There are several community organizations in Toronto that serve a variety of purposes. In many cases, specific organizations have been formed to address particular needs of the community. The Tamil Eelam Society of Canada, which was founded in 1976 by a small group of Eelam (Sri Lankan) Tamils as a social and cultural group, was transformed into a volunteer-based settlement agency in 1983. Since 1989, it has been supported by various government agencies for the delivery of settlement services.

The World Tamil Movement (WTM) promotes social and cultural values among Tamils in Canada and overseas through its network of volunteers. It also publishes a free, bi-weekly newspaper, Ulaga Thamilar ("World Tamils"), and produces a weekly radio program in Toronto. Founded in 1985, WTM pays particular attention to human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Another organization, Senior Tamils Centre of Ontario (based in Don Mills), assists seniors with counselling and recreational activities. The Canada Ceylon Tamil Chamber of Commerce of Ontario assists the mercantile sector, and the Association of Sri Lankan Graduates of Canada provides referral assistance to professionals to upgrade their skills.

The sudden growth of the community from the late 1980s, has led to the formation of a large number of social groupings, most notably based on organizations of alumni of Jaffna schools. These organizations serve as close-knit affinity groups, and have been active in the rebuilding program of their war-damaged schools. Affordable housing has been one of the major sources of concern for the new immigrants, resulting in a relatively high degree of shared home-ownership. There is one co- operative home in Toronto and another is under construction in Mississauga.

The degree of individual interaction with the wider community at large has naturally been a function of that person's fluency in the English language (in Toronto where most have settled).

Those who are young and sufficiently fluent in English have found jobs in commercial and industrial sectors. Many are working in the service sector. A large number of the new immigrants have gone into self-employment. A recently published directory, Amidst Tamils '93', lists nearly 400 pages of Tamil business advertisements providing every kind of service. There are many two-income households, and nearly 80 per cent of the population is under 50 years of age. Education is given an extraordinary amount of attention by parents who themselves are upgrading their skill level; and a number of students have secured places in the universities. Within the context of the multicultural mosaic in large Canadian cities, this young community - well studied general immigrants' settlement difficulties notwithstanding - has used its strong family-value systems to integrate remarkably well within a decade of their arrival in Canada.