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Two pilot projects will look to attract more newly arrived immigrants to work and live in smaller Canadian centres, including some here in Manitoba, as the federal government looks to tackle worker shortages in rural and French communities.
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On Thursday, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller announced the launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) as well as the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP), and announced the 18 Canadian communities who will now participate in the two new programs.
According to Miller, the pilot programs will provide those communities with a “permanent residence pathway” that he said will help to attract and retain newcomers who can fill key jobs, and who want to settle long-term in those communities, while the FCIP will look to increase the number of French-speaking newcomers settling in Francophone minority communities outside of Quebec.
“This ensures the economic development of Francophone minority communities, while also helping to restore and increase their demographic weight,” Miller said in a release.
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In Manitoba, Brandon, Steinbach and Altona-Rhineland have been selected to participate in the RCIP program, while St. Pierre Jolys will take part in the FCIP program.
“Rural and Francophone minority communities make vital contributions to Canada’s economy and culture, but they frequently face unique labour market and demographic challenges, as the majority of Canadians and newcomers settle in Canada’s urban centres,” Miller said.
“The Rural Community Immigration Pilot ensures that rural communities have access to programs that address labour shortages, and help local businesses find the workers they need.”
According to the feds, each selected community is represented by a local economic development organization, which will work with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to identify its critical labour gaps, designate trustworthy employers, and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC for permanent residence.
IRCC said they have begun training the economic development organizations, and each community will provide details and timelines on when employers and prospective permanent residence candidates will have an opportunity to apply for the pilot programs.
— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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