SALMON ARM, BC—Shuswap business owners have a new source of support in navigating the program that helps them hire skilled newcomers and fast-tracks permanent residency. In 2023 alone, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) has helped fill more than 175 job postings in the North Okanagan and Shuswap area, many with experienced workers already living in the region.

“We’ve been extremely successful in supporting the matches of skilled workers and employers,” says Caroline Grover, the new Salmon Arm-based RNIP coordinator. “With the RNIP program, if the applicant meets the qualifications, it can be a quick match. We’re seeing how experienced workers are often already here in the community and with the help of the program and a firm job offer, they’re able to receive permanent resident status, and they already have housing in place.”

For employers, the RNIP process begins with checking business eligibility and joining an employer training session. After filling out three simple forms, including a short offer of employment, a job can be posted and employers can interview in person if the candidate is already working in BC. After the candidate is approved the RNIP recommendation committee, the RNIP team issues a letter of recommendation and candidates can apply for permanent residency and once approved, the candidate can start  work. Since the pilot launched in the North Okanagan five years ago, 558 recommendations have been made.

“It’s a very streamlined, simple process for business owners, and providing that link between employer and candidates with diverse, impressive skill sets has a very holistic benefit to the community,” says Grover. She’s lived in Salmon Arm for the last six years and brings nearly 25 years of experience supporting business growth for the benefit of community, including roles as economic development officer in Salmon Arm and as CEO of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.

“All of us can see firsthand how the community can be affected when we don’t have enough workers to fill jobs,” says Grover, citing delayed home renovations and empty shelves due to a lack of trades and transportation workers. “Without employees, businesses can’t grow and thrive, and contribute to community. Fortunately, they have this resource and someone right here to help.”

Right now, RNIP is focusing on applications for priority industries, including health care; trades, transportation and equipment operators; and education, government and community service workers. These industries qualify for event faster processing. The pilot, now in its fifth and final year, draws to a close in February, 2024, with the hope of helping hundreds more skilled newcomers find employment at local businesses.

The RNIP is made possible through funding from the Government and Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY FUTURES NORTH OKANAGAN

Community Futures North Okanagan is a not-for-profit organization that supports economic development projects and helps our business community, job-seekers, and employers succeed. As a community-based organization with roots in Vernon dating back to 1984, Community Futures acts as a leader to create opportunities for growth and success across the North Okanagan. A team of nearly 45 staff provide workshops, programs and services for three departments: Business Services, Employment Services, and Economic Development. Visit www.futuresbc.com to learn more.

For more information, media can contact:

Leigha Horsfield

Executive Director, Community Futures North Okanagan

250 545 2215 x 256

leighah@futuresbc.com

Multi-family developments key to bringing more professionals to North Okanagan

VERNON, BC—It’s the place where families go to be together, where hard-working professionals put their feet up and where budding entrepreneurs bring their businesses to life. It’s home, and it’s the foundation of a thriving community.

As provincial and local governments look to build more multi-family homes to support growing communities, champions of increased density say everyone will benefit from more housing.

Earlier this year, the provincial government announced the Homes for People housing plan to build more small-scale and multi-family housing — including townhomes, duplexes and triplexes — through zoning changes and partnerships.

Ian Murphy, co-founder of Vernon-based AIM Development and Management, hopes the plan will streamline the rezoning process so developers can spend more time building houses that the community needs.

“Creating more land is the key to affordable and attainable housing, but it has been one of the biggest challenges for most communities in Canada,” says Murphy. “When we build, we’re not only creating homes, but we’re also spending more in the community buying supplies and hiring local trades.”

By converting land with single-family homes into attainable multi-family housing, Murphy says AIM Development and Management has built 32 homes for families from five properties in the North Okanagan.

“Our goal has always been to build homes that the average family can afford,” says Murphy. “Attainable and multi-family housing doesn’t have to mean apartment buildings. It also means duplexes, triplexes and townhomes that appeal to young families, retirees and everyone in between.”

Kevin Acton, chair of the RDNO’s Board of Directors, says the district’s housing strategy highlights the need for more multi-family homes across the region.

“We need to work together to build a diverse and affordable housing stock that supports regional growth and the families, professionals and entrepreneurs that choose to live here,” says Acton.

Multi-family homes also help the community attract professionals in critical sectors like healthcare and trades.

“Increased density encourages economic investment and retail development, which help a community become more desirable,” says Leigha Horsfield, executive director, Community Futures North Okanagan. “By bringing in more business, greater density helps to pave the way for long-term economic stability, improving job opportunities and quality of life for all.”

Acton agrees.

“When we have more housing options, we can welcome these people who are essential to our workforce, the people who help everyone in the North Okanagan live a happy and healthy life.”

For more information, visit the RDNO online at rdno.ca/housing. Show your support for housing by posting on social media using #NOKHousingForAll.

Lack of attainable housing a barrier for hiring and retention, employers say

VERNON, BC—As private clinics close their doors and businesses across the North Okanagan are scrambling for staff, some of the region’s largest employers are calling for more and diverse housing to attract skilled workers.

Malcolm Reid, director of human resources at School District 22, says the lack of attainable housing has led to several job offers falling through in recent years.

“For the first time, we’ve had a number of people who we’ve offered positions to who had to let go of the offer or not accept it because they were unable to find housing in the North Okanagan,” says Reid. “Vernon is the greatest place to raise a family, but you have to be able to find housing to do so.”

School District 22 isn’t the only employer that’s felt the sting of the housing crisis.

Last year, BC Family Doctors announced that one in five British Columbians do not have and cannot get a family doctor. In the North Okanagan, more than 15 per cent of regular full and part-time healthcare positions are vacant, according to Interior Health.

“Like many industries, the health-care sector is facing a shortage of workers. We know that it can be a challenge for people to find housing, and this can be a barrier to attracting new professionals to the region,” says Richard Harding, executive director of clinical operations, North Okanagan and Interior Health Emergency Services Network. “Interior Health supports all efforts to provide affordable housing options in our area, especially housing that supports healthcare professionals’ ability to live in our community.”

Region relies on new and returning residents

With fewer elementary-aged children than people ready to retire, the North Okanagan needs migration and returning residents to sustain its workforce.

According to Community Futures’ Rural BC Economic Bulletin, the North Okanagan’s prime working age population—those aged 25-54—is below the rural BC average at only 33 per cent. Growth in this key demographic is also below average at only five per cent.

“As a principal, I saw lots of kids graduate from high school and move away for university or other post-secondary training and get a job. Eventually, they would want to move back to Vernon to raise a family,” says Reid. “What they’re finding is they’re challenged to do that. They’re not able to come back and find that house and live the life they had growing up, and they’re looking at other parts of the province to do so.”

Diversity, density the solution to housing crisis

To meet projected demands in the region, half of the new builds in the North Okanagan should be either two-bedroom apartments or small ranchers, according to the Regional District’s housing strategy. The remaining half is split between studio suites or one-bedroom apartments and multi-bedroom single-family homes.

“Diverse housing helps our economy thrive through the development of options,” says Leigha Horsfield, executive director, Community Futures North Okanagan. “In order for us to able to attract the nurse, the tile setter, the tech worker and the specialized teacher, we need to have a diverse landscape of housing so that these folks are able to secure a home and get settled in our community.”

To learn more about the Regional District’s housing strategy and the benefits of more housing and a diverse housing supply, visit the Regional District of North Okanagan online at www.rdno.ca/housing.