Since receiving Immigration Attraction Community designation last August, the City of Grande Prairie says it has seen success with the Rural Renewal Stream, and grant funding the city is set to receive over the next two years will help continue that success. The funding was announced at the end of April and is slated to go to the municipalities Caring Community Initiative.
Director of Community Social Development for the city Angela Sutherland explains the idea moving forward is to build on the work the program has done in the city.
“For example, the Rural Renewal Stream, when you talk about stakeholders and partners, is collectively combined with this one to help leverage the opportunities for employers, organizations, and potential newcomers to be successful in achieving successful employment here,” Sutherland says.
Sutherland says right now the Caring Community Initiative is in the planning stages, with officials putting together the outcome timelines.
“So I think what will happen is the public can stay involved by coming back to our website to keep posted on the project, and if there is any questions or any types of engagements moving forward, to stay in the loop with what the city is doing and to participate.”
At the end of April, the city released it received $300,000 in Settlement, Integration, and Language grant funding from the provincial government over the next two years for the initiative. The initiative is expected to help increase awareness of resources, services and programs newcomers can access, while also helping the city improve its understanding of the needs of those moving to the region. This includes employer engagement sessions, service provider and ethnocultural organization engagement sessions, and an employer retention package which will include a culture integration guide.