March 30 | 12.30pm - 2.30pm ET | Online
The Afghan Refugee Resettlement National Steering Committee cordially invites you to an event on housing and refugee resettlement to celebrate the valuable contributions housing providers and other organizations make towards the lives of Afghan newcomers.
We are thrilled to announce that the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on behalf of the Government of Canada, will be providing opening remarks.
For more information, contact Umashanie Reddy (ureddy@ccisab.ca), National Refugee Resettlement Coordinator.
For technical support on event day: through email: help@ocasi.org ; through phone: 416-627-9407 (texts only)
The Honourable Sean Fraser was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Central Nova in 2015.
Minister Fraser previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance from 2019 to 2021, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change from 2018 to 2019. In 2021, he also served concurrently as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Before entering politics, Minister Fraser had a successful legal career with one of Canada’s top-ranked law firms, where he practised commercial litigation and international dispute resolution.
He is a long-time volunteer, having served as the Vice-President of a local branch of the United Nations Association in Canada, acted as a Research Fellow with the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, and provided pro bono legal services to the local BGC Club and vulnerable community members.
Minister Fraser holds a law degree from Dalhousie University, a Master’s degree in Public International Law from Leiden University in the Netherlands, and a Bachelor of Science from St. Francis Xavier University.
Minister Fraser grew up in Pictou County, and has family throughout the Town and County of Antigonish. He enjoys spending time in Central Nova with his wife, Sarah, and their children, Molly and Jack.
Patricia Roset-Zuppa is Vice-President, Policy at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
She joined CMHC in 2009 and has held positions in strategic policy coordination, housing finance policy and federal/provincial/territorial relations.
Patricia played a lead role in the development of Canada’s first ever National Housing Strategy. Prior to CMHC, Patricia worked in residential real estate, housing policy and urban research in Canada and the United States. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida, an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, and Masters in Geography from Utrecht University in the Netherlands where she was born and raised. She is an immigrant to Canada and proud Canadian and Dutch dual citizen.
Bob Dhillon is Founder, President & CEO of Mainstreet Equity Corp. (Mainstreet), Canada’s leading real estate company on the TSX (MEQ). Mainstreet provides quality, affordable midmarket apartments to western Canadians. Current holdings consist of 15,737 units in BC, AB, SK, and Winnipeg. As an immigrant himself, Mr. Dhillon is passionate about giving back to new Canadians. In 2019 and 2021, Mainstreet donated apartments to refugees from Syria and Afghanistan. On March 7, 2022, Mr. Dhillon announced that Mainstreet will provide housing assistance to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Mr. Dhillon has been recognized for his achievements in business and for his unwavering commitment to philanthropy and higher education. In 2021, he was appointed as an Officer to the Order of Canada. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Since 1999, Mr. Dhillon has served as Honorary Consul General of Belize for Canada. He published “Business and Retirement Guide to Belize (Second edition)” with Fred Langan in 2018. Mr. Dhillon holds an honorary Doctor of Commerce from Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON. In 2019, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge (UofL); he is also the namesake donor for the Dhillon School of Business at UofL. In spring 2021, he was a significant contributor to the University of Calgary’s Sikh Studies program. Mr. Dhillon sits on numerous boards, including the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Advisory Council for the Canada-India Business Council, the Alberta Economic Recovery Council, and Invest Alberta Corporation.
Jeremy Jackson is Vice President, Marketing and Government Relations at Killam Properties. Jeremy joined Killam in 2005. He has over 30 years of housing and market management experience. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from St.F.X. University, an MBA from St. Mary's University, and recently received his ICD.D designation through the Institute of Corporate Directors. Jeremy is the board chair of the Investment Properties Owners Association NS. He is a long-time board member of Shelter Nova Scotia and the Halifax Housing and Homelessness Partnership. Over the years Jeremy has been a panelist on various regional and national housing panels. Most recently, Jeremy sat as a member of the Province of Nova Scotia’s Affordable Housing Commission.