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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, March 6, 2001-5 Halton's visible niinorities stili earn less, says report Visihie inhnorittes in [laiton ar e more fina.ncially comnst rahke ih.n typical Ontanio resident%, liowes er, (bey stili earn less [han iheir non- rninority neighbours. Those are arnong the findings in a new report lron the lialion Social Planning ('ouril. called A Soîcial Profile of the Halioti Visihle Minstriiy Population. Il paiflis a piciurc olHaion hav- ing a rclaiively strait population tif visible minorities. But those who do live hcre tend to be wcll-educai- ed aîîd signilicanily more succcss- luI ihan minîtrities in the resi oif Ontario. The 90-page repui, bascd on 1996 ceusus dtata, fouud the mcdi- an family ineuime of visible minori- tics in Halton was $62,722. Thai was Il per cent les.s than the $69,439 camned by a non-minoriiy lamîly in Haiton. But Haltmn minoiies are linan- cially ahead of the inedian Ontario houschold inctîme of $53,974. And thcy'rc way ahead tifminorities in the rest tif Ontario, where the mcdi- an incîme was jusi $36,822. The median income is the middle point ai which an equal number of' people cam buîth mitre and less. Ted Hildebrandt, senior platiner wiih the counecil, said the informa- lion in the report provides an inter- esiing snapshot of Halion. As a wealthy region, il tends [o atiraci visible minorities who are more "It brings to the forefront the challenges faced by minorities, and we hope it can help visible minorities to find and keep employment." succestul (han mont. "I brings [o the forefront the challenges faced by minorities, and we hope it eau hclp visible minori- tics Io find and kcep enîployment,- he said. "It can be a valuable resource for ihose in training and in policy-making." The visible minoriiy population in Halion was 7,0195, represenîing 7 per cent oif the populattion, accord- tng tsi the last census information. [n the rest of Ontario il was 15 per cent. The brcakdown hy eihniciîy in [laiton found 31 per cent of visible minorities were South Asian (încluding ihose front India and Pakistan). Nexi were Chinese, ai 20 per cent, sud ihose who identi- lied themselves as black, ai 19 per cent. Haîttîn iinrities tend to he well-educated, wîth 7(0 per cent ltaving ai leasi sotine posi-second- ary educatton. The report was creaied in ciîop- eratîtîn wih Humait Resuturees Des'elîpmenî Canada, to provîde tnfortmation ihat cas be used to help visible minortty workers to finid and kecp jobs. Compared wiîh other visible minorities across Ontario, visible minorities in Halion are likely [o have been in Canada longer said Mr. Hildebrandt, and more [han 70 per cent speak Englîsh ai borne. One disturbiug aspect of the report's findings was the discovety that visible minonhties are more likely to be amoug the pooresi members of society. even in Halitin. Among Halton families with houschold incomes of less ihan $ 1 0,0ff0, 7 per cent idenîilied themselves as visible minorities. Comparaiively, only 2 per cent tif the resi of Hlalion families werc ihat putor. The primaty bamrers to liuding jobs for visible minorities in Halion are the samne as those faced by other receni immigrants, Mr. Hildebrandt said. The barriers include. among other things, the inability [o speak fluent English, lack of Canadian experience, transportation and dif- liculty in gettiug accreditalion for tmades certificates and universiîy degrees eamed outside Canada. 0 THE SWI4OUTIQUE st 250 Bronte St. S, Milton 878-9747 NOW ACCEPTINO REGISTRATION FOR G. SPRUNG CLASSEMS Regi8ter oarly and get the best times Session starts March 19, 2001 Open 6 Days A We.k AU RE COS EESaale12 PAET&TTCasspiae(-n1 Convenient One-Stop Shopping for the Entire Family. Plus ail Accessories. Over 500 suits to choose from. t> 1 IL,