Newcomers to Canada receive Christmas packages from students at Holy Names Catholic High School, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Maureen Revait)Newcomers to Canada receive Christmas packages from students at Holy Names Catholic High School, December 9, 2016. (Photo by Maureen Revait)
Sarnia

Pilot Project Recommended To Attract Newcomers

Efforts underway to draw newcomers to Canada's Atlantic provinces, have Lambton County councillors wanting to do the same thing here.

The Atlantic Immigration Pilot, which offers a faster immigration pathway and custom-made settlement plan, is an attempt to revitalize stagnant population growth in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

County council supported Mayor Mike Bradley's motion Wednesday, to ask the federal and provincial governments to consider replicating the program and launching a pilot project here in Sarnia-Lambton.

"All you have to do is look at our population statistics and the lack of growth through the birth rate, [to realize] it's a fundamental issue," says Bradley. "If we don't deal with it in the next five to ten years, every community and our quality of life here will go down and that's just a fact of life. So, this is a good start."

Bradley says a greater effort is also needed when it comes to retaining individuals once they are here.

"That to me is critical. People need to understand what the local economy's like. We need to focus on entrepreneurs and students who are self starting. The college has done a good job on that, but we could be doing a lot more. There's really no one totally in charge of attracting new people here, there's a lot of good groups doing individual activities, but we really need to focus on this because it's critical to our future and our future growth."

While welcoming the idea of attracting newcomers, St. Clair Township Mayor Steve Arnold says it's important that local residents are finding employment as well.

"If we need people to be employed, what are we doing to ensure everyone in the county is employable," Arnold asked. "If we have a 10% or 11% unemployment rate, then what are we doing to fill those jobs that are needed by the people that are already living here. I think that is so important because there are so many good people out there that I know are looking for work and are willing to work hard. So let's make sure that those people get employment as well."

Council has asked staff to report back with information on the unemployment rate in the county.

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