Sault Ste. Marie: 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 fourth community we’ll be looking at is Sault Ste. Marie, also known as the Soo.
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 Sault Ste. Marie or “the Soo.”
Location
Sault Ste. Marie is a city in Ontario, Canada. It’s on the St. Marys River, north of the U.S. border, near three of the Great Lakes. It’s known for the 19th-century Sault Ste. Marie Canal, lined with red sandstone buildings. Sault Ste. Marie is also a U.S./Canada border crossing. Sault Ste. Marie, Canada is connected to its sister city, Sault Ste. Marie, the U.S. by the International Bridge. The bridge span crosses the St. Marys River, which runs between the two countries. The city’s convenient location makes for a more direct connection with an international marketplace.
The Sault area has a population of 126,000. An additional 60 million consumers reside within 500 miles of the city.
Work
Sault Ste. Marie has a workforce that is highly skilled, dedicated, cooperative and loyal. This workforce can meet or exceed the needs of business and industry sectors.
The local economy has partly recovered from a recession that began in 2008. However, the total employment rate remains below 2008 levels. About 24.5% of employment is part-time, an increase from 18.5% in 2009.
The Sault Ste. Marie Human Resources Department is responsible for the following administration:
- employee services
- labour relations
- legislative administration and compliance
- health and safety
- Job posting process
There are many options for those looking to work in Sault Ste. Marie as a physician. There are also summer employment opportunities for students.
You can find a list of the city’s current job openings and postings here.
Education
Sault Ste. Marie offers post-secondary education at both the college and university levels. Both local institutions, Algoma University and Sault College, have recently undergone major building expansions. This means more growth for this sector.
Sault Ste. Marie also has many elementary schools, junior high and high schools available with the Algoma District School Board.
Health care
In Canada, universal health-care coverage is provided for all medically-necessary hospital/physician services. The coverage is without co-payments. In other words, a trip to the hospital will cost you nothing.
With the $400-million Sault Area Hospital (SAH), the level/quality of health care in Sault Ste. Marie is among the best in all of Canada.
SAH provides medical services to residents in Sault Ste. Marie and the District of Algoma. SAH is made up of a team of over 1700 dedicated staff, 365 physicians and 535 volunteers. The hospital serves a population of approximately 115,000 people.
SAH provides the following services:
- emergency and critical care
- medicine
- surgery
- obstetrics
- maternity and pediatrics
- mental health and addictions
- complex continuing care
- rehabilitation
SAH is home to the Algoma Regional Renal Program and the Algoma District Cancer Program. This includes radiation therapy services.
The Algoma Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, located at Sault College, can take on 3,200 patients. Also, the Group Health Centre (GHC) serves over 60,000 Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District residents. GHC is Ontario’s largest and longest established alternatively funded health-care organization.
Immigration
Sault Ste. Marie is a diverse city, welcoming a variety of people from all over the world. There are many settlement services and programs available for newcomers.
You can visit the following websites to find out more about these programs/services:
Development
The Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation (SSMEDC) was established in 1986. SSMEDC is an independent, not-for-profit agency. It is the lead organization for Sault Ste. Marie’s economic development.
There are two operating divisions within SSMEDC with unique functions:
- Business Sault Ste. Marie
This division supports existing businesses. It also attracts external businesses to create jobs and increase the municipal tax base. This division promotes the city’s strategic advantages to businesses around the world. The team also focuses on small and youth business support. This includes helping local firms access funding programs. - Tourism Sault Ste. Marie
This division develops tourism-related products and delivers annual marketing activities. These products and activities are designed to promote Sault Ste. Marie as a four-season tourist destination. Tourism increases visitation levels to the city through the promotion of vacation packages. The division supports events that provide significant economic impacts on the community. The division also plays a role in tourism and recreational infrastructure development.
Fun facts!
The following fun facts and links are according to Next Apartment. This website explores the communities of Aurora and Sault Ste. Marie.
- Sault Ste. Marie is home to the first-ever federally approved insectarium. Entomica is the place to get a hands-on understanding of the insect world.
- Ernest Hemingway used to fish in the Rapids of Sault Ste. Marie. He was quoted as saying the trout fishing was best in the St. Marys Rapids of the Canadian Soo. All along the St. Marys Rapids and under the International Bridge, you’ll find trout and Atlantic salmon.
- Wayne Gretzky played for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds hockey team when he was 16 years old. The team won the Memorial Cup in 1985 along with many other great victories. See all the great hockey history at the Sault Ste. Marie Hockey Hall of Fame.
- Sault Ste. Marie’s Dr. Roberta Bondar was the first Canadian woman in space. She orbited the earth for eight days aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Discovery in 1992. You can visit the Roberta Bondar Park and Tent Pavilion, a beautiful space dedicated to the first female astronaut.
- Queen Elizabeth II visited Sault Ste. Marie for the first time on July 8th, 1959. She arrived on the Royal Yacht Britannia on the St. Marys River.
- Did you know you can scuba dive in the Soo? Sault Scuba Centre Ltd. is the place to learn. The St. Marys River offers plenty of exploration sites. Other Soo extreme sports include rock climbing, Motocross, and Mountain Biking.
- Crystal Shawanda, a Juno award-winning country singer, grew up in the Soo. See all the best concerts at the GFL Memorial Gardens.
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. We will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free. However, 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.
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