Northern Policy Institute Proposes A Pilot To Attract 1500 Foreign Workers

08 Sep 2018

The Government of Ontario has a proposal for creating a new immigration pilot program to address labor requirements in northern and rural regions.

This is Promoted by the Northern Policy Institute, which is an independent think tank committed to the issues of Northern Ontario. It has proposed that the Ontario Rural and Remote Pilot must consider existing immigration programs like the federal-provincial Atlantic Immigration Program as well as the Immigration Initiative of Morden in Manitoba.

Charles Cirtwill, President/CEO of the Northern Policy Institute, mentions the need of a similar program for the rural regions of Ontario for addressing the twin issues of labor shortages and decline in population. Moreover, Ontario faces a provincial election in June, making the next weeks important for the pilot.

The federal leaders are thinking in the right direction, and the provincial election, serves as an opportunity to the provincial leaders, to go in that direction.

Federal interest in pilot

The Government of Canada is showing an interest to work with partners in Northern Ontario on a program similar to the AIP, which matches designated Canadian employers in four Atlantic Provinces, to the appropriate overseas workers, or international graduates of a university of the Atlantic region.

Canada’s Industry and Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains thinks that the Atlantic pilot is a model to increase immigration level to the region. Moreover, it is a part of the new Prosperity and Growth Strategy for Northern Ontario, of the federal government.

Additionally, the Ontario pilot will involve a distinct nomination allotment from the federal government. Moreover, it will be above the annual PNP quota (6,600) of Ontario for 2018.  The estimate is 1,000 to 1,500 newcomers every year for settling in Northern Ontario for a five-year trial period. In case of success this program will expand to cover other rural and remote regions.

Manitoba’s Morden Initiative

The innovative Morden Initiative of Manitoba serves as an inspiration for the Ontario pilot. It began in 2012; and is designed to identify eligible overseas workers who satisfy the labor needs in target occupations in Morden city, of Manitoba. With The help of program there was an increase of local population by 11 percent from 2011 to 2016.

Manitoba gave those communities the ability for marketing jobs to vetted immigrant applicants. Such candidates having the skills and intention to do the jobs are attracted, and the province, was able to settle and retain them. Ontario can also follow this example.

This measure will help in correcting the imbalance where a majority of immigrants come to the province and settle in Toronto and in the surrounding areas. Totally 356,930 immigrants settled in Toronto in 2001-2016 period. The figure was 695 for Thunder Bay and 1,000 for Sudbury in the same period.

Need for better settlement

Furthermore, a look at rural and remote regions of the province in Northern/ Eastern or Southwestern Ontario reveals that attraction and settlement of immigrants is below national average. There is a great need for encouragement and assistance.

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