CDS BalimayaRahma Mosque
Solidarity FundDonate

01Mission Social integration

Just arrived? You are in the right place.

The first months in Québec ask a great deal: finding somewhere to live, enrolling the children in school, understanding the RAMQ, opening an account, looking for work — all at once. At CDS Balimaya you can come with your questions, including the ones that feel small. We take the time.

  • Welcoming newcomers
  • Guidance
  • Support
  • Family support
  • Making connections
A welcome meeting: someone smiling, documents and a coffee on the table.

1.1

Welcoming newcomers

Your first visit needs no preparation. You come, we make you a coffee, and we talk about your situation: how long you have been here, who is with you, what is pressing hardest right now.

You leave that meeting with three things: a clear idea of which steps come first, the list of documents to prepare for each, and the name of one person you can come back to with your questions.

In practice, we answer questions like:

  • Where do I start when I have just arrived?
  • Which papers should I apply for first?
  • How do I enrol my child in school or daycare?
  • Where can I take French classes?
  • How does health insurance work?
  • Is this document I received important?

How to meet us: appointments are made by phone. You can also write to info@cdsbalimaya.org or call 514 272-2424.

Book an appointment

1.2

Pointing you to the right resources

Québec has no shortage of services. The problem is not that nothing exists: it is that you cannot tell which one is for you, or in what order.

We know the network in this neighbourhood and in the region. Depending on what you need, we send you to the right organisation, programme or public service — and we tell you what to ask for once you are there, which often changes everything.

We point people to, among others:

  • French-language classes
  • Organisations that help with finding housing
  • Employment services and credential recognition
  • Clinics and health services in the area
  • Free or low-cost legal services
  • Resources for women, young people and seniors

Ask us a question

1.3

One-to-one support

Some steps are not settled in a single meeting. When that is the case, we stay with you to the end.

Support can mean reading a form over before you send it, explaining a letter that arrived in the post, or preparing with you what you will say at an important appointment. We do not come with you to your appointments.

What every follow-up includes:

  • One named person, so you never have to tell your story twice
  • A plan of the steps, most urgent first
  • A reminder before an important deadline
  • A review of where things stand after your first appointment, then follow-up after that

Ask for support

1.4

Support for families

Arriving as a family means arriving with everyone's needs at once. Children often adapt quickly, sometimes faster than their parents, and that creates its own tensions.

We support families with everyday questions: school and the relationship with the teacher, the children's activities, the difference between how things are done here and how they were done there, and the balance between the two. We also take the time to listen to the parents, because not many people do.

What we offer families: homework help in mathematics and French for primary and secondary students, literacy classes on Saturday mornings open to all ages, and free community breakfasts where families meet each other.

See family activities

1.5

Making connections

Getting the paperwork right is not the same as feeling at home. What changes that is knowing people.

The centre is also somewhere you come for no particular reason: an activity, a meal, a neighbourhood gathering, or simply a coffee and a conversation. That is usually where the best information is — the kind no leaflet carries.

See what is coming up

Common questions

A question, a form, a doubt? Write to us or come by.

Contact usSee our activities

  • Our community services and activities are open to everyone, regardless of origin, belief, language or immigration status.
  • What you tell us stays between you and the team concerned. Nothing is passed to anyone else without your written consent.

Write to us about

+1 514-272-2424

SubjectGeneral question

Your details are used only to answer your request. They are never sold or shared with third parties.