In 1979, the St. Croix Societies created CANA (Carrefour d’Aide aux Nouveaux Arrivants) to assist refugees from South-East Asia. In 1986, CANA officially became a non-profit organization.

Over the years, CANA has provided a wide range of services, free of charge, to immigrants from all over the world, and grew into a well established non-profit in Ahuntsic.

Today, CANA is a key player and a community resource for newcomers to Montreal.

Over the past 40 years, CANA has acquired a wealth of expertise in immigrant guidance and integration by offering them free, personalized services and group activities.

Our mission is to empower newcomers to play a full part in a fairer and more inclusive Quebec society.

Our actions are inspired by respect, solidarity, mutual aid and sharing. They seek to develop autonomous, active and informed citizens. Our approach focuses on inclusion, through guidance and integration, regardless of an immigrant’s origin or status.

At CANA, our intervention takes the form of personalized and multidimensional support for immigrants throughout their immigration and integration process in Quebec.

We place the human being at the heart of our mission and our actions. Based on the fact that each immigration and integration process is unique, we recognize and value the potential of each person to modify and act on his or her living conditions based on his or her strengths, limitations, ambitions, and progress.

Our accompaniment is guided by an intercultural approach. By respecting the multiplicity of the participants’ identity, whether it be from a religious, social or ethnic point of view, without wanting to impose a single cultural model. While discovering Quebec society, we also look to develop and share the diversity and cultural richness of the participants.

We want the participants to take ownership of their new environment. This is achieved by anchoring themselves in the community and developing a sense of belonging and commitment, but also by making their richness shine through. In this respect, CANA presents itself as a crossroads of encounters: creating links and encouraging mutual aid, participating in the emergence of moments of sharing, and encouraging the development of collective and coherent practices and solutions with our partners.

Finally, throughout our support, the participants are the driving force behind their integration and we place ourselves as a facilitator, a springboard so that they can find their place in their new host society. We take to heart our central role in the ambition to build a more just and inclusive Quebec society.