Surrey Local Immigration Partnership

31/08/2026

We’re excited to welcome more than 30 community partners to the Surrey Newcomer Fair!

From settlement and employment services to health, education and community supports, organizations from across Surrey will be at Civic Plaza to connect with newcomers and community members during .

Stop by their booths, meet the people behind these organizations and discover the many services and resources available in our community.

A big thank you to all of our exhibitors and community partners for joining us and helping make Surrey a more welcoming and connected community.

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 12–5 pm
📍 Surrey Civic Plaza, 13450 104 Avenue

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Alex House Back in Motion Health | BC CCM Vancouver Centre 中信溫哥華中心 Daughters Of Hope Resources Society Douglas College Fraser Health Great Light Healing Community ISSofBC International Refugee Support Foundation MOSAIC
Options Community Services PICS Society - Non Profit based in Surrey Sher Pride 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ DIVERSEcity BC
Surrey Libraries Surrey Schools TransLink Vancity WorkBC.ca YWCA BC

19/08/2026

Save the date for Welcoming Week in Surrey! 🎉

Join us for the Surrey LIP Welcoming Week Celebration on Saturday, September 26 at Surrey Civic Plaza!

Come connect with your community and learn about free newcomer services, including English classes, employment support, housing resources and programs for families and seniors.

There will also be music, games and family-friendly activities for everyone to enjoy.

This outdoor community event is free and open to everyone. We hope to see you there!

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 12–5 pm
📍 Surrey Civic Plaza

18/08/2026

Save the date for Welcoming Week in Surrey! 🎉
 
Join us for the Surrey LIP Welcoming Week Celebration on Saturday, September 26 at Surrey Civic Plaza!
 
Come connect with your community and learn about free newcomer services, including English classes, employment support, housing resources and programs for families and seniors.
 
There will also be music, games and family-friendly activities for everyone to enjoy.
 
This outdoor community event is free and open to everyone. We hope to see you there!
 
📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
⏰ 12–5 pm
📍 Surrey Civic Plaza
 
DIVERSEcity

01/06/2026

Learning, reflection and relationship-building were at the heart of a recent gathering hosted by Surrey LIP.

Participants had the opportunity to create their own hand drums while engaging in meaningful conversations about truth and reconciliation, Indigenous histories and our shared responsibilities as Canadians.

A special thank you to Stephen Armstrong of for sharing their cultural teachings, experiences and perspectives, and to Sarah Mierau of for helping deepen our understanding of Indigenous foodways, culture and connection to the land.

This workshop was supported through the National Newcomer Collective for Truth and Reconciliation (NNCTR), which works to strengthen relationships between Indigenous communities and newcomers across Canada through dialogue and collective action.

Thank you to everyone who joined us at in with a spirit of respect, curiosity and connection as we continue the important journey or reconciliation together. 🧡

29/05/2026

Join us to have your voice heard about transportation in !

Presented by SYNC Surrey Youth Newcomer Council, this forum gathers youth from diverse communities alongside civic leaders, educators and community partners to discuss equity and youth mobility in Surrey.

The forum seeks to answer one central question: What changes to Surrey’s transit system would make it easier and safer for youth to access school, jobs and community spaces every day?

Join us on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 10 am – 3:30 pm at SFU Surrey.

Save your spot here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/youth-in-motion-connecting-communities-empowering-voices-forum-tickets-1988641003775?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted in partnership with Surrey Local Immigration Partnership, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society. With thanks to Canadian Race Relations Fdn / Fondation canadienne des relations raciales and Canada Social Corps for making this event possible.

06/05/2026

The Surrey LIP, Langley Local Immigration Partnership and Toronto South West LIP have co-developed Confronting Xenophobia Through Community Solutions — A Toolkit for Community Organizers.

This toolkit builds on learning from the second national workshop on xenophobia held during the 2026 Metropolis Conference in Halifax, located in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq People.

It draws from the experiences and insights of community organizers from across the country, and expands on the original resource guide developed after the first national workshop on xenophobia at the 2025 Pathways to Prosperity Conference.

While acknowledging that there is no single approach to addressing xenophobia, the toolkit offers practical, adaptable tools to support the design and actioning of community based anti racism campaigns.

🔗Access the resource on our website at: surreylip.ca/reports

31/03/2026

Amid shifting immigration policies and tightened funding in Canada’s settlement sector, leaders say the growth of multicultural communities like Surrey will depend on stronger collaboration and shared resources. During a panel discussion titled Beyond Scarcity – Collaboration as New Currency, community, business, and First Nations leaders emphasized the urgency for employers and immigrant-facing organizations to work together.

Neelam Sahota, Co‑Chair, Surrey LIP, and CEO, DIVERSEcity, moderated the panel discussion as part of the Surrey LIP Community Forum. She urged the panellists to examine how cross-sector partnerships are adapting and what a ‘win-win’ outcome would be for everyone.

Matching skilled newcomers to jobs that require their skills would be a win-win collaboration, said Indra Bhan, COO, Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade, highlighting how many newcomers arrive with real skills and trade experience but sometimes face challenges, such as getting their credentials recognized or learning how workplaces operate in Canada.

“When settlement organizations understand what employers actually need, and when employers are willing to offer mentorship or some bridge training, that’s when things really start to work.”

Read the full blog post on our website here: https://www.surreylip.ca/why-collaboration-is-needed-now-more-than-ever-for-surrey-to-thrive/

27/03/2026

Surrey LIP was proud to be part of Unpacking Transit in Surrey, a panel organized by Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders this week.

Nicolas Tellez-Espana, Manager, Surrey LIP, joined Annie Ohana, Equity Department Head, LA Matheson Secondary; Adrianna S., Board Chair, Black, African, and Caribbean (BAC) Advisory Committee; and Sukh Dhanjal, Support Worker, Surrey Women's Centre Society, to discuss the future of transit in .

Together, the panel spoke on the intersection of transportation, immigration, education, safety and food security and how these social issues can be tackled with a focus on more equitable transit oriented solutions for Surrey's growing population.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, including municipal candidates Jasroop Gosal, Councillor Candidate for Surrey First; Mike Starchuk, Mayoral Candidate for Imagine Surrey; and Janet Brown, Councillor Candidate for Surrey First.

26/02/2026

What does collaboration look like in changing times?

Gather with community leaders, service providers, policymakers, and newcomers for “Beyond Scarcity: Collaboration as New Currency,” a dynamic forum focused on strengthening newcomer settlement and integration in Surrey.

We will hear insights from a panel of experts exploring what collaboration looks like in changing times. Lunch and refreshments will be provided as we come together to imagine new ways of working collectively.

Join us on Thursday, March 5, from 12 to 4 pm at the Surrey Sport & Leisure Complex.

To register for the Surrey LIP Community Stakeholder Forum 2026, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/surrey-lip-community-stakeholder-forum-2026-tickets-1981875035582

Local Immigration Partnerships (LIPs), first funded by IRCC in Ontario in 2008, allow for broad engagement of diverse stakeholders to develop a collective community response to newcomer needs.