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County considers Rural Renewal Stream to help combat worker shortage

Designation will give County of Barrhead businesses help in attracting immigrants by providing support services
Walter Preugschas Sept 20, 2022
County of Barrhead Coun. Walter Preugschas during the Sept. 20 council meeting, argued that the municipality should widen its application to receive a Rural Renewal Stream designation to include other communities such as the Town of Mayerthorpe.

BARRHEAD - The County of Barrhead hopes to become the next community to receive the Rural Renewal Stream designation, which council hopes will help alleviate some of the staffing issues some county businesses are facing. 

During their Sept. 20 meeting, councillors instructed the administration to apply for the designation. They also approved, in a separate motion, the municipality's economic development plan. 

The latter, a necessity to receive Rural Renewal Stream designation and its approval, was recommended by the municipality's Economic and Community Development Committee (ECDC). 

The Rural Renewal Stream enables rural communities with less than 100,000 people to attract and retain immigrants by working with local employers and settlement-providing organizations to offer employment and support services, including housing, language training, health care, and education. 

The stream requires that communities apply for designation through the provincial government.  

The program is part of the province's Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). The AAIP is part of the province's effort to combat the province's labour shortage. It does this by helping employers recruit foreign nationals to apply for jobs. 

Once a community receives a Rural Renewal Stream designation, a local council or a settlement organization can endorse a potential immigrant by writing a letter of support. A prospective worker could then use the letter as part of an immigration application package. 

County manager Debbie Oyarzun noted she invited several county businesses to attend a webinar she participated in on the AAIP. After its conclusion, they asked the county to "take on the designation". 

"It is the candidate that applies (to the AAIP), and if approved, they can apply for permanent residency and a temporary work permit so they can start work right away," she said. 

According to the province, the City of Brooks, City of Grande Prairie, Town of Taber and Town of Whitecourt have all received their Rural Renewal Stream designation. 

"It is time sensitive that our businesses are struggling. They are being forced to shut down lines of production and reduce the number of hours or days worked. It is urgent," Oyarzun said, adding the deadline for applications is early October. 

She added that she has also talked with the Town of Barrhead CAO Edward LeBlanc, in hopes that town council will add a letter of support to their application. Oyarzun said LeBlanc responded by saying he would add the topic to the Sept. 27 council agenda. 

"(To be granted the designation), one or more employees must be interested and have full-time work available," Oyarzun said. "That's important. (The workers under this program) are not intended to replace temporary foreign workers. These are permanent, full-time positions of a minimum of 30 hours a week and cannot be seasonal. These are positions that are not being filled by our local workforce." 

Oyarzun noted she has a written commitment from one county business and another business that is having trouble filling an automotive vehicle mechanic position that has verbally expressed interest. 

She also has approached the Barrhead and District Chamber of Commerce and employers in various industries in our community, asking for additional input. 

"Because the more employees we have, the better chance we have that our application will be successful," she said. 

Oyarzun added that municipalities also needed to include a copy of their economic development plan as part of its application, which until very recently, they did not have. 

"We had several bits and pieces, such as our investment readiness (document), but we've never pulled it together as a single plan," she said, adding that administration "burned the midnight oil" to create the plan. 

Another missing piece for the county's application was a letter of support from an immigrant settling organization. However, Oyarzun said it is in the works. 

Coun. Bill Lane interjected that a county business already brings in temporary foreign workers, through a federal government program, asking if they would be eligible for more residency under the AAIP. 

Oyarzun said she believed so. 

"If their employer wanted to offer them a permanent, full-time job," she said. 

Coun. Walter Preugschas added that Pembina West Co-op would also be interested in the program. He is the president of the co-op board. 

"Not as much for Barrhead, but in Mayerthorpe," he said. 

He later suggested that they should widen their application to include other communities, referring specifically to the Town of Mayerthorpe.  

Councillors rejected the suggestion, saying it was up to other councils to decide if the program was right for their community. 

 


Barry Kerton

About the Author: Barry Kerton

Barry Kerton is the managing editor of the Barrhead Leader, joining the paper in 2014. He covers news, municipal politics and sports.
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