The federal government has picked 11 communities from across Canada to kick off a new pilot program aimed at attracting immigrants to rural and northern communities.
The goal of the program is to bring newcomers to regions confronting severe labour shortages due to a youth exodus, declining birth rate and aging population.
The selected communities are:
- Thunder Bay, Ont.
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
- Sudbury, Ont.
- Timmins, Ont.
- North Bay, Ont.
- Gretna-Rhineland-Altona-Plum Coulee, Man.
- Brandon, Man.
- Moose Jaw, Sask.
- Claresholm, Alta.
- West Kootenay region of B.C.
- Vernon, B.C.
The government will begin working with communities this summer to help them identify candidates for permanent residence as early as this fall. The first newcomers under the pilot are expected to arrive in 2020.
“The initial results of the Atlantic immigration pilot show that it has been a great success,” she said in a news release. “I’m pleased we are able to introduce this new pilot to continue experimenting with how immigration can help ensure the continued vibrancy of rural areas across the country.”
For more information, read this article.