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The Dawson Creek and District Chamber of Commerce is proud to support Community Futures and Northern Lights College in their endeavours to establish the Northeast BC Rural Community Immigration Pilot, which will make hiring and retaining international talent much easier for our local businesses, and bolster the economic success of our region.



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Date: January 31, 2025 

New Immigration Pilot Program to Boost Northeast BC’s Workforce and Retain International  Talent 

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — Employers across Northeast British Columbia will soon find it easier to  hire and retain international talent, thanks to the newly announced Northeast BC Rural  Community Immigration Pilot. This federal pilot program positions Northeast BC as a regional  hub, with Community Futures Peace Liard (CFPL) and Northern Lights College (NLC) leading a  joint partnership to coordinate its implementation. 

The purpose of the pilot is to spread the benefits of economic immigration to smaller communities  by creating a path to permanent residency for skilled foreign workers who want to live and work in  participating regions. Northeast BC has been selected as the only new addition in British Columbia  for this round of the program, joining North Okanagan and West Kootenay, which participated in a  previous version and are continuing in this round of the program. 

Under the local pilot program, employers across the Northeast can sponsor newcomers for  permanent residency through a streamlined process aimed at addressing the region’s labour  market needs. 

“The key to the success of the project will be our local partnerships. I’d like to acknowledge the  support of our municipal partners and our funders,” said Moira Green, General Manager at  Community Futures Peace Liard. “Now the work begins, as we work to establish agreements and  secure resources to ensure the success of this important project.” 

CFPL and NLC will co-lead the working group of community partners that will guide the program’s  development, in partnership with local municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, and immigrant  settlement agencies. Together, they will engage local employers to participate in the pilot,  ultimately boosting immigrant recruitment and retention in the Northeast. 

“This is a great new opportunity for our communities, as well as a huge attraction and retention tool  for the Northeast,” said Scott Clerk, Associate Vice President, Educational Services for Northern  Lights College. “We see so many great international students coming into the region, and this  provides a new path for many of them to stay after graduation in the communities where they’ve  started to build a new life.” 

For more information about the Northeast BC Rural Community Immigration Pilot, please contact:  

Community Futures Peace Liard 
Moira Green, General Manager 
mgreen@communityfuturespeaceliard.com 
communityfuturespeaceliard.com 

Northern Lights College 
Darren Giersch, Director Marketing and Communications 
media@nlc.bc.ca 
nlc.bc.ca

About Community Futures Peace Liard 

Community Futures Peace Liard is a community-driven economic renewal initiative, assisting  communities in rural Canada to develop and implement innovative strategies for dealing with a  changing economic environment. 

Community Futures Peace Liard serves the communities in the Peace River Regional District and  Northern Rockies Regional Municipality with the focus of improving the quality of life in our region  by enhancing business and entrepreneurial activity. 

Community Futures is a locally autonomous, not-for-profit organization driven by a board of  directors and community volunteers, who provide guidance and expertise to the organization. Their  keen understanding of the relationship between social and economic factors keeps communities in  the driver’s seat of local development. 

About Northern Lights College 

Northern Lights College provides post-secondary education across the northern third of British  Columbia, serving an area covering more than 325,000 square kilometres. The College has  campuses in Atlin, Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Dease Lake, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, and Tumbler  Ridge, offering upgrading, academic programs, trades and apprenticeship training, lifelong learning,  and professional development programs.