City supports RSC's request for federal immigration cash

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The City of Miramichi has endorsed the Greater Miramichi Regional Service Commission’s plans to request more than $300,000 from the federal government for a new immigration partnership to assist newcomers.

City council voted unanimously Tuesday to provide a letter of support for the RSC’s application for $306,750 from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada and $27,000 from Culture and Heritage Canada for a zone immigration partnership, a settlement service where communities pool their resources to help integrate newcomers in a region.

In the letter, Mayor Adam Lordon said the city understands the importance of growing its population, which has been “a strategic priority” since 2019.

“Our community also recognizes the benefits that a zone immigration partnership can bring to the region and our community,” he said.

“We firmly believe that attracting and integrating newcomers will not only enhance our cultural diversity, but contribute significantly to the economic development and vitality of our region. Partnering with various municipalities within the region is essential to ensure the success of this initiative.”

In a report presented to council, economic development and tourism director Jeff MacTavish said he requested a copy of the proposed budget, funding sources, deliverables, and if any other member community has provided a letter of support. He said a combined $333,750 in funding would come from Ottawa if all proposed initiatives are started.

The proposed budget includes $139,250 for administrative and staffing expenses, $75,000 for consulting work, $77,500 to support tools for attracting and including newcomers in communities, and $42,000 for welcome team activities, tours, orientations, and volunteer costs.

MacTavish said the RSC hasn’t received any other letters of support from member communities to date.

“Regardless, I believe there is value in supporting the establishment of a zone immigration partnership in the Miramichi region,” he said in the report.

“While stakeholders in the region are still in the process of revising the population growth plan established in 2019, it is anticipated that immigration will still be part of the population growth strategy and newcomers to the region will require assistance and support.”

Coun. Tara Ross-Robinson said she supported sending a letter in favour of the partnership, but she was curious about any long-term financial implications for the city if federal funding isn’t received or eventually dries up after a position is created at the RSC.

Krista Chase, the RSC’s regional economic development director, said there won’t be any costs to the commission’s member communities or any other groups joining the partnership. She said the funding runs for a five-year cycle starting in April 2025, and the RSC must reapply and reassess its initiatives near the end of the cycle.

Chase said the lack of another immigration partnership in the region bodes well for the RSC’s funding application, and there may also be money available for communities wishing to study the possibility of joining a partnership.

“The federal government recognizes that there’s a cost to collaborate, but they want the communities to be able to collaborate and get that efficiency,” she said. “It is 100-per-cent funded, and although when you submit your budget, there’s a negotiation period where your allocation may be cut a little bit, but it’s meant to be a fully funded initiative.”

At the Jan. 9 council-in-committee meeting, Lordon said the Miramichi Regional Multicultural Association applied for funding in 2019 for Growing Miramichi, a local immigration partnership focused on Miramichi that included the municipality and other local organizations. He said that partnership received federal funding to support immigration retention and recruitment efforts.

“That funding was for five years and is now expiring, and the program has changed to be more regional in scope,” said Lordon. “The service commission has sent letters to all of its member communities asking for letters of support so they can effectively reapply for the federal funding, although it’s now under a new stream.”

In a memo presented to council, Chase said the last population growth strategy completed in the region took place under the previous Growing Miramichi partnership. She said the group received a five-year funding commitment in 2019 and hired a co-ordinator who didn’t work out, and the activities planned couldn’t take place during the pandemic.

“That partnership was formally wrapped up, and final reports were submitted to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to close off its obligations,” Chase said in the memo.