It's been around for 60 years, and its services have never been more valuable - or needed.

Winnipeg's International Centre calls itself a "one-stop resource centre" for immigrants and refugees, and indeed, the list of services and programs available at the Edmonton Street centre seems endless.

The not-for-profit organization provides extensive settlement support (including advice on how to rent an apartment, tap into health and social services and acquire ID), as well as employment counselling, educational assessments, English classes, practical information about Canadian culture (grocery store tours and hands-on cooking classes, for example), a career mentorship program for professionals, recreational activities for youth, translation and interpretation services, volunteer opportunities, seniors' groups, and even drivers' ed classes.

Linda LaLande, the IC's executive director, says the staff and volunteers are constantly adapting to the changing needs of their clients, a bottom-up approach that combines professionalism with friendliness and accessibility.

"We're always trying to think outside the box and (develop) innovative programming," she says, pointing to a recently launched computer lending program as evidence.

"All of our services are free of charge, and you can come in when you're in your first week of being in Canada, or if you've been in Canada for 30 years - it doesn't matter."

Aloni S. is slightly mistrustful of media - the reason he asked Uptown to refrain from publishing his last name - but the 26-year-old has no problem talking about his own personal experience with the IC.

Three years ago, Aloni immigrated to Winnipeg from Tel Aviv, Israel with his then-girlfriend (now wife) and her family.

"I wanted space, and I was sick of wars, the fighting and everything. I wanted a new life - a new beginning," he says.

He arrived in Winnipeg in February - a moment he laughingly remembers well.

"It was quite a shock. I was standing there outside the airport, I'm like, 'What have I done to myself? What am I doing here?' But I thought, 'No - this is just the winter, and if everyone in Canada can deal with it, so can I.'"

The IC helped him immensely, Aloni says - particularly with his immigration paperwork. Not only did staff provide what would have been expensive legal services at no charge, they also reassured him that the challenges he was facing were normal, which he says helped relieve a lot of stress.

Aloni now works as a structural designer, and says thanks to the one-on-one mentorship of Ron Rochester, an IC volunteer, his English has improved to the point where "I can join in on whatever they're joking about in the office."

Both Aloni and LaLande acknowledge that the IC faces several challenges as it prepares to enter its seventh decade of operations.

For starters, while it provided over 10,000 services to newcomers last year, over 80% of its clients were referred by friends and family, implying that, without someone to guide them, others may still be falling through the cracks.

"Many people in my building, the only way they heard about the International Centre was by word of mouth," Aloni says. "They don't see those brochures. Even if it's (posted) on the wall, they won't read it really well... They won't understand what it means."

He thinks the centre should advertise on the weather channel, which he jokingly calls "the immigrant channel" because of its popularity amongst newcomers. At the very least, he says immigrants should be handed a business card at the airport. "That would be enough, because you'd have a place to go first."

Unfortunately, tight budgets make marketing strategies tricky, says LaLande.

"We've tried really hard to get the word out, but we've had to do that with no money," she says.

Complicating the situation is the growing need for programming, as an influx of newcomers from around the world has begun to push existing service-providers to their limits. Last year alone almost 11,000 people immigrated to Manitoba - newcomers, says LaLande, who not only need affordable housing and a job in their chosen field, but also the opportunity to get involved in society and make new friends.

"There needs to be recognition of what you're bringing to Canada, and there needs to be programs in place for the social part - not just that they're going to be an economic resource for Manitoba, but that they're actually going to be welcomed and integrated into our communities."

To learn more about the International Centre, call 943-9158 or go to www.international-centre.ca
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