The St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership (STELIP) is a community‑driven collaborative that brings together organizations, institutions, and community members to strengthen how our community supports newcomers and immigrants.
We work across sectors, including community organizations, schools, employers, health providers, libraries, and government, to improve systems, reduce barriers, and support belonging across St. Thomas and Elgin County.
STELIP does not deliver direct services. Instead, we support planning, collaboration, and shared learning that help create clear pathways, stronger connections, and more equitable systems for all.
Our Vision, Principles, Priorities & Goal
Our work is guided by a shared vision, grounded in core principles, and supported by a community-led plan that shapes how we build, connect, and transform systems across St. Thomas and Elgin County.
Vision
St. Thomas and Elgin County is a welcoming, caring, and affirming community that uplifts the dignity and contributions of culturally diverse newcomers and immigrants. By addressing systemic barriers and fostering equity, the community grows together in belonging.
Guiding Principles
- Affirmation – Centre the voices of newcomers and immigrants and create spaces where people feel safe, valued, and proud to share their culture and experiences.
- Collaboration – Work across sectors, communities, and cultures to co-create solutions rooted in shared responsibility.
- Empowerment – Support newcomers in shaping their own journeys and contributing meaningfully to community life.
- Sustainability – Strengthen systems and relationships that are equitable, resilient, and responsive to evolving community needs.
Community Priorities
Our work focuses on three interconnected priorities:
- Build – Strengthening access to services, employment pathways, housing, healthcare, and language supports.
- Connect – Fostering relationships and shared understanding across communities, including residents, service providers, and employers.
- Transform – Advancing systemic change by addressing barriers and promoting equity across policies, practices, and institutions.
Community Goal
Within five years of arrival, 80% of newcomers feel supported, connected, and engaged in community life, recognizing that belonging develops over time through equitable systems and shared community action.
Plans and Reports
- Community Plan 2025-2028: A long-term, community-developed plan that sets the shared vision, principles, and priorities guiding how we build, connect, and transform systems across St. Thomas and Elgin County.
- Action Plan 2025: A collaborative roadmap outlining the actions partners are taking to strengthen access, deepen belonging, and advance equity across community systems.
- Moving Forward Report 2026: A community reflection report that highlights what we are learning, what we are strengthening, and how collective action is shaping newcomer experiences across systems.
STELIP Council
The STELIP Council brings together community partners across sectors to guide and support collaborative action that strengthens welcoming, caring, and affirming community systems.
Council Organizations
- Central Community Health Centre
- Elgin Business Resource Centre
- Elgin County Economic Development
- Elgin County Library
- Elgin County Pride
- Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board
- Fanshawe Career and Employment Services
- Fanshawe College – St. Thomas Campus
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- Indo-Can Punjabi Cultural Association – St. Thomas
- Kerala Association of St. Thomas, Ontario (KASTO)
- Latinos in St. Thomas
- Mennonite Community Services
- Ontario Ministry of Rural Affairs
- Réseau en immigration francophone du Centre-Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario (RIFCSO)
- Service Canada
- St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce
- St. Thomas Economic Development
- St. Thomas Elgin Social Services
- St. Thomas-Elgin Youth and Employment Services
- St. Thomas Islamic Centre
- St. Thomas Police Service
- St. Thomas Public Library
- Thames Valley District School Board
- WILL Employment Solutions
- YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin
- Newcomer Representative
Learn More About Council Members (PDF)
Governance
Our Team
Jiaxi Zhang (Jessie)
STELIP Communications Coordinator
Kellie Coelho
Director of Settlement and Wellness, YWCA St. Thomas–Elgin
About St. Thomas & Elgin County
St. Thomas and Elgin County are located in southwestern Ontario along the north shore of Lake Erie and are home to a growing and diverse community shaped by rural, urban, and regional connections.
About the Region
St. Thomas and Elgin County include a mix of rural municipalities, small towns, and an urban centre, supporting a range of industries including manufacturing, health care, agriculture, retail, and education.
The region is home to long-standing communities as well as newcomers and immigrants who contribute their skills, cultures, and experiences to community life.
St. Thomas and Elgin County include:
- City of St. Thomas
- Municipality of Bayham
- Municipality of Central Elgin
- Municipality of Dutton Dunwich
- Municipality of West Elgin
- Malahide Township
- Southwold Township
- Town of Aylmer
Land and Relationships
STELIP approaches this work with a commitment to relationship-building and understanding how systems, histories, and responsibilities shape community life.
St. Thomas and Elgin County are located on the traditional lands of the Attiwonderonk (Neutral), Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Mississauga peoples. These lands are covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, including Treaty 2 (McKee Treaty, 1790) and Treaty 3 (Between the Lakes Purchase and Collins Purchase, 1792), and are part of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum, an agreement to share and care for the land and its resources in peace.
Today, this region is also connected to the communities of Munsee-Delaware First Nation, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, and Oneida Nation of the Thames. STELIP is committed to building respectful relationships and supporting shared responsibility as part of this work.
Community Snapshot
- Population: approximately 95,000
- Largest population centre: St. Thomas
- Immigrant population: approximately 11.5%
- Key industries: manufacturing, health, retail, construction, and agriculture
Statistics sourced from 2021 Census