Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

The first immigration agreement between the federal and Ontario governments — the 2005
Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA) — provided an infusion of new funds to help
newcomers settle and learn or improve their English or French language skills. However,
the government of Ontario has noted that the federal government has not kept its commitment
to spend all the funding allocated to Ontario. To date, the federal government has underspent
its commitment through the COIA by more than $220 million.
TABLE 10.6 Federal Spending in Ontario under the Canada-Ontario Immigration
Agreement since 2005–06
($ Millions)
296
Base Allocation
Funds Promised
COIA
Allocation Total Promised Actual Funds Spent Spending Shortfall
Under COIA
2005–06 108.0 50.0 158.0 111.2 46.8
2006–07 108.0 115.0 223.0 169.3 53.7
2007–08 108.0 185.0 293.0 241.0 52.0
2008–09 108.0 250.0 358.0 317.5 40.5
2009–10 108.0 320.0 428.0 413.6 14.4
Total 540.0 920.0 1,460.0 1,252.6 207.4
COIA Extension (2010–11)
2010–11 108.0 320.0 428.0 410.3 17.7
Source: Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.
Even with these investments, immigrants struggle in the current economic environment and
continue to find it difficult to integrate into the Ontario economy. Achieving the full benefits of
immigration to Ontario requires not only that we refine the selection process but also that we
take more effective measures to facilitate the economic integration of new immigrants. Ontario
should push for greater policy control and full funding support for immigrant settlement and
integration through the next COIA. We are optimistic that the recent collaboration between the
two governments through the Federal Skilled Worker Program Backlog Reduction Pilot may
signal that we are embarking on a new, more co-operative era in Canada-Ontario
immigration policy.