COW - Backgrounder on Rural Communities and Immigration – June 10, 2021

Problematique

• Rural and remote areas have not traditionally attracted immigrants: About 4 in 5 new immigrants settle in Canada’s largest cities and in particular Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, for example in 2019, more than 50% of new immigrants settled in Canada’s three largest cities.
• Economic and demographic shifts in Canada are felt to a greater degree in rural areas, where population decline means the employers have difficulty filling jobs, despite their local economies being poised for growth. The affects of population aging are intensified by out-migration in rural areas.
  • Immigration is part of the solution to helping grow the local economy: For example, in British Columbia, every 100 new immigrant families with an average household income directly generate over $8 million worth of new household expenditures, much of this spending in the local community.

IRCC’s approach

• IRCC’s regional programs and pilots are focused on supporting delivery partners to fill these demographic and needs through immigration, especially in areas outside of Canada’s major metropolitan centres, in order to ensure that the benefits of immigration are being spread across the country.
• Through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot there areas two important program efforts to test approaches, complementing the Provincial Nominee Program and preparing for the Municipal Nominee Program.
• The Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) allows the Atlantic provinces, as pilot delivery partners, the flexibility to support employers with labour market needs across the region, without limitation to larger centres. These efforts are supports by federally funded settlement supports, which aim to increase retention and integration of newcomers to the region.
• Since the AIP’s launch, participating employers, including those in rural communities, have made over 9,500 job offers in key sectors. This has resulted in over 8,000 approved permanent residents in the Atlantic region.
• The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot was launched in 2019. It supports smaller and more remote communities in accessing the economic benefits of immigration.
• We’re now working closely with the eleven communities in Western Canada and Ontario as part of the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot to attract and retain immigrants with profiles that match the needs of the community. To date 23 individuals have been selected in 8 communities.
• Sault Ste. Marie: While Sault Ste. Marie has among the lowest immigration rates among small urban centres in Canada, those who are coming to the region are playing an important role. 10% of all workers in the steel industry and 8% in the ambulatory health care sector are immigrants or non-permanent residents. A focused effort to attract more immigrants and retain them in the community may serve to grow the economy in the years ahead.

What we have learned:

• To support retention – employer engagement and wrap-around settlement supports is critical – having a job and a welcoming community positions newcomers for success in the community.
  • Many rural and remote communities do not have the capacity to provide settlement services. The role of ethic community organizations is critical in supporting the diaspora, these may not exist in a small centre.