The Timmins & District Multicultural Centre (TDMC), in partnership with the Timmins Economic Development Corporation (TEDC), are officially launching a new initiative to attract growth, change and innovation within the region.
With support from the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, a new regional immigration portal is now available to help attract and retain newcomers and immigrants to the region. The new portal is bilingual, mobile-friendly, and organizes community information necessary to make settlement decisions.
“This new portal will help the region address issues relating to static or declining populations by promoting Northeastern Ontario to newcomers to support economic and community development,” said TEDC chair Fred Gibbons, in a news release.
The new portal will highlight up to 30 communities ranging from cities to towns to rural municipalities from the Québec border in the east, to Algoma District in the west.
“The new portal will present information about local services, highlight local opportunities for newcomers to arrive, live, work and study,” said Don Curry, chair of both the Timmins & District Multicultural Centre and the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre.
Although Ontario is the province of choice of nearly half of Canada’s immigrants each year, the majority are concentrated in the southern region. Northern Ontario attracts a small portion of Canada’s immigrants.
The region could reap the benefits of immigration; however, structures are needed to properly attract and retain newcomers. The new portal is one of the initiatives in place that will ensure northeastern Ontario positions itself as a prime destination for immigrants.
The Timmins & District Multicultural Centre serves the communities of Hearst, Cochrane, Black River-Matheson, Earlton, Matachewan, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake and Iroquois Falls.
It offers many different services for newcomers, including assistance with the completion of government forms; job search and job preparation; help with issues regarding health, education, housing, consumer and community information; and English as a second language.
