Latest news with #RuralCommunityImmigrationPilot
CBC
14-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
These foreign workers fear having to leave northwestern Ontario community they love after federal program ends
A small town northwest of Thunder Bay, Ont., has become the unlikely home for hundreds of foreign workers, but many may have to leave the community they've embraced after the end of a federal program put in place to fill gaps in Canada's labour market. Since 2019, foreign workers have been coming to Sioux Lookout through the federal Rural Northern Immigration Pilot Program (RNIP). It connected skilled workers to employers in small rural communities in need of labour while offering a pathway to permanent residency. But RNIP ended in August, leaving many workers and employers uncertain about what comes next because the program replacing it doesn't include Sioux Lookout. Palak Gulati is a customer service supervisor at grocery store Fresh Market, where she's been working on an open visa. Gulati chose Sioux Lookout, 350 kilometres from Thunder Bay, after studying in Toronto with the intention of continuing on to the RNIP program and eventually applying for permanent residency. Gulati never imagined she'd end up in a place like Sioux Lookout. But now, she doesn't want to leave. "I was never a girl who wanted to stay in a small town," she said. "I always wanted to be in Toronto or Calgary." But the small remote community is "peaceful" and has allowed her to tap into a "quieter" side of herself, she said. After RNIP ended in August, she stayed in Sioux Lookout. She liked the town and her job, and there was an expectation Sioux Lookout would be included in the new program set to replace RNIP. Why Sioux Lookout isn't in new federal program The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) was billed as an extension of the RNIP. Similar to RNIP, RCIP was designed to bring foreign workers to parts of the country that were less populated and in need of skilled workers. But the boundaries of the new program changed, which is why Sioux Lookout was left out in the cold. When asked why Sioux Lookout was not included in the RCIP, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a statement that all communities had the opportunity to apply to be part of RICP and to reach out to "contact Thunder Bay for more information." RCIP is administered by community-based economic development organizations, through funding and oversight from IRCC. Only organizations with a successful track record in implementing multi-year projects qualify. Sioux Lookout does not have an organization that is eligible to administer RCIP on its own. Thunder Bay's Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) had been administering RNIP in Sioux Lookout along with nearly the entire Rainy River District, Dryden and Thunder Bay District. But when RCIP came up, Thunder Bay decided that was too large a catchment area to include in its responsibility. Thunder Bay's CEDC must ensure employers hiring foreign workers through RCIP meet the requirements and standards of the program. Jamie Taylor, CEO of Thunder Bay's CEDC, said it "is very challenging for us in Thunder Bay to validate an employer in a community like Sioux Look because they don't have ties to the businesses or community, and if they make mistakes, it could put the program at risk for their own service delivery area." That means after Gulati's visa expires, for instance, she would have to go to one of the communities included in RCIP to pursue permanent residency. At her workplace, Fresh Market, the only independent grocery store in Sioux Lookout, immigration has been an essential part of how it has grown its business. Store owner Todd Nadon said foreign workers make up nearly half of his over 200-person staff. They've helped him take business from a place where they were struggling to keep the shelves full to where they are today, with in-house butchers, bakers and pastry chefs, Nadon said. Aimad Elhani is another of the foreign workers who've helped Nadon grow his business while creating a life for himself in Sioux Lookout. Elhani started as a baker after spending 10 years as a pastry chef in Dubai. Elhani credits his knowledge of French breads and finding efficiencies for his ability to advance in his work at Fresh Market. Now, he's the bakery manager. He's also married with two young daughters, and they recently moved into a bigger house in Sioux Lookout. Elhani also was able to become a permanent resident, but has friends who will be affected by the immigration changes. They are frustrated Sioux Lookout was not included in RCIP and are considering moving to Thunder Bay, he said. Nadon said the reduction in immigration to Canada could put some of his store's services at risk. In addition to serving the town of Sioux Lookout, Fresh Market works with 28 fly-in First Nations, shipping food north, a task that would be harder to do with fewer staff. 'I don't know what to do' Nadon added that getting staff to the community is difficult. "Sioux Lookout can be a bit of a shock," he said. The remoteness and isolation can lead to loneliness, a challenge when it comes to recruiting workers. Another concern is housing. But to address these barriers, Fresh Market provides new staff with apartments. The housing is offered to workers from both Canada and abroad at a reduced rate, to help give them settle in Sioux Lookout and keep them invested in the community, Nadon said. Satveer Kaur Sandhu, a customer service supervisor at Fresh Market who came to Sioux Lookout through RNIP, is another worker who's concerned she may have to move and about the prospects of permanent residency. Sandhu said the changes in immigration programs have left her shaken and unsure about her future. "I don't know what to do," Sandhu said. She wants people to understand how the changes are "affecting people at ground level" both mentally and physically. Nadon said the hardest part is losing people who have helped contribute to making his business great. Efforts to reduce barriers for foreign workers There are other government options available to foreign workers who want to come to Sioux Lookout. For instance, the federal Express Entry program is competitive and ranks applicants based on their age, education and language proficiency. The Ontario Immigrate Nominee Program (OINP) nominates workers for permanent residency who have skills the province's economy needs, but limited spots are available.
CBC
28-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
New immigration pilot program announced in Thunder Bay, Ont., aims to fill key labour gaps
A new pilot program has been introduced in Thunder Bay, Ont., which aims to fill key labour shortages by attracting and retaining newcomers. The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) was announced in the city on Monday by Thunder Bay—Superior North MP Patty Hajdu. The five-year federal pilot program is being introduced in 18 communities, including Sudbury, Timmins, and Sault Ste. Marie in northern Ontario. Half a dozen communities will also be participating in what's called the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP). "Northern Ontario, as you know, has had a history of sort of booming and declining populations, oftentimes in communities that have relied on one single sector of the economy," Hajdu said. "It can be a really perilous time for communities as they try to hold on to population, they try to hold on to a small business landscape, and try to reimagine a more diverse economy." The goal with the RCIP is to provide communities with a permanent residence pathway for newcomers who will live there long-term and fill critical labour gaps, she explained. The RCIP replaces the former Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program, which ended last summer. "I think the main difference is that [the RCIP] is more employer-focused," said Jamie Taylor, CEO of the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), which will be leading the pilot in Thunder Bay. Employers will undertake training to qualify for the program before they are able to make permanent job offers to candidates, she said. The federal program comes a week after the provincial government announced a new one-year Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot in Thunder Bay, Lanark, Leeds and Grenville, and Sarnia-Lambton. Through the REDI program, the Thunder Bay CEDC has been awarded up to 200 nominations via the Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP's) employer job offer stream. The federal and provincial programs combined demonstrate a recognition from both levels of government of Thunder Bay's potential for growth, Taylor said. "It's a recognition not only that the CEDC has the capability of delivering these programs, but it's also a recognition that Thunder Bay is a place where they think that there will be success, right?" she said. 'Immigrants are often the scapegoats' As U.S. president Donald Trump moves forward with a mass deportation plan, Hajdu said Canada has always cherished immigration "as part of the growth of our country." "In times of stress, people look for scapegoats, and unfortunately, immigrants are often the scapegoats that can be chosen by populist leaders and used as a way to divide communities and divide their populations," Hajdu said. "I think about the health-care gaps that we have and the number of people coming that provide supports in health care and in personal support work, that we just wouldn't have without newcomers coming to our communities." Despite the recent introduction of federal caps on international study permits, Taylor said Lakehead University and Confederation College are key economic drivers in the community, and that the number of amenities offered to newcomers in Thunder Bay makes it an attractive city to settle in.
