BARRHEAD - From now on, Barrhead's Rural Renewal Stream (RSS) effort will concentrate on attracting temporary foreign workers who are already living and working in the community.
This is what County of Barrhead manager Debbie Oyarzun told councillors during their Jan. 9 meeting during her recap on the provincial employment initiative.
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. Designated communities have the Rural Renewal Stream designation for two years, with the option to extend for a third. Barrhead (town and county) received its accreditation in early November 2023.
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.
To date, 30 employers have expressed interest in the program, with 22 enroling in the initiative, including one in December, and eight have open vacancies.
Since the program's inception, close to 170 candidates have expressed interest in the initiative with the county, which is the unit of authority, endorsing 71 candidates.
Currently, 32 are temporary foreign workers living in Canada, while 39 are international applicants.
Oyarzun said employers posted 105 jobs through RRS, with 71 filled through the program and 26 remaining vacant or have been filled by local residents, adding 31 of the endorsed candidates have started working and living in the community while another 40 workers and their families arrival is still pending.
"One of the challenges has been finding housing for the endorsed candidates, which is why we have shifted to using temporary foreign workers because we already have them living in our community who already have housing," she said. "Instead of them, when their permits expire and they face the decision of having to renew them or go home, they can apply through this program to get permanent residency."
Barrhead and District Family Community Support Services (FCSS) executive director Karen Gariepy has also voiced her concerns about the lack of affordable housing for those coming into the community via RSS and even residents currently in the community.
On Nov. 14, Gariepy presented the Alberta Provincial Housing and Service Needs Estimation survey for Barrhead (town and county) at the Town of Barrhead council.
The survey was part of a larger project by the Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) to determine the extent of homelessness in 21 rural communities across the province. The survey was conducted locally by FCSS, Ripple Connection Support Services (RCSS), and the Barrhead and District Social Housing Association (BDSHA).
The ARDN is a not-for-profit organization created in 2009 by partnering with the province's 21 public post-secondary institutions. Its mandate is to support rural sustainability through a wide variety of initiatives. The survey identifies at least 128 individuals living in the community whose housing needs are insecure.
The other issue that the county and other designated RRS communities face, Oyarzun said, is the time it takes to endorse, recommend and validate prospective candidates for permanent residency in the federal government.
"We are hoping the province can help shorten the process and make it a little faster," she said.
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
