by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — Chela Breckon is hopeful Whitewater Region is open to welcoming immigrants who may settle in the area.
Ms. Breckon is from the Local Immigration Partnership (LIP) of Renfrew and Lanark and spoke at the township’s economic development committee on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
The Whitewater brand speaks for itself, she said. She was referring to a newly-released video of the township that was shown prior to her speaking to the committee.
“That video is such an accomplishment and I really want to commend this group on really developing such a wonderful brand,” she said.
She knows of no other municipality in the county who truly gives a representation of what it is.
The Local Immigration Partnership of Renfrew and Lanark project started as a pilot program and has grown. The federal Department of Immigration began establishing these projects as early as 2008 in Canada. It started in Ontario as a pilot project and was so successful, it is now a project that is across Canada, she said.
It is funded, supported and partnered with a variety of businesses and organizations throughout the two counties, which she outlined to the committee.
“It’s not a client service provider,” she said. “We’re a collaborator of different organizations and stakeholders to come to a better settlement of outcomes for new Canadians,” she said.
She works with organizations across the two counties to ensure those who move to those areas find what they are looking for. As an example, she will provide opportunity for those who are settling in the area to find what they require, such as family and employment services.
English as a Second Language instruction is a core service provided and there are classes in Pembroke, Petawawa and Deep River, Ms. Breckon said.
There are settlement service locations in Canada, but not in this area, she said.
“These services provide a person with answers to all the questions a new Canadian may have,” Ms. Breckon said. “We don’t have those services in Renfrew County and one of the big initiatives over the last four years is to lobby for that type of funding here.”
However, she noted, the services that are available within the two counties have been tapped to their limits.
Ms. Breckon said one of the reasons new Canadians should be welcomed is because of a document recently released by the Labour Market Group of Renfrew and Lanark. This group’s information is the driver of funding for immigration, she noted. The document provides information about the current labour market, emerging trends and skills that are required.
LIP works with employers in a variety of ways, including through chambers of commerce, which includes the Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“Our purpose is to strengthen local communities in order to successfully receive and retain new Canadians,” she said.
That has been accomplished in a variety of ways over the last four-and-a-half years, she said. Ms. Breckon then spoke about some of the events, which included fun and family events as well as informational workshops.
One of the biggest accomplishments of the project is the online resource guide, Ms. Breckon said. It’s a web site with the purpose of providing the top 15 answers to the top 15 questions people settling in the area typically have. The web site is renfrewcountywelcomesyou.com
Ms. Breckon provided statistics of the demographic spread of the municipality.
In 2015, data through the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), shows that in Whitewater Region, 59 percent of the people are of working age, whether they are working or not. The senior population is 18 percent of the population, while toddlers, children and youth make up 24 percent.
“Your youth population is greater than your senior population, and your working class is the majority, which is what we want,” she said.
However, in 10 years, 51 percent of the population will be of age to work and the senior population will have grown to 28 percent, which is good news for Whitewater, and 21 percent are youth, Ms.Breckon said, adding, to get these numbers, current birth rates are being used as it’s impossible to know how many babies will be born.
Statistically, for every two adults of working age in a home, only one is working, she said. Looking forward, it’s been calculated there will be 120 less workers to fill 650 jobs, she said.
“We’re going in the opposite way in terms of supply of labour when the demand is rising,” Ms. Breckon said.
Looking back, she said in 1971 throughout Ontario, there were 6.6 individuals working for every senior, which meant the retirement funds required for seniors was growing. However, in 2012, that changed and it was only 4.2 individuals working for every senior.
“Using normal conservative population growth rates, in 2036 just two people will be paying towards CPP for every person claiming,” she said.
In Whitewater Region, it is at that value now, with just over two people working to support the seniors. In 10 years, that will drop down to just over 1.2 people working, which is something to think about, she stated.
An article titled People without Jobs, Jobs Without People, published in The Globe, shows how this shortage of skilled workers will affect Canada, especially those in the rural zones, she said.
Currently, the unemployment rate is filled with individuals who are not skilled, she said. There are provincial programs to help people become skilled, and they are available in Renfrew County, she added
However, the forecast shows that there are currently more than 1 million jobs without people in Canada, she said. But, even if every unskilled person becomes skilled with new training, there are still jobs that won’t be filled, she added
“This is a national issue,” Ms. Breckon said. “It is not unique to Whitewater. It’s not unique to Renfrew County.
“However, what this denotes, is that we will be competing for the best and the brightest across the country and in all the developed countries of the world,” she said.
It’s important to find a way to build the capacity required for skilled labour, Ms. Breckon said. This can be accomplished by welcoming newcomers, she said, adding, and not specifically those just from other countries. These could be immigrants who have lived in large cities, such as Toronto and Montreal, and want to relocate to a smaller city, or even a rural area.
Ms. Breckon noted about two-thirds of immigrants to Canada have a post-secondary education and once they arrive in Canada, want to be retrained in the best way possible and enter the Canadian workforce.
One of the most challenging processes to immigration is credential assessment, Ms. Breckon said. Explaining, she said, an accountant working in Poland for years, cannot acquire the credentials in Canada without going through the entire education process of an accountant, such as writing the exam and becoming re-certified. So, instead of getting the necessary credentials, they open a firm and hire employees who have the certification and operate the business from a managerial position instead of as a practitioner, she said.
“We know that new Canadians are hiring entrepreneurially and buying businesses all the time,” she said.
There are many examples of that locally, where businesses have come up for sale and were purchased as a result of being promoted in the Chinese edition of Newcomer Magazine available at Pearson International Airport, Ms. Breckon said.
“There’s a possibility to increase the social fabric, she said. “We would love to share the rich history and heritage of this region with other places in the world.”
It’s also known the new Canadians do not come alone, Ms. Breckon said, adding, they arrive with children and seniors.
“Those children take seats in our schools and keep the public services funded at the level we’re used to,” she said. “They also bring senior citizens who will volunteer in the communities and become vibrant members.
“There is also evidence that new Canadians bring innovation and competitive advantage over and above an individual born in Canada, Ms. Breckon said, adding, “Examples of this are organizations in this area that have hired people who speak Mandarin, which allows them access to the Chinese markets.”
Ms. Breckon continued, “We can work together to attract, integrate and retain new Canadians in order to sustain our economy, our public services and the communities’ vitality.”
But, the question is, how to promote and make this happen, she said.
“It is absolutely critical for rural communities to plan and act based on assets that already exist,” Ms. Breckon said, adding, “And identify opportunities for welcoming initiatives.
“This is how I would like to support you in this ongoing process.
“The most crucial element for any person coming from outside the region is the person’s perception of a welcoming community. When newcomers feel welcomed and integrated socially, they have friends, they have a network, they will afford better economic opportunities to retain that community feel,” she stated.
When looking at branding and developing community initiatives, it’s important to ensure you can attract, retain and integrate so you can sustain new Canadians.
“The smallest investment today grows and grows and grows to a tree in the future,” she said.
Ms. Breckon has an expertise in strategic planning for community development in the immigration sector, and will work with the municipalities to be the strongest version of themselves so the communities can be sustained.
In answering a question from Councillor Dave Mackay about the aging population, Ms. Breckon said the 4,000 in the working class will be pushing forward and drop to 3,500, so the senior group is going from 1,200 today to 2,000 in 10 years, but there won’t be 2,000 births in that same time. Therefore, those bodies will not be regained.
Councillor Chris Olmstead said retirees aren’t shown how they benefit a community.
“We’re attracting retirees to our community,” he said.
The retirees are contributing to the local economy and vibrancy of the community, he said.
“We want retirees coming to our community,” he said. “They are going to be a big economic driver for our community. You’re seeing people leave the metro areas where they’re selling properties for a million dollars and coming and building the big, beautiful homes up and down the Ottawa River.”
The stats Ms. Breckon provided are mainly for those who are working, while this area wants retirees to move here, Coun. Olmstead said.
Ms. Breckon agreed, noting seniors are huge value to a community. That market is growing and the ability to access that investment is a huge opportunity for any builders, residents, long-term care facility managers, etc. However, all those positions will only grow temporarily, she said.
“When we speak to our mentors at the federal level, who are planning 50 years ahead, we know those large homes still need to be purchased by somebody when those seniors move into long-term care facilities,” she said. “We have to do a good job at maintaining the labour force so we can have the incomes to support the purchase of a $600,000 home in 20 years.”
“We are labour market focused because that’s how we build sustainability,” Ms. Breckon said. “It doesn’t mean we don’t take advantage of the other assets that surround the labour force, but it means you still have to keep the businesses that are here today.”
There are businesses in Renfrew County looking to move elsewhere because they can’t find the necessary skilled labourers, she stated. How can that level of the economy be sustained while supporting the senior citizen population, she asked.
Mayor Hal Johnson said more people of all age groups are needed for Whitewater Region.
“We need the people who are going to build, the people who are going to work, we need some qualified people,” he said.
Working in the construction industry, Mayor Johnson said in the last few years it’s become very difficult to get qualified employees.
“The skilled labour employee base is very difficult to fill,” he said. “We need to grow and we need to make us grow.”
Mayor Johnson said planning is now for grandchildren.
“Unless we get people here who are willing to work and promote the growth that we require, then we’re just going to sit stagnant,” he said.
