Antigonish Regional Development Authority, where ideas take root

Newcomer Settlement Project launched series of workshops

The Newcomer Settlement Project has launched a series of free workshops to increase the profile of the regional immigration navigator and the positives that come with newcomers to our area. The first workshop held on February 15, 2010 focused on “Hiring temporary foreign workers” and was a great success.

“We had just over 30 people in attendance and had a great mix of service providers and business owners” says Tanya Felix, regional immigration navigator.

The Newcomer Settlement Project is an initiative shared by ARDA, the Strait-Highland Regional Development Agency, and the Guysborough County Regional Development Authority. The role of the regional immigration navigator is to provide support to newcomers as they make their transition to life in Canada.  Felix acts as a starting point for anyone considering a move to the quad-county region that is Inverness, Richmond, Antigonish, and Guysborough counties. She also works with community groups, employers, and organizations in trying to make our communities more welcoming for newcomers and discusses options for hiring internationally.

Guest speakers, Vida Davis from Service Canada’s Foreign Worker Unit and Godfrey Marchand from Halifax BioMedial answered numerous questions from the audience throughout their presentations. Davis presented on behalf of her department outlining the four steps a business must take to hire a temporary foreign worker while Godfrey spoke first hand about the process his business had gone through and the success he has had hiring a foreign worker.

“I really have to give the credit to Tanya and the regional development authorities,” says Marchand. “I spoke to Tanya in July 2009 about beginning the process and had someone hired in November. I had a very positive experience with the program.”

“We plan on hosting four of these sessions in total – one for every county and the topics will differ at each,” says Felix. “Upcoming sessions will focus on settlement and integration, conducting business internationally, and creating welcoming communities.”

For more information on hiring temporary foreign workers, please visit http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca