With municipal politicians stating a desire to grow North Bay, Nipissing-Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota believes a new federal program could be an asset.
He’s speaking of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, a five-year federal immigration pilot involving selected communities to gain access to a range of support to help newcomers settle in as part of the local community, announced yesterday in Sudbury by Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
It is being billed as an “innovative economic immigration pilot is aimed at testing new, community-driven approaches to address the diverse labour market needs of smaller communities.” The initiative builds on the Atlantic Immigration Pilot that was launched in March 2017 to help drive economic growth in Atlantic Canada.
Rota said immigration is key to the economic, social and demographic future of our communities and said the program could be “good for our riding and for the entire North.”
Interested communities have until March 1 to submit an application and Rota said he knows the City of North Bay and the Chamber of Commerce are keen to work together, adding he’s also reached out to the Multicultural Centre to enlist their support.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is seeking applications from interested communities in Ontario, Western Canada, and the territories in order to select communities to participate in the pilot. Interested communities must work with a local economic development organization to submit an application, demonstrating how they meet the eligibility criteria and how immigration will promote economic development in their community.
“My caucus colleagues from across Northern Ontario and I worked hard with the Minister to make this immigration pilot project happen. This initiative allows us to work together as a region so we can attract the workers our local employers need to fill job vacancies and grow our economy,” said Rota.
