IMMIGRANT CULTURAL PASS OFF TO A SLOW START

IMMIGRATION: INTEGRATION

Plan for cultural passes off to slow start

Many new citizens confused by scheme giving them free access to museums, galleries and science centre
KATE HAMMER

April 14, 2008

A fledgling initiative aimed at improving access to Toronto's cultural institutions for new Canadian citizens has already encountered some weighty roadblocks.

The Institute for Canadian Citizenship has embarked on an effort to offer Cultural Access Passes to the families of new citizens, granting them a year of free admission to six institutions, including the Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre.

But as the initiative got under way last week, it became apparent that providing true access to a group as large and diverse as Toronto's immigrant population comes with more than a few complications.

"These are forms of inclusion, and inclusion means work," said writer John Ralston Saul, who co-founded the ICC along with his wife, Adrienne Clarkson, in 2006 at the close of her term as governor-general. "It's good work, but it's work."
After a citizenship ceremony held Thursday morning, in which Cultural Access Pass applications were handed out in large red folders, many new citizens were confused at being handed yet more paperwork.

"This is part of my citizenship, isn't it?" asked Ikram Osman, 28, as she stood outside the courtroom and stared at the brightly coloured folder.

"It's not clear what they're talking about," said Mohamed Saleem Ansar, 47, as his wife and three daughters stared over his shoulder at the application. "We sort of understood that it's about museums, but not what we're supposed to do."

According to Curtis Barlow, CEO of the ICC, the program is still in "the pilot stage," and efforts are already under way to ensure that citizenship ceremony presentations about the initiative become clearer and more understandable, and that supplementary material is provided to help applicants use their passes.

"The key word here is accessibility, we want this to be as accessible and comfortable as possible to new citizens," he said. "Some elements are still in the works."

Applications for the Cultural Access Pass will be distributed at most citizenship ceremonies in Toronto, and those who don't receive an application at the ceremony will be directed to the ICC website, www.icc-icc-ca, where, Mr. Barlow said, an online version will soon become available.

But after being bombarded by paperwork throughout the citizenship application process, many new citizens appear wary of new forms and many don't have Internet access in their homes. Those who do complete the form may be limited by the cost of public transport, or, like Mr. Ansar, a superintendent who works seven days a week, the demands of a heavy work schedule.

"The intent behind the program is great, but if we really want it to work, there needs to be some more effort up front in terms of education, support and promotion," said Huma Pabani, a spokeswoman for the Maytree Foundation, a private organization that promotes immigrant integration. "It's important for them to understand the process and the benefits; otherwise they won't take advantage, and that's a shame."

If they do apply for passes, the six cultural institutions that new citizens and their families can visit for free include the ROM, Science Centre, Gardiner Museum, Textile Museum of Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection and the Art Gallery of Ontario, which offered a similar program in 2007.

Some at the citizenship ceremony, however, did understand the offer contained in the bright red folders. Before she even left the courtroom, Olena Yesapova, 39, who was born in Ukraine, had filled out her application.

"I will take my son because he wants to be an artist," she said. "It's a big surprise and a big gift for us. It's makes me very proud to be a Canadian."