During the campaign trail, Premier Jason Kenney made a promise of two new programs, and he said that they could bring up to 40000 newcomers to rural communities by 2024. If all plans go as planned, significant consultations on the two Alberta programs that were promised by the new premier on the province Jason Kenney will begin later this year. During the last general election, Jason expressed his plans to bring in the two new programs.
The spokesperson of the province immigration department, Gurshan Dhillon recently spoke to CIC News and confirmed that the department is working on the design of the program and various stakeholders are expected to take part in the consultation process of the programs. They will include settlement organizations, employers, experts and immigrants who were invited by the previous programs and are already settled in Alberta. The consultation process on the two new programs is expected to begin nearing the end of 2019.
Jason Kenney served as Canada’s immigration minister from 2008 to 2013. During his campaigns, he said that if elected he aimed to create the Rural Renewal Program and the Rural Entrepreneur Program so that to use immigration as a tool to strengthen the smaller communities in the province. This Pledge by Kenny seemed to go well with most of the citizens of the province.
In a press release issued by United Conservative Party (UCP) which Kenny is a member said that, these proposed new programs are aimed at bringing entrepreneurs and skilled foreign workers to rural Alberta communities. These communities are such as Brooks and Wood Buffalo, who would make great benefits from the programs.
Kenny explained that in the first couple of years of UCP in office, the proposed programs could bring a combined 40000 new permanent residents to these rural communities. This was- 32000 through the proposed Rural Renewal Program and 8000 through the proposed Rural Entrepreneur Immigration Program
