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. 

More information about the REDI and RCIP programs can be found on the Thunder Bay CEDC's website.