While refugees have been coming to Canada for centuries on their own, Ladysmith has decades of history helping refugees settle in Canada. As far back as the 1970s with the arrival of Vietnamese refugees, sponsorship groups have brought several families to the Mid-Island region. Working with the sponsorship groups and federal government assistance, these families have become successful Canadian citizens. Sponsored refugees find it easier to adjust to Canadian society with the help of local communities who offer immediate friendship and help. Currently in 2021 there are several committees we know of doing this work in the Mid-Island region.
The 1970s were also the time when Welcome Centres in Nanaimo and Duncan were built (Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society and Cowichan Intercultural Society).
