INNISFAIL – The Town of Innisfail is lending a supporting hand to Bowden and Olds by putting them under its newly acquired provincial government program that will help their local businesses recruit immigrant workers easier and faster.
Gordon Shaw, manager of community development services for the Town of Innisfail, told town council at its Agenda & Priorities meeting on Feb. 6 that the towns of Bowden and Olds have recently reached out to his office to see if it was possible for them to come under the “umbrella” of Innisfail’s provincial immigration program designation.
“The Town of Olds has written to the province to identify this desire. The Town of Bowden was in the process of doing so when this report was prepared,” said Shaw as part of his comprehensive report to council of the 2023 Workplan for Community Economic Development. “That's still a work in progress. From what we know, the Community Support Agency in Red Deer is quite favourable with respect to bringing these two communities on.”
Last summer the Town of Innisfail was approved for the Rural Renewal Stream under the provincial government’s Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.
Under the Rural Renewal Stream businesses can look at recruiting potential employees from overseas to be able to fulfill skill requirements; a mechanism to potentially increase the number of potential employees within the community for large potential work projects, like what is envisioned for Innisfail’s new Southwest Industrial Park.
However, while Innisfail was successful in being approved for the Rural Renewal Stream, Olds and Bowden have not yet qualified.
Olds town council recently passed a motion unanimously to approve a partnership with the Town of Innisfail to become a designated community under the Alberta government's Rural Renewal Stream.
Innisfail council showed considerable interest in Shaw’s work in having Olds and Bowden under its Rural Renewal Stream “umbrella” but have not yet ratified the initiative.
Shaw said there has to be formal approval from town council for the province to accept Innisfail’s partnership with Bowden and Olds.
“It's still up to them to do so but as you heard the comments were very positive about the fact we had entered into this initiative for discussion purposes,” said Shaw. “And to make sure that the province was onside with what we were wanting to do so.
“To me, it looks very positive, both from bringing people into this part of Central Alberta, but also about building that relationship with the Town of Olds and the Town of Bowden.”
Shaw told council the plan is for administrations from both Olds and Bowden to be responsible for providing the program to their communities.
He said Innisfail’s role would be to act as the designated host community.
“The fact that we've done that heavy work it now allows other communities to come in under us while they are still doing the work,” Shaw told council, adding he has also been in “constant email communication” with provincial officials with the planned partnership.
“We've done the upfront work to be able to get that designation, and that's really what they're using us for because of the fact we have been designated.”
Shaw said he expects Innisfail council to formally make a decision on the proposed partnership with Olds and Bowden vote within the next month.
