representations of immigrant/minority youth
  recreation and leisure problematic (Tanner
  Wortley, 2002).
• Need to better understand how recreation and
  leisure contribute to the health and social
  well-being of immigrants/minorities in Atlantic
  Canada

3
Importance or recreation and leisure for
immigrant and minority youth

• Critical importance for the integration of youth
  (OCASI, 2005)
• Some recreation results in health benefits
• Physical
• Mental
• Other recreation health compromising
• Social well-being
• Community social capital
• Enriched community leisure and recreation
  opportunities
• Canadian Geographic (Jan/Feb 2006) Bhangra
  music in Canada

4
Previous recreation/leisure study Halifax

• Snapshot/starting point for Atlantic Can leisure
  research (2004-2005)
• The major research questions
• What are the opportunities and challenges
  immigrants experienced as they settled into life
  in Nova Scotia?
• Will they stay here?
• Is leisure a factor?
• Opportunities, preferences, children and youth
  activities
• What is missing in leisure that would make life
  better
• 9 participants, adults and youth

5
Findings

• Newcomers came here to avoid political conflict
  or to work
• But, need relatives and friends in order to enjoy
  leisure time and for emotional well-being
• Value time with people who know understand
  traditional cultural practices.
• Problematic in small communities
• Some groups in urban Atlantic created
  opportunities for recreation
• Day camps, community centres, language classes
  for children, recreation
• Children of immigrants view other regions of
  Canada and the US as better
• Some youth plan to leave Halifax to seek work
  but what is good job/good life

6
Findings continued

• Adults and youth expressed concern about the
  behaviour of Canadian children and youth
• Want school and recreation where children respect
  elders and one another
• Often seek private schools and structured leisure
  activities for their children such as music
  lessons.
• Need culturally relevant answers to problems
• School, day care, social services, police
• Leisure and recreation providers in Atlantic not
  accustomed to provision of service for
  newcomers and Minorities
• Need to understand how to promote healthy
  recreation and provide service to newcomer groups
  and individuals

7
Pilot project Atlantic recreation and leisure
initiative

• The study addresses the Metropolis research
  priority 2
• What policies and programs are necessary to
  ensure the integration of children and youth of
  immigrant origin, particularly visible
  minorities.

8
Workshop

• Review of service provision and policies that
  support the delivery of recreation to new
  Canadian and ethnic minority youth in Atlantic
  Canada
• Review what we know about issues
• Service provision
• Access to service including transportation,
  costs,
• Begin proposal for addressing recreation and
  leisure needs of these youth
• Academics from UNB, Acadia, MUN and Dal
• August 15, 2006 in Halifax