Annual Report

Continuing the Flow of Community Service

2013 - 2014

Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre

www.occsc.org

InTAC is the Employment Services

initiative of the OCCSC

In-TAC Career Expo 2013

In-TACs Career Expo 2013, was an
official Global Entrepreneurship Week
event. Organized by In-TAC, it was the
only IT and Finance Career Expo to be held
in Ottawa in 2013. In-TAC drew over 600
participants and more than two dozen local hitech businesses, colleges and financial institutions to
the Career Expo. The event took place November
19, 2013 at the RA Centre in Ottawa.

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Presidents Report

The past year was marked by sustained success in areas where we excel. At the same
time, we have been busy preparing for imminent changes.
Our services continued to succeed in meeting the needs of our clients: whether they
are newly settling in our city, seeking access to public services, improving their English language skills, or finding employment in their professional fields. We continued
to benefit from the partnership and support of our stakeholders, sponsors and volunteers. An increasingly number of employers participated in the initiatives of our employment services with win-win results for the employers and our job-seeking clients.
To optimize limited resources, we joined forces with our public and community sector partners to address the daunting challenges of serving vulnerable groups, including seniors and individuals facing mental health issues.
Like other settlement agencies, our organization has been examining the changes to
immigration policies and programs which determine who will come in as new Canadians. These changes will impact on who and how we can serve under-funded programs. Guided by our mandate and organizational values, our board of directors and
management have been reviewing how our services will remain relevant and identifying potential opportunities that come with these changes. For example, our Executive
Director has joined our Mayor on his mission to China to promote Ottawa as a welcoming place for newcomers.
As a non-profit organization, we have been learning how to develop and manage services that can be self-sustained without public funding. We have set up our Sponsorship Policy and Fund Development Policy to support and enhance current and future
initiatives. We have also developed a Fee-Charging Service Approval Framework to
ensure the accountability and viability of any such services that we may explore and
implement.
With a resourceful board, a talented management team and professional staff, we are
well positioned to continue to improve our services to the community that we have
been serving for almost 40 years.

Jonas Ma
President
OCCSC Board of Directors

Page 1

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Executive Directors Report

I am happy to report another exciting year of challenges and accomplishments.

OCCSC supports the new federal Express Entry immigration policy and the New
Direction for Ontarios Immigration Strategy. I am glad that, on one hand, through
our Employment Program, we are able to address the needs of economic integration,
express entry and improve the economy by creating jobs and finding the required
talent to fill labour market needs. On the other hand, we continue to build strong
families oriented well to our city with our Settlement Program and help ensure language is not a barrier with our comprehensive Language program.
We have expanded our Employment program with funding from both the federal and
the provincial governments. We work with 400 small and medium sized enterprises
(SMEs) who act as our employment partners in Ottawa. We have a 70% placement
rate matching Internationally Educated Professionals (IEPs) with employment in
their field - mostly in the IT and Accounting professions. Our In-TAC Mentorship
Program was awarded CICs 2014 International Qualifications Award for
Workplace Integration.
OCCSC is successful because we are a one-stop service agency providing all settlement, language and employment services. With funding from all levels of government we are able to build integrated and seamless programs to match all the needs of
our clients.
In our Settlement program we serve youth, seniors and families in all parts of the
city. Our Language program trained 802 students last year and is geared to higher
level classes.
To address the new trend for express entry services, we have to build on our existing
programs and to extend our services to pre-arrival services. In connecting our overseas services, OCCSC will be able to provide a complete package to attract and fast
track immigrants who can contribute to our economy. OCCSC is in a position to do
that because of the high number of immigrants from China. We are piloting on-line
services and promote this with overseas agencies. We serve all cultures, in particular
with our Employment and Language programs.

Page 2

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Executive Directors Report

(Continued)

Last October I visited China with Ottawas Mayor Jim Watson to establish contacts in
several cities. I was approached by the Canada Trade and Education Commission in Beijing and Nanjing. Both are big cities and Nanjing is very helpful in introducing us to partners we can work with and we will follow-up with them for our overseas services. The
quality of pre-arrival and post-arrival services and the credibility of the service providers
are extremely important for market access.
Canada also wants international students as immigrants and Chinese students top the numbers amongst all other countries. The collaboration with educational institutions is the key
to success and so far we have gotten a good response from Algonquin College and hopefully this will be a good service model to work with other education providers.
Looking forward I believe that while immigration will continue to be necessary for Canada, there needs to be more innovative ways to meet the needs of both immigrants and the
economy. One such means is to build on-line services to recruit, train, and connect overseas immigrants, students or investors with settlement services in Canada. OCCSC will be
building new partnerships from both overseas and in Canada. Within Canada and in Ottawa we will continue to engage employers and the business sector to make sure we can do
more in better ways.
I thank all the volunteers, our funders and sponsors who support us in our work. But it
can never happen without the work of our dedicated Board members and staff.
I am grateful to all Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) funders, to the Ontario
Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade (MCIIT) and the City of Ottawa for their support and guidance. We are committed to excel in our delivery of services as we head into our 40th year of service in 2015.
.

Sharon Kan
Executive Director
OCCSC

Page 3

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Service Statistics
CLIENT SERVICES
Newcomers served
The first time to use OCCSC's service

1559
1387

Number of child visits (childminding)

639

Group activities
(workshops, info sessions, and others-including homework club,
story time and conversation circles)

432

Volunteers

210

LANGUAGE PROGRAM
Total number of LINC students enrolled

898

Average monthly clients enrolled /contracted

300/288

Total number of LINC instruction hours provided

4173 (hours)

Total number of children enrolled in child minding

38

Total number of classes

16

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Numbers new clients served:

868

Training for ICT and Accounting professionals

165

Employed and professional job placement

156

Country of origin of our clients

62

Hours of training offered

1806 (hours)

Number of new hiring employer partners

196

Number of volunteer professional mentors trained

45

Number of employers trained

212

Page 4

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Client Services
The Client Services Department delivers 4 government funded programs:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Federal Settlement Program for newcomers funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
Ontario Newcomer Settlement Program (NSP) for immigrants regardless of length of residence, funded by Ontario
Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade
Chinese Family Services Program funded by the City of Ottawa
Multicultural Seniors Support Services funded by Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

1) Federal Settlement Program

Under the federal Settlement Program, we provide
Needs Assessment and Referrals, Information and
Orientation workshops or information sessions, and activities that help newcomers build Community Connections. The first two services are provided either individually or in a group setting. Community Connections activities can include community tours, field trips and community events that bring newcomers into contact with other
community members. We have a volunteer coordinator on
staff helping us to recruit volunteers to involve in the delivery of services such as computer literacy training or
Practical English study groups.
To reach out to newcomer clients residing outside Ottawas downtown, we have entered into formal or informal
partnerships with our community partners including the
Ottawa Public Library, community and health centres
such as South Nepean Community Health Centre in
Barrhaven, Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre
in Kanata and Nepean, Rideau, Osgoode Community Resource Centre. With these community partnerships, our
settlement workers were able to deliver information sessions and organize support groups where our clients live,
saving them time-consuming bus trips to our downtown
office. In the past year, our workers also delivered settlement workshops at different library branches across the
city, including some in Orleans. Since April 2013, we
could only deliver settlement information sessions in English in compliance with policy change by our funder, Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Another policy change has resulted in the cessation of one-on-one settlement service
at designated library branches. As well, our agency is no longer organizing any group activities such as language circles
and special needs groups at the library branches. These activities are now run by volunteers recruited by the Ottawa
Public Library itself.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Client Services

In the past year, our settlement service has provided assistance to a total of 1559 newcomer clients of whom 1387
used our service for the first time. During the year, our settlement workers delivered 432 information and group sessions for 5377 participants. 639 children also used our childminding service which allowed newcomer parents to participate in our settlement program activities.
In addition to the three major services, our settlement workers also provided counselling support and crisis counselling
service to some newcomers who experienced extraordinary
adjustment or personal difficulties during their settlement
process.
In addition to funding our settlement services, CIC funding has also allowed us to hire a full-time volunteer coordinator to recruit, train and volunteers not just for the client services department but also for our language training program
and our employ-

2) Ontario Newcomer Settlement Program

Our NSP program, similar to the federal Settlement Program delivers both individual information inquiries as well
as information sessions. The difference between them is that the NSP program allows our staff to serve immigrants
with long residence history in Canada, including those who have attained Canadian citizenship. As well, NSP can also
serve refugee claimants, which the federal Settlement Program does not. Last year, this program served 236 immigrants and delivered 8 information sessions that benefited 131 participants. Topics for the information sessions included Becoming a dental hygienist, Becoming an Automobile Services Technician and Benefits for Seniors.

3) Chinese Family Service Program

Our Chinese Family Services Program provides counselling support to low income individuals and families of Chinese origin, regardless of
their immigration or citizenship status in Canada.
Even international students, visitors and those
with work permits can access our service if they
are in need. In addition to counselling support,
our counsellor helps clients access community
services including social assistance, housing,
legal support and other government programs
and benefits. Some of our clients struggle with
family relation problems or other interpersonal
difficulties. Others have to deal with mental
health issues such as stress, depression and personality issues. In the past year, our counsellor
assisted 290 Chinese Canadians who are mostly
permanent residents or Canadian citizens.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Client Services
4) Multicultural Seniors Support Service
Our Multicultural Seniors Social
Support Service (MSSS), funded
by Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), is a joint
project with the Jewish Family
Services of Ottawa and several
other settlement agencies in the
city. The partnership afforded one
full-time outreach/volunteer-- coordination worker and one parttime social worker to be seconded
to our main office. The outreach/
volunteer-coordinator is responsible for reaching out to Chinese
seniors and encourages them to
participate in social or recreational
activities for the benefits of both
their physical and mental health,
which is the main objective of Champlain LHINs Aging At Home initiative.
During the past year, our outreach/volunteer coordinator recruited dozens of volunteers to help organize 918 community activities including singing groups, tai-chi
groups, karaoke night and dance party, social
club and English Conversation Circles. In addition, she also organized, with the support of our
volunteers, several major events including the 4th
Annual Multicultural Seniors Picnic, the MidAutumn Festival Seniors Dance Party, the Christmas Party and the Chinese New Year Celebration
Party. In all, our volunteers donated a total of
4049 hours of their time to support our program
activities. On average, about 29 volunteers were
involved in our program activities each month.
Our part-time social worker, on the other hand,
worked with Chinese seniors with complex needs
which could include a combination of issues such as mental health, social isolation, immigration and housing, etc.
As the number of aging seniors keeps increasing in our community, we feel that the government should give us
more resources to cope with the increasing demand for our service. We have been working closely with the partners
about how we can lobby for more provincial support for this invaluable service.

Page 7

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Client Services

On top of our ongoing programs and services described above, we were also successful last year in getting project
funding from the federal New Horizons Program
which supports community projects benefiting seniors.
With the funding, we were able to launch, in early
2014, our seniors project called Let's Talk About
Elder Abuse and hire a project coordinator to implement it. The main objective of our project is to raise
our communitys awareness of the existence of elder
abuse so that we can help stop this from happening to
any seniors in our community. This is meant to be a
project of, for, and by Chinese seniors, a requirement
of the New Horizon Program. To meet this requirement, our project coordinator recruited several socially
active seniors to form a Steering Committee whose job
was to implement planned project activities that included a half-day conference held at the Chinese Canadian
Heritage Centre. Close to 200 seniors and others participated in the conference. The conference featured a
panel discussion and an impressive short skit about elder abuse played by volunteer actors and actresses, an act drawing
a great round of applause from the audience.

To show our respect for seniors, we also organized

both a Mothers Day and Fathers Day party to celebrate mothers and fathers contributions to the integrity of the family. As well, the Steering Committee
has organized several community workshops on Elder
Abuse at designated locations across the city including
one at the Community Room of T&T Supermarket.
We are very thrilled to see the enthusiasm shown by
our volunteer seniors throughout the project without
whom we would not and could not have accomplished
all our project goals.

Rupert Yeung
Client Services Manager
OCCSC

Page 8

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Volunteer Program
We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of our agency volunteers over the past year
that have helped us deliver more services in the
community. 210 volunteers gave nearly 8,270
hours of their time volunteering to the OCCSC.
Most areas of volunteering involve assisting new
immigrants to learn skills to improve their quality
of life in Canada, such as language training, jobhunting and career coaching. The volunteer positions included computer training (especially for
seniors), English and French conversation, English writing, employment mentoring, In-TAC
Business Centre accounting and bookkeeping
services.
Other volunteers assisted our office administration, such as translation, document editing, poster design, photography, data management, event planning, event support and other administrative tasks. The Volunteer Committee assisted with two big events, the Annual Community
Open House (Welcome Fair) and the Volunteer Appreciation Party for community connections. The Community Open
House on June 9th, 2013, connected more than 500 newcomers to our Centre and the annual Volunteer Appreciation
Party on October 19th, 2013, at the Jack Purcell Community Centre was a wonderful occasion to thank all the volunteers for their contributions and achievements over the past year. Over 100 enthusiastic volunteers attended this celebration and each received a Volunteer Recognition Certificate.
As part of the highly successful OCCSC Employment Mentorship program, 45 volunteer mentors
used their professional experience to assist new
immigrants make the transition into the Canadian
job-market. The accounting students in In-TACs
Accounting Co-op program contributed their volunteer hours as bookkeepers with In-TAC Accounting
and Taxation Services, a lot of them found full-time
jobs related to their accounting profession after their
volunteer services. The volunteer program also gave
many university and high school students an opportunity to gain valuable Canadian work experience
and acquire a better understanding of the Canadian
job market.
The services provided by volunteers are merged
into every program in OCCSC with the aim of helping new immigrants adapt seamlessly into their new life in Canada. We have had hundreds of volunteers support us for
more than 5 years. The OCCSC really appreciates all the volunteers contributions and dedication to helping the agency serve its clients.

Doreen Ju
Volunteer Coordinator
OCCSC
Page 9

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Employment Services
2013 In-TAC Is Marching On
The consolidation of services and In-TACs new
brand has been well received by immigrants, the
immigrant serving community and employer partners
alike. After a year of hard work, In-TAC has earned
its reputation as a leader in employer engagement,
and as an ideal partner for employers, especially
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), looking
to recruit international talent and receive HR support
in integrating immigrants into their workplace effectively. Internationally educated professionals have
come to view In-TAC as a supportive resource
where they can access sector-specific training, counselling, coaching, mentorship, internships and job
placement opportunities.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada recognized InTAC`s efforts by awarding In-TAC`s MAPLE 2.0 program the 2014 IQN Award for Workplace Integration.
With a diversified clientele from over 62 countries, InTAC has had to expand its multilingual capacities; in
addition to English, Mandarin and Cantonese, we are
now able to provide services in French and Spanish.
In-TACs Business Transformation initiatives are
moving forward steadfastly; In-TACs Accounting and
Taxation social enterprise has had a very successful first
year, and we continue to explore viable strategies and
options for self-sustainability.
Active Involvement in Advocacy, on behalf of our immigrant clients, has been a priority of our work. In-TAC sits on
several advisory boards and committees including Hire Immigrant Ottawas (HIO) IT Steering Committee, the
YMCAs Advisory Committee on the Power of Trades, and the Ottawa Local Immigrant Partnerships (OLIP) Economic Sector Round Table. We have also been invited to consultations held by the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Ontario and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, on the new federal immigration model - Express Entry. This
past January, we were given the opportunity to present our recommended models of service to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. In-TAC will also hold its first National Symposium: Business Meets Immigration Policy Makers on
October 8th, 2014 at the Ottawa Convention Centre.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Employment Services

2014 Outlook : Another Year of Challenges and Opportunities

With forecasted budget cuts by the federal and provincial governments, In-TAC will have to prepare for a decrease in project
funding in 2015. The MCI funded bridge program, Navigating
the Canadian IT Workplace, has received funding approval
for next 3 years with a 15% budget cut. This means that the
project will have to come up with additional revenue sources to
make-up for the shortfall, or face reduced service capacity. The
In-TAC Accounting and Taxation Services will have to generate 40% of its annual budget, a daunting challenge for this new
social enterprise initiative.

On the other hand, the new immigration direction to

be implemented by the federal government in 2015
provides new opportunities for innovation with our
organizations services. Our ever-expanding employer partnerships, our on-line service pilot project
and our web-based Talent Management System provides a solid foundation for us to build upon, and
prepare to tap into these new opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR SERVICES 2013-2014

Go Global: Hire Local Mingler:
In November of 2013, In-TAC, in collaboration with the
Lead To Win (LTW) Ecosystem and Carleton Universitys new living laboratory 1125@Carleton, held an
exciting networking event that brought together 40 new
and emerging IT start-up companies with 35 talented
internationally educated professionals from the IT sector.
The LTW start-ups had a chance to introduce the audience to their exciting new ventures, and IEPs had a
chance to ask questions and interact with the owners in a
very informal and relaxed setting.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Employment Services
Career Expo for IT and Finance Professionals 2013:
In-TAC hosted its first ever Career Expo for IT and
finance professionals on November 19th, 2013. It was a
resounding success with over 600 job seekers in attendance and over 20 local employers looking to fill 330
available positions. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and
Bruce Lazenby, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa,
were on hand to welcome the crowd and launch the
event. In-TACs second Career Expo will be held on
October 8th, 2014 at the Ottawa Convention Centre.
Save the date!

In-TACs Talent Den:

Based on the popular CBC show the Dragons Den,
In-TAC hosted three very successful Talent Dens in
2013; an innovative event where 20 IEP job seekers
are given 60 seconds to pitch their skills, experience
and talents to a panel of 10 hiring managers from the
IT and finance sectors looking to fill vacant positions.
Were proud to report a successful 75% placement
rate for each Talent Den!

IQN Award 2013:

On March 13th, 2014 In-TAC had the honour of receiving Citizenship and Immigration Canadas prestigious
International Qualifications Network Award for
Workplace Integration. The Workplace Integration
Award recognizes Pan-Canadian initiatives that provide
support for labour market integration to help newcomers
integrate quickly and fully.

Page 12

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Employment Services
In-TAC Gala:
In-TAC hosted its 5th Annual Appreciation Gala Go Global: Hire Local,
on Friday, May 2nd, where Ottawas
business leaders, community stakeholders, government representatives and
newcomer graduates of In-TACs programs, gathered to celebrate another
year of successful partnerships and collaborations.
The evening was made possible thanks
to In-TACs generous sponsors; Kivuto,
CIBC, CGA, Industrial Alliance, Titus
and Combat. As well as our media
sponsors McCarthy Media Group and
Profile Imaging.

From left to right: Dr. Jonathan Sowah, Mara Taracievicz, Michael Arno, Jonas
Ma, Corrine Prince StAmand, Karen Laing, Rudi Aksim, Dr. Stan Xavier, Dr. Tony
Bailetti, Lucia Burgess, MPP Yasir Naqvi, Ram Raju and Ying Xie.

It was an evening where new connections were made, internationally educated professionals were validated for the contributions and investment they bring to our local economy, and In-TAC was recognized as an innovative hub that helps
businesses and newcomers succeed and grow in Canada.
In-TAC Accounting and Taxation Services:
Thanks to the hard work of the staff and interns, InTAC`s social enterprise had a very successful first year
of operation and was a resounding success. 32 interns
acquired their first `Canadian professional work experience`, 16 of them found professional jobs within 6
months, and 16 provided small businesses with effective
accounting and taxation services.
Media Coverage:
Over the past year In-TAC was been featured on TV,
radio and local and national publications 40 times!

CBC Television News;

Rogers TV;

Ottawa Citizen;

Ottawa Business Journal;

The Ottawa Star; CBC Radio;

CHIN Radio;

BC Centre for Employment Excellence;

Ying Xie
Senior Manager
Employment Services
Page 13

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Language Program
In this reporting period, April 1, 2013 March 31, 2014, based on the CLARS system (LINC & ESL joint database), the following has been provided in the OCCSC LINC:

LINC classes were provided in our central location (Kent St.), and at 1 location in Kanata and 1 in Barrhaven, to better serve
the students who live in those areas. LINC levels provided at all sites are from L1 to L6, with almost all classes being multilevel.
LINC continued to provide high quality services to students of different ethnic and language backgrounds (please refer to the
graph below), which follow the LINC curriculum and are in accordance with the funders Contribution Agreement. The offering of smaller classes (we are contracted for 18 students per class), a friendly environment, with excellent teachers and a variety of schedules when the classes are offered, continued to attract new students. We are the only provider in the city that offers evening and Saturday LINC classes, in addition to other classes that are offered in the morning and in the afternoon.
We continued to have more than the required number of students per month (we are contracted for 288 per month, whereas
each and every month we had over 300 enrolled students). LINC continued to maintain and further develop its outreach, having more than 80 sites regularly visited annually by the staff, promoting the program (and the overall organization) and attracting new clients.
In order to serve a new immigrant profile, those with a somewhat higher level of English upon their arrival in Canada, we
were pro-active in transforming some lower-level class (1/2) into higher-level (3/4/5), to meet the need for such classes.
Because of demand, we have been delivering cost-recovery courses, such as English Beginner and Intermediate levels,
throughout the year, for non-LINC eligible clients that have grown in popularity. We have also delivered several costrecovery English courses to corporate clients and are working on expanding in that direction.
Thanks to the enthusiasm and devotion of our volunteer-teachers we continued the Conversation Circles, offered three times a
week to all interested people whether or not they were LINC eligible, who want to improve their conversational skills.
We would like to take this opportunity to mention a very sad loss in our LINC community our dear colleague and friend, a
former LINC teacher, Jane Won, has passed away. She was one of the most beloved teachers, who has left valuable, cherished
memories of her work and the life she shared with us for years.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Language Program

Languages spoken by the LINC students (20132014)

Mandarin

52%

Arab ic

50.0%

Spanish
40.0%

Vietn amese
Amharic

30.0%

Russian

21%
20.0%
10.0%

Cantonese
7%

6%

4%

2.4%

2.4%

2%

1.7%

1.5%

Dari
Tagalo g

0.0%

LINC Students Testimonials:

One and a half years ago after I moved in Ottawa, I participated in the LINC program in OCCSC (Ottawa Chinese
Communication Service Centre). Started from level 3, I upgraded into the class of level 56 after several months lat
er. At that moment, I planned to go back to school for my new career plan in Canada. My aim was Algonquin Col
lege; however, I knew at that time, I could not apply the program successfully because of my poor language. LINC
program helped to improve my English speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Therefore, after one year English
learning in LINC, I successfully applied Early Childhood Education in Algonquin College, which is one of the hottest
programs there. LINC program improves students English through variety methods. The teachers created many
activities for the English practice.
Weiyi Li
After I landed in Canada with my family, I found out that there is a language program, LINC, where I registered at
OCCSC. I was a student at level 6. I find it very useful, sociable, valuable and enjoyable. I believe that the advance
level of LINC is as important as the lower levels, if not even more, because it improves your English and it prepares
newcomers for the workplace. LINC upgrades our ability to use the language the right way. I have learned many
things and now I am using my knowledge and experience from LINC in my job, because I now have a job!
Studying in LINC high level classes is very beneficial for newcomers, because even though you studied English back
home, it is very dierent when you are in the country where everybody speaks that language and, through LINC and
its wonderful curriculum, you not only improve your language, but you learn so many useful things about the cul
ture, traditions and customs.
Hussam Almghezel

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Language Program

LINC childminding had a good number of children throughout the year, in total 12 more than in the previous period,
even though the service is available only in the morning. Although it is unpredictable how many LINC students we
will have with childminding needs, this is an important support service that enables those clients with children eligible
for our program to bring them in while they attend their language classes.

Snezana Minic
Language Program Manager
OCCSC

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Treasurers Report

The past fiscal year, April 1, 2013 March 31, 2014, was another busy and challenging one. Highlights include the
negotiation of a small percentage cut by funders within the settlement sector and the approval of an OCCSC Sponsorship Policy to guide the organization in its efforts to raise money in response to increased demand for existing
and new services for clients.
The total revenue for the fiscal year April 1, 2013 March 31, 2014 was $3,063,287(compared to $3,019,142 in
fiscal year April 1, 2012 March 31, 2013). The total expenditure was $2,973,703 (compared to $2,953,779 in
fiscal year April 1, 2012 March 31, 2013). Revenue and expenditure detail is presented below in Table 1: Sources
of Revenue and Table 2: Expenditure:

Table 1: Sources of Revenue

Apr.1, 2013
Mar.31,2014
Amount ($)

Apr.1,2012
Mar.31,2013
Amount ($)

1,658,664

1,695,783

Federal Government: Chinese Historical Research

Project, LASI World Skills Inc., MAPLE 2.0/Mentorship
in Action Program

673,341

590,421

Provincial Government: Navigating the Canadian IT

and Accounting Workplace, Newcomer Settlement
Program, Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion, Pay
Equity, Youth Program, Ontario Trillium Foundation

537,892

541,835

Municipal Government: City of Ottawa

56,270

53,801

Community Sector & Health Resources and Skills

Development Canada: Jewish Family Services, New
Horizons for Seniors Program

15,053

31,326

122,067

105,976

3,063,287

3,019,142

Sources of Revenue

Federal Government: Citizenship and Immigration

Canada

Other Income: Charging Program, Donations and

Fundraising, Interest, Membership, User Fees and
Miscellaneous
Total Revenue

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Treasurers Report

(Continued)

Table 2: Expenditure

Nature of Expenditure

Apr.1, 2013Mar.31,2014

Apr.1, 2012Mar.31,2013

Amount ($)

Amount ($)

Advertising and community relations

60,684

61,625

AGM expenses, fundraising and membership

12,347

10,495

8,835

21,840

11,176

27,180

Office and general expenses

103,069

113,745

Rent and utilities

312,607

296,070

2,334,865

2,289,152

Telephone

37,890

38,355

Training

27,558

31,186

Travel

45,853

43,579

Other expenses (e.g., repairs, maintenance, payroll

services, insurance, etc.

18,819

20,552

Total Expenditure

2,973,703

2,953,779

Net Revenue

89,584

65,363

Consulting and professional fees

Office equipment

Salaries and benefits including pay equity

Page 18

OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Treasurers Report

(Continued)

The Ottawa Chinese Community Services Centre, (OCCSC) would like to acknowledge our funders, especially Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship Immigration and International Trade, for their continuing support.
The net revenue for the past fiscal year 2013 - 2014 was $89,584 which measures 2.9% of the total revenue of
$3,063,287 for the same period (compared to net revenue of $65,363 or 2.2% of total revenue of $3,019,142
for the previous fiscal year 2012-2013). The positive result again this past year represents the continuing high
level of financial stewardship and competence achieved by OCCSC management and the accounting staff
under the leadership of the OCCSC Board of Directors. The Board will continue to monitor closely to ensure
a balanced budget in the coming year. We will also continue our efforts to explore other funding sources to
sustain and expand OCCSC services and programs needed in the community.
Donations and fundraising are two major sources of our funding other than government subvention. At the
end of the 2013 2014 fiscal year, $65,813 was raised. We thank all of our donors, volunteers, members,
staff, Board, and other stakeholders for their efforts and generous support.
This is the eighth year that we have appointed Ouseley Hanvey Clipsham Deep LLP to audit our financial
statements for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. With the assistance of our Executive Director, Sharon
Kan, and our Accounting Officer, Escolastica Unira, the audit was completed in August and the results of the
audit are contained in Tables 1 and 2 above.
OCCSCs continued success depends on the support of our funders, immigration sector partners such as the
LASI group of agencies and other community groups and individuals. We appreciate their support and thank
them for their assistance.
Of course, we are very thankful for the contributions of our donors and volunteers who have supported OCCSC all these years.
Last, but certainly not least, we thank our OCCSC management and staff without whom OCCSC could not
achieve its goals and provide very necessary services to our clients and the Ottawa community.

Luise Czernenko Reid

Treasurer

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Governance Committee Report

The Governance Committee, currently composed of three Board members, is responsible

for ensuring good governance in how the Board of Directors functions. This includes due
process in nominating and electing Board members according to the OCSCC By-laws,
adherence to governance policies such as the Conflict of Interest Policy, and effective
governance through enabling structures and procedures. From time-to-time, the Board asks the Governance
Committee to review the organization By-laws and develop recommendations for consideration by the
Board.

Special Meeting in June 2014

Within the fiscal year of 2013-2014, under the instruction of the Board, the Governance Committee reviewed the OCCSC By-laws, section 8-3 c) regarding the term of Directors which was:
Each director, upon expiration of his or her first full term, will be eligible for re-election to a second three
-year term. After serving two consecutive terms, or a maximum of six consecutive years, a board member is
retired and is not eligible for re-election until the member takes a rest period of one year. During this rest
period, the member may offer her/his services and participate as a volunteer in Centre committees and activities.
In order to allow greater flexibility in the transfer of terms and renewal of the board, a Special Members'
Meeting was held on June 11, 2014 to approve a motion put forth by the Governance Committee and supported by the Board of Directors to amend Section 8-3 c) of the By-laws as follows:
Each director, upon expiration of his or her first full term, will be eligible for re-election to a second three
-year term. After serving three consecutive terms, or a maximum of nine consecutive years, a board member
is retired and is not eligible for re-election until the member takes a rest period of one year. During this rest
period, the member may offer her/his services and participate as a volunteer in Centre committees and activities.
The motion was approved by all attended members.

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Governance Committee Report

(Continued)

2014 Board Nomination and Election

According to our By-laws, we have staggered terms of office for our Board of Directors, ensuring Board continuity and stability while allowing renewal at the same time. This year, there are seven of our existing board
members whose terms are still valid. They are:

Chantal Michaud

Luise Czernenko Reid

Odette Rwigamba

Eric Cheung

Joseph Tang

Robert Parungao

Ake Blomqvist

Among these seven members, unfortunately due to other commitments and priorities, our Board Secretary Eric
Cheung has to step down after this AGM, all other six Board members have agreed to continue their terms and
serve on the Board in the coming year. On behalf of the Board, we want to express our appreciation and thankfulness to Eric Cheung. His strong leadership and professionalism are deeply appreciated.
The second term of our Board members, Jonas Ma, Irene Zhou and Vivian Chan expires this year. They are
seeking re-election for a third three-year term. The Governance Committee would like to put forth the candidacy of Jonas Ma, Irene Zhou and Vivian Chan for a third term, to the membership for approval.
The Governance Committee will be actively seeking nominations to the Board from members of good standing
this coming term to fill positions on the Board with new expertise and experience, which will help to fulfill our
mandate. Please go to the OCCSC website to learn about the nominations process.

Vivian Chan
Vice- President of the OCCSC Board of Directors
Chair of Governance Committee

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OCCSC Annual Report 20132014

Acknowledgement
We acknowledge and thank the following funders for their financial support of the OCCSC
programs and services:

1. Citizenship and Immigration Canada

2. Ontario The Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and

International Trade
3. Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

4. City of Ottawa Community Funding

5. Ontario Trillium Foundation

Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre

381 Kent Street, Suite 4004
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2A8
Tel: (613) 235-4875
Fax: (613) 235-5466
http://www.occsc.org