Altona/Rhineland: Communities in Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Parsai Immigration Services will be providing an overview of 11 Canadian communities. These communities are listed under Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. The seventh community we’ll be looking at is the Town of Altona and the Municipality of Rhineland.

What is the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot?

In short, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is a community-driven government program. This program will help rural Canadian areas attract foreign workers. These areas need more workers in order to meet economic development and labour market needs. You can find more information on the pilot program by clicking here.

What can you expect from each community?

According to the government of Canada, the communities will:

• promote the pilot and their community to possible candidates
• identify job opportunities in the local economy and work to match applicants to jobs
• assess possible candidates who:
  • best fit the economic needs of the community
  • have a genuine employment opportunity
  • have the intention of staying in the community
• recommend candidates for permanent residence to IRCC for a final decision
• provide a welcoming community for immigrants
• connect immigrants to official members of the community and settlement services
• report on the results of the pilot

Now, let’s explore the Altona/Rhineland community.

Location

The region of Altona/Rhineland is located near the United States border which provides a gateway for domestic shipment of specialty goods and international export. It’s located 100 km south-west of Winnipeg and 133 km north of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The population of Altona is 4,167 (2016).

Rhineland was originally a rural municipality. It underwent a mandatory provincial amalgamation with the municipalities of Gretna and Plum Coulee in 2015 to form the new Municipality of Rhineland. The municipality surrounds Altona and is considered one region. The new region is sometimes referred to as the RPGA (Rhineland, Plum Coulee, Gretna, Altona) region. Lush farmland, prairies and the sweet smell of fresh country air surround the region.

Work

Altona/Rhineland’s well-educated, industrious workforce has helped build a growing and diverse industrial sector. The Altona Community Development Corporation is continuing to work on its Business Retention & Expansion Program. This program is a community based economic development strategy that aims to improve and expand existing businesses in the area. A structured business survey is the first step of this operation in order to identify issues, concerns and potential opportunities.  Taking appropriate actions is the next step in the program.

The program focuses mainly on competitive businesses in the region because sustainability is derived from the longevity of these businesses. The longer these businesses stay in Manitoba, the more opportunity they have to expand.

The following is a list of the short and long term goals of the Business Retention and Expansion program:

Short Term Objectives

• Build relationships with existing businesses
• Demonstrate and provide community support for local business
• Address urgent business concerns and issues
• Improve communication between the community and local businesses
• Retention of business and jobs where there is a risk of closure

Long-term Objectives

• Increase the competitiveness of local businesses
• Job creation and new business development
• Establish and implement strategic actions for local development
• Strong viable local economy

Education

The Town of Altona and the Municipality of Rhineland offer a wide variety of educational programs, institutions and services.

The Kiddie Sunshine Centre is a not-for-profit organization that is licensed by the government and regulated. It helps children grow in independence, develop creative skills and provide a variety of activities that stimulate each child’s interests.

Comprehensive education from kindergarten to grade 12 is available in Altona’s four schools:

• École Elmwood School
• W.C. Miller Collegiate
• École West Park School
• École  Parkside School

These schools are all within the Border Land School Division. Altona schools offer up-to-date teaching methods with state-of-the-art technology.

Post-secondary institutions include Red River College, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Winnipeg. These institutions provide post-secondary courses to students while allowing them to remain in their home communities. Distance education allows students the flexibility and opportunity to complete post-secondary courses on their terms.

Health care

The region provides a full range of medical services and programs. Along with a number of medical doctors, the community also provides public health services for immunizations, support for families with newborns, prevention and promotional health advice, as well as family counselling. For alternative health care, Altona and Rhineland offer numerous massage therapists, homeopathic consultants, and extensive chiropractic services.

Altona boasts three experienced dentists who offer the best in modern dental treatment. A denture clinic is also available.

Immigration

Altona is a small town with a big heart. It’s a small, safe and clean community that welcomes newcomers. In fact, its history is rooted in welcoming newcomers. The local economy and the region’s available resources provide many opportunities for newcomers to start and expand their businesses.

Altona and its surrounding municipalities offer many programs, services and information meant to help newcomers settle. You can find a list of available programs and organizations designed to help newcomers settle in the Town of Altona and the Municipality of Rhineland by clicking here.

Development

Supporting Entrepreneurs through Economic Development (SEED) strives to stimulate business growth in the RPGA region. SEED does this by identifying new business opportunities and supporting entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.

The region of Altona/Rhineland is abundant in natural resources. Many local businesses are shaping the future of the region through innovation, productivity and entrepreneurial spirit.

Because of the region’s abundant natural resources, there’s been a significant increase in the number of newcomers. The increase has created a flux in the affordable housing market. As a result, many new developers have been creating affordable housing in the form of townhouses, bungalows and more.

The advantages of small-town life and fresh country air makes this region a great place to live, work, invest and visit. With low costs for land, hydroelectric power and some of the most affordable housing in Manitoba,  your dollar goes far in the Town of Altona and Municipality of Rhineland.

Additionally, because the region is located near the United States border, it acts as a gateway for domestic shipment of specialty goods and international export.

Fun facts!

• Night of Lights Tree Lighting celebration takes place on the last Friday in November. It marks the beginning of the Christmas season. People gather at the Altona Civic Centre for carolling around a roaring bonfire while roasting hot dogs. The town’s Christmas lights and tree are then lit. After that, hot chocolate and cookies are served at the Altona Mall.

• The Red River Valley’s climate allows Manitoba to be Canada’s largest producer of sunflowers. Altona’s signature annual event is the Manitoba Sunflower Festival. This has been entertaining residents and visitors alike since 1964.

• Altona, Manitoba has the largest replica of Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. It’s over 70 feet high and was named “The largest painting on an easel” by The Guinness Book of World Records in 1998.

• Altona’s Gallery in the Park is a heritage home turned art gallery and sculpture garden. It features the work of both local, national and international artists. There are also many permanent outdoor sculptures located at the Gallery. The gallery is free for visitors.

Doha Hanno Publicist, Parsai Immigration Services

If you wish to visit or move to Canada, please fill out our free assessment form. We will review the form for free, but we will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free, but you will receive formal advice from a licensed practitioner. Disclaimer: This article provides information of a general nature only. It may no longer be current. It does not give legal advice. Do not rely on it as legal advice or immigration advice. We cannot be held responsible for the content of these articles. If you have specific legal questions, you must consult a lawyer. If you are looking for immigration advice, book an appointment. All the characters in the articles are fictional, unless otherwise clearly stated. Any resemblance in names, dates, and places (whether individuals, organizations, regions, or countries) is coincidental.