Timmins: Communities in Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot

Parsai Immigration Services is providing an overview of 11 Canadian communities. These communities are listed under Canada’s Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot. The third community we’ll be looking at is Timmins, Ontario.

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 Timmins.

Location

Timmins is located North of Sudbury on the Mattagami River. The city is the fourth-largest city in the Northeastern Ontario region. Timmins has a population of 41,788.

Work

The city’s economy is based on natural resource extraction and industries such as lumbering and the mining of gold, zinc, copper, nickel and silver. In fact, the city was settled after the discovery of gold in 1905. Mining began in 1907 and by the 1909 Gold Rush, there were enough people settled to establish the region’s main centre. The city was founded in 1911 by a man named Noah Timmins as a residential community. Residents worked nearby at one of the world’s largest gold mines, the Hollinger gold mine.

According to the Timmins Economic Development Corporation, mining and resource-based industries are still at the heart of the city’s economy. The local labour force reflects the high demand for skills in this sector. In 2017, mining sector jobs comprised 14.5% of total employment in Timmins. Employers draw skilled labour from both the city itself and the surrounding area. This region has the youngest labour force. It also has the highest employment participation rate of the five major Northern Ontario cities.  Nearly half of this labour force is bilingual.

As mentioned, natural resources such as mining, paper and lumber are still at the heart of the economy. However, Timmins has diversified to include other growing sectors such as health, government services, education and retail.

Education

The City of Timmins has four school boards that offer English, French and French immersion education.  Two community colleges (one French and one English) and a French university are located in the city as well.  Partnerships with larger universities offer the unique ability to earn a degree while attending a local community college.  There are adult education centres for those looking to return to school. There are also distance education programs for those who prefer to learn from home.

Health care

As a regional health centre, the Timmins and District Hospital offers a comprehensive list of medical services and clinics.  According to the Timmins Economic Development Corporation, the medical community includes specialists from almost every field. Timmins’s medical community also includes technology to link (via telemedicine) to a network of medical practitioners/specialists throughout Canada.

The Timmins and District Hospital (T&DH) is a level C, fully accredited referral and teaching hospital.  T&DH is dedicated to providing health care services. The hospital offers a full range of medical, surgical, critical care, maternity, newborn, pediatric, long-term care and mental health services. In addition, T&DH offers extensive health education.  The hospital is a leader in state-of-the-art telecommunications. T&DH houses diagnostic equipment connecting physicians and staff to medical practitioners and specialists throughout Canada.

Immigration

Timmins, also known as the “City with a Heart of Gold,” celebrates diversity. The city embraces thousands of newcomers each year to work, live, learn or visit.

The New to Timmins Guide is a resource guide that covers the following:

• Health Care Services
• Community Groups and Services
• Financial Services
• Education
• Faith and Worship
• Sports and Recreation
• Arts and Culture
• Transportation Services
• Hotels and Other Accommodations
• Local Media
• Dining and Entertainment
• Real Estate Services  

The content provided in this guide is for informational purposes only and is not meant to be authoritative. You can download the guide by clicking here.

Development

A recent labour report shows that Timmins has put many expansion efforts on hold because they can’t attract/retain enough employees to staff the projects. Simply walking through the city’s financial/business districts and taking a look online shows a lot of open positions. You can view these job postings by clicking here.

Fun facts!

• In 1952, broadcast pioneer J. Conrad Lavigne launched CFCL, the first French-language radio station in Ontario.
•  Naoshima, Kagawa in Japan is a sister city to Timmins.
• Timmins is a great city to capture an image of the northern lights.

Doha Hanno
Publicist, Parsai Immigration Services

If you wish to visit or move to Canada, please fill out our free assessment form. After you fill out the form, we will review it for free, but will only contact if we find you an opportunity. 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.