The federal government has turned down an application for an East Kootenay immigration pilot program that sought to help newcomers gain a permanent foothold in the region.
In July, Community Futures East Kootenay applied for the federally-run Rural Community Immigration Pilot Program (RCIP), on behalf of Cranbrook, Kimberley, Fernie, Creston, Revelstoke, Golden and the Columbia Valley. The program was designed to help businesses in rural communities fill staff shortages, by expediting permanent residency applications for immigrant employees who were already living and working in the region.
But on Dec. 12, Community Futures received word that the application was unsuccessful. General manager Kerstin Renner said it was a major disappointment.
"This program would have made it easier for our local businesses to advocate for their workers and provide a fast-track for permanent residency," she said. "With the many changes currently happening to immigration pathways, the RCIP program would have been a real support for businesses facing labour shortages in our rural communities."
Renner said that with a less developed transportation network and fewer immigration services in rural areas, newcomers often face more difficulties. The hope was that the program would help bring in needed support that the region currently lacks.
"I think rural communities don't have a lot of the tools that larger centres have in terms of settlement services," she said " ...There's travel. There's the fact that a lot don't have the network for immigrants, a larger community of your country of origin that makes it easier to settle in. We've seen people that decided to relocate to a larger centre because there's more cultural ties there for them."
Renner said the government indicated there was high interest in the program from many different communities and regions across Canada, indicating competitiveness was a reason why the application was rejected. Only 15 Canadian communities were chosen to take part in the program, but the government has not announced the successful applicants yet.
Renner said Community Futures has requested more detailed feedback.
The program was overwhelmingly popular among local organizations and businesses, and many people reached out to Community Futures to share their support and their interest in helping the community get up and running.
"The hope was that this program would provide our communities greater autonomy to guide and facilitate immigration pathways to retain the many dedicated individuals that work and contribute to our communities," said Kimberley Chamber of Commerce general manager Andrew Wilson. "Despite this outcome, the Kimberley & District Chamber of Commerce will continue to work alongside colleagues in the region to evaluate the opportunities and impacts of the immigration program."
Regional Chamber of Commerce representatives were part of a working group to help get the program up and running, which also included membership from Community Futures, College of the Rockies and local economic development agencies.
Fernie's city council also expressed interest in the program earlier this year, and voted to offer some financial support to the program should it come to fruition.
Fernie's Mayor Nic Milligan shared his support for the program at a council meeting on July 9, stating that the program would help fill labour shortages at local businesses and align nicely with the city's Strategic Plan.
"If we're working proactively to add employees in support of local business and we can all go out to a restaurant and get a seat, get a server, and folks are working in our local grocery stores and businesses, I think our Strategic Plan does support this," he said.
Since the pilot was a multi-year program, Renner said there most likely won't be an opportunity to reapply in the near future, but Community Futures will continue searching for other options.
"I don't immediately forsee there being any opportunity to reapply, however, we are definitely going to stay in touch with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. They really are who holds the cards in all this and if there are any other opportunities we would see if that would fit for us."
"We now have a dedicated group of organizations and individuals across the region who are really committed to finding out what the needs are and advocating for the businesses. We will definitely keep an eye on all the opportunities as they come up across the region," she added.