June 16th, 2021 comments Sylvia Wootten, settlement manager at Newcomer Centre of Peel (NCP), has some important words of wisdom for immigrants seeking a seamless settlement experience in Canada: Plan your settlement journey. “You must do your due diligence to access settlement resources that can help you with this process, so you don’t bear the burden of it all on your own. By accessing the right resources, you can be set on the path to success, but there will be barriers along the way. If you understand and prepare yourself for this, you can persevere.” Wootten and her team are often the first point of access for just-arrived permanent residents. She says she cannot underscore how important it is for immigrants to have a settlement action plan in place – a detailed list of what needs to be taken care of – with proper guidance from a settlement counsellor. This can make the first few weeks less stressful. It can also allow just-arrived immigrants to tackle action items such as applying for the health card and Social Insurance Number (SIN), having children’s immunization cards ready for school admissions, opening a bank account, etc.