Media Release
Friday, June 14, 2019
For immediate release

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced today that Timmins is one of 11 communities across Canada to be awarded a place in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot project. “This is an exciting opportunity for Timmins,” said TEDC Chair Fred Gibbons. “Other Canadian communities with similar programs have seen positive impacts on their economies and a slowing of population decline.” Gibbons noted that the arrival of several hundred international students last year was a boon to the local retail and hospitality sectors, which had struggled to fill front line positions.

The Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) will lead the project, with support from over a dozen partners such as the Multicultural Centre, City of Timmins, Chamber of Commerce, the Far Northeast Training Board, College Boreal and Northern College. They’ll consult with local stakeholders to identify how immigration can best support our economy, welcome newcomers, and help them settle and put down roots.

Timmins’ aging population will create a retirement boom over the next ten years, so local employers can expect to see up to 40% of the labour force retiring between now and 2031. In addition, the average birth rate is well below the replacement rate. “Research suggests that if every single person in Timmins today were working, we still wouldn’t have enough people to address the skills and number of jobs we need to maintain our current economy,” said Mike Resetar, the Timmins Employer Council Co-Chair.

“Timmins is home to many cultures and this diversity makes us stronger. A hundred years ago, thousands of immigrants came here to work in the mines. Many of our grandparents immigrated here,” said Mayor George Pirie. “We’ve welcomed newcomers before, and they helped build a great city. We’ve never stopped welcoming newcomers to our city. This is just another chapter in the Timmins story to make Timmins even better.”

Our community will work closely with the federal government over the coming months on identifying and recommending candidates for permanent residence. This will include developing unique eligibility criteria and processes for newcomers to apply to Timmins. IRCC will make all final decisions on applications to our community. The TEDC will be consulting with the community and mobilizing partners to welcome and support newcomers after they arrive in Timmins.

-30-

For more information, please contact Kelsey Luxton at kelsey.luxton@timmins.ca or (705) 360-2600 x 7083.

About the TEDC

The TEDC is the city’s non-profit community economic development team. We facilitate and support economic and social activity that creates jobs, diversifies the economy and improves quality of life.