The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) completed its first year of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), a five-year federal economic immigration program. The program aims to help communities attract and retain skilled workers.
Jamie Taylor, chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay CEDC, called the program an important pathway for economic immigration and a practical tool to help address labour shortages in the community.
“By offering permanent residence to skilled workers who want to live and work in Thunder Bay, we are supporting local employers while strengthening our workforce and community,” she said.
“We will continue working closely with employers to attract and retain the talent our economy needs.”
She explained that the Rural Community Immigration Pilot applies to the Thunder Bay census metropolitan area (CMA) and is employer-driven. It aligns workforce needs with skilled immigration opportunities and supports five sectors: business, health, community and social services, sales and service, and trades and transportation.
Last year, 358 employers within those five sectors across the Thunder Bay census metropolitan area were designated to access the immigration pilot program and gain workers.
“Of the 358 designated employers, 175 were able to put forward a candidate or multiple candidates to receive a recommendation,” she said.
The 175 employers recommended 475 principal applicants and 356 dependents, representing a total of 831 individuals who came to Thunder Bay and received recommendation certificates in 2025.
“It’s important to note that the majority of them were already in Thunder Bay, and this (certification process) is allowing them to stay,” Taylor said.
“When they get their recommendation, and they’re applying for their permanent residency, there are allocations for dependent support, and that’s what gives them the ability to bring their spouse or their children along with them.”
Taylor said there are “always pockets of groups” that are identifying that there’s not suitable housing, depending on the type of housing for which they are looking.
“Through this program, there are economic pathways. They have an income that allows them to then be able to acquire housing here,” she said.
“As much as we’re bringing housing online, which is helping the issue, we do hear stories of not being able to find adequate housing. But a lot of those times, it’s newcomers who are coming through different pathways, like student housing.”
She added that there appears to be many more apartments becoming available, and that has helped to reduce the bottleneck.
“There are some misconceptions about affordable housing and what that means, but largely, we’re hearing that from employers that their candidates can secure housing and that they’re becoming well established within the community,” she said.
With planning for the 2026 immigration pilot intake underway, Taylor speculates that candidate recommendations and certification will likely be consistent with last year.
Taylor added that most of the applicants that they see are for people who are already here and have come through the education system.
