Economic development officials in the RPGA (Rhineland, Plum Coulee, Gretna and Altona) district are pleased with results coming out of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) launched in 2019. Marking its second year of operation in the district, the partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada offers a path to permanent residence for skilled foreign workers, and is designed to support economic development and strengthen local businesses’ capacity to develop and retain a skilled workforce.

To date, the region has welcomed 14 skilled employees and their families from all over the world.

"We have been pleased with the success that we've seen, despite the challenges the pandemic has had on overseas recruitment which has affected our program but, ultimately we have been able to welcome skilled employees and their families into our community," said Stephanie Harris, economic development officer for SEED, the local group facilitating the pilot. "We're seeing some great momentum also taking place with respect to the program over the last couple of months so, that's really great and really positive to see," she added. According to SEED, another 17 skilled employees and their families are expected to arrive in the region in the near future.

Over the past two years, businesses from the agriculture, manufacturing, food processing, construction, transportation, and hospitality sectors have all participated in the RNIP program, filling approximately 40 vacant positions. According to SEED, this represents a potential population increase of over 130 new residents, including spouses and children.

"We targeted to fill seventy-five positions within the first year, so we definitely do have some time and we are continuing to work with businesses on helping them fill those positions through the program, so we'll see what our numbers look like by the end of this year but we're certainly satisfied with how things have been picking up and moving forward," said Harris.

Two local businesses who have hired through the RNIP program are Elmer's Manufacturing and Friesens Corporation.

“Hiring foreign workers can be complicated and daunting at the best of times. The RNIP made the process clear and easy to navigate for both of us as a company and the international hire and their family. Through the program we were able to add a highly skilled employee to our team, and a growing family to our community," stated officials with Elmer's Manufacturing in a news release.

“The Rural & Northern Immigration Pilot has been tremendous for our company and the newcomers we've hired. Without foreign recruitment we simply would not have had enough applicants to fill our skilled machine operator positions," added Tina Barkman, VP Human Resources, Friesens Corporation. "The process is clear, well-defined, and efficient with most new hires arriving within 3-6 months of submitting their PR application. Most importantly, newcomers are arriving with their families, which significantly reduces the stress of moving to a new country. This is wonderful.”

One of the first families arrived in September 2020 were the Steenkamps who just celebrated one year of living in Altona.

“We lived in a large city with more than 2.5 million people, so small-town living is a great change of pace," stated Carl Steenkamp in the news release. "I love that my family and I feel safe. Kids can ride their bicycles in the street. Even in a pandemic we were able to make friends for life. We didn't think we would feel at home quite so soon.” 

"I love that my family and I feel safe...We didn't think we would feel at home quite so soon," said Carl Steenkamp.

According to SEED, the success of RNIP has been a collaborative effort with municipalities, economic development, employers, settlement services and other stakeholders working together to address the labour market shortages.

"The RPGA region has a combined unemployment rate of 3.7%, which is 2.1% below the national average, and 20% of the workforce is over the age of 55, which is more than 2,000 people in total preparing for retirement," stated the organization.

“The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program has been an opportunity for the Town of Altona to grow in many ways. We've seen our population grow, with the arrival of more than 50 new residents, our local businesses grow with access to skilled labour through international recruitment, and our community grow through new bonds of friendship and connection," added Altona mayor, Al Friesen.

Don Wiebe, Reeve for the Municipality of Rhineland noted, "(The Municipality) has a thriving agricultural economy, and an expanding manufacturing and industrial sector. This robust economy has created many job vacancies in technical, skilled, and professional careers with companies that are focusing on growth and expanding their reach. The RNIP immigration program is critical for supporting employers in their efforts to attract employees that have the skills and expertise to fill positions that are not being filled the local labour market. The Rhineland Council believes the RNIP program is great tool to help fuel the growth and prosperity of our Municipality."

Additionally, SEED has been working closely with Regional Connections to welcome the RNIP applicants and help support them with settlement and retention. Part of these supports include the Community Mentor program.