Capital Region Newcomer Connection, Attraction, Integration, and Retention (CAIR) Strategy
Faced with a shifting immigration landscape and rising demand for inclusive service delivery, Ignite launched a bold regional initiative to reimagine how the Capital Region of New Brunswick attracts, integrates, and retains newcomers. The outcome: the Capital Region Newcomer Connection, Attraction, Integration, and Retention (CAIR) Strategy—a comprehensive and actionable plan developed and led by Ignite, with implementation coordinated through the Capital Region Integration Network (CRIN) and its many community-based partners.
Building on Fredericton’s earlier immigration strategy, CAIR marks a strategic and geographic expansion—addressing 14 urban and rural entities, each with unique newcomer demographics, labor needs, and service realities. To ensure alignment across this diverse region, Ignite led a structured, three-phase process: Analyze, to assess internal and external conditions and regional comparators; Rethink, to map the ecosystem and design collaborative systems; and Transform, to align partners around clear objectives, timelines, and evaluation measures.
Ignite provided backbone support throughout this process, ensuring not just stakeholder engagement but true co-creation. Through CRIN’s inclusive councils and working groups, newcomer voices and community organizations shaped every aspect of the strategy. The plan reflects Ignite’s vision for a region where newcomers and locals build their futures together—and its mission of working in partnership to help everyone find their place.
Ignite also leads the strategy’s execution. CRIN coordinates delivery via newly formed pillar networks and working groups aligned with CAIR’s four strategic areas. Each objective is assigned a Champion organization, identified through a delegated authority process during planning. These Champions bring field expertise and lead targeted actions, with roles remaining adaptive to evolving needs. The first operational step was the creation of a Stewardship Committee to provide oversight and ensure accountability moving forward.
CAIR’s governance model is based on the Collective Impact framework, with shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, and clear communication mechanisms. Oversight is built into every level: a stewardship body for accountability; advisory councils for guidance—one composed of immigrants; and structured evaluation processes that support learning and transparency. This design reflects Ignite’s commitment to long-term sustainability and regional resilience.
Already, the strategy is generating results. CRIN has restructured its internal governance and launched key initiatives, including a Workplace Inclusion Charter and newly activated networks addressing attraction, integration, and retention. These efforts are improving service coordination, amplifying community voice, and creating the infrastructure for measurable change.
More than a document, CAIR is a community-built roadmap for a stronger, more inclusive region. It is also a reflection of Ignite’s role as convener, strategist, and steward—bringing together diverse actors around shared goals and creating the conditions for success. By elevating collaboration to a systems level, CAIR ensures the Capital Region is not just a landing place for newcomers—but a place to call home.
This submission embodies the spirit of community collaboration, showcasing the measurable outcomes possible when shared leadership and inclusive planning drive regional transformation.
