The City of Cold Lake is now accepting applications from local businesses that want to access the Rural Renewal Stream and is hosting an information session for businesses that would like to learn more.
During the session, businesses can learn the steps it takes to access the program. The event is being planned for Thursday, May 4, 2023 at the Lakeland Inn. The session will run from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and is free to attend.
The information being provided will be geared toward businesses and employers but anyone is welcome to attend. Cold Lake Mayor Copeland says understanding the program is very important.
“It is important that the businesses accessing the program have a good understanding of the eligibility requirements not only for themselves and the positions they want to hire for, but also a strong understanding of the eligibility requirements for the applicants themselves,” Copeland said. “Cold Lake is a welcoming city with a vibrant business community. We’ve seen newcomers thrive, put down roots and become business owners and employers themselves. This program promises to continue that tradition.”
The Rural Renewal Stream is an economic immigration program that allows the City of Cold Lake to issue letters of nomination to eligible foreign nationals who have been offered jobs that were approved into the Cold Lake Rural Renewal Stream. In order to be eligible for the program, businesses must be located in Cold Lake with a workplace in a commercial or industrial zone and have a permanent, full-time position available that they have been unsuccessful in filling locally, regionally, or nationally.
They must also demonstrate that they understand the challenges involved in bringing foreign workers to the community and that they have established safe, welcoming workplaces that will help newcomers establish themselves in the community.
“This program takes a very broad view of economic immigration,” Mayor Copeland said. “The idea is not to simply fill jobs that we need, but cannot find workers for. The idea is also to make sure the people taking these jobs have what they need to succeed in Cold Lake. It will provide them support and information, so that they can do more than settle in Cold Lake; we want them to thrive here.”
Within one month of arriving in Cold Lake through the Rural Renewal Program, newcomers will meet with workers at FCSS. This meeting will focus on assisting the newcomer in settling into the community.