Kelowna to participate in immigration pilot project

Kelowna's immigration pilot

Photo: Contributed

Kelowna's MapleFest is organized by the Centre Culturel Francophone de l'Okanagan.

The City of Kelowna is one of several communities across Canada selected to take part in two separate immigration-based pilot projects.

Kelowna is one of just six cities and the only community west of Manitoba selected to participate in the Francophone Community Immigration pilot project.

The project, unveiled by the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will focus on increasing the number of French-speaking newcomers settling within Francophone minority communities outside Quebec.

A news release says the program will ensure the “economic development of Francophone minority communities,” while at the same time helping to “restore and increase their demographic weight.”

“Each selected community is represented by a local economic development organization which will work with IRCC to identify its critical labour gaps, designate trustworthy employers and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC for permanent residence,” the news release states.

“IRCC has begun training the economic development organizations and each community will provide details and timelines on when employers and prospective permanent residence candidates can expect to have a chance to apply.

Several communities are also taking part in a Rural Communities Immigration pilot program, including both North Okanagan Shuswap and West Kootenay.

That program looks to attract and retain newcomers to those specific areas to fill key jobs and stay long-term.

The two programs were unveiled on the heels of the success of the Rural and Northern Immigration project which was able to connect employers in remote communities with skilled newcomers.