"By valuing diversity, we can build a resilient community."
That was the message delivered by from Municipality of Rhineland Reeve, Don Wiebe, at celebration Friday evening in Altona honouring the successful Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP).
In 2019, the Town of Altona and Rhineland Municipality were selected for the federal program, which was designed to fill labour market shortages in rural and northern areas of the country. That initiative drew to a close this past August.
During these five years, over 140 successful applicants accepted job offers extended to them by local employers and moved to the area with their families, boosting the population by about 350 people.
"The last five years have just flown by," said Stephanie Harris, economic development officer for SEED, the local organization that oversaw the program in the area. "It just feels like yesterday."
Looking back, Stephanie says she never could have imagined the local success RNIP would go on to have.
"Especially since we launched in 2019 and COVID hit in 2020, so that really slowed things down in the beginning. We really didn't know how it was going to restart," she explained. "It's been really, really impressive to see over the last few years, how the program has done nothing but continue to take momentum. It's never slowed down."
Stephanie was quick to note that none of this could been made possible without the support from all areas of the community, a sentiment also expressed by Altona Deputy Mayor, Donna Rosling-Wolters. Stakeholders throughout the years have included not only the two local governments, but also area employers, Regional Connections Immigration Services, PV-LIP, and the Altona and Area Immigration Committee.
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- Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada officials engage with RNIP participants during Altona and area visit
- SEED thrilled with extension to Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
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- Feds commit to making RNIP permanent
And while this chapter of the story is now finished, Stephanie says SEED is now looking to the programs of the future to fill not only current labour shortages but those expected in the next three to five years.
"That is going to be an ongoing issue," she added.
As a result, SEED has applied to the federal government's replacement for RNIP, the Rural Community Immigration Pilot, and submitted a letter of intent to the Province to create a local initiative through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program.
Should either of these programs be approved, or a different implemented, in the future Stephanie says the most important thing will be ensuring the community continues to have the opportunity to interview each primary applicant in order to determine whether they are a good fit for the community and have the intention to reside here, as well as share where Altona and Rhineland are located and what life here looks like.
