SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
“The pilot is designed to support economic development within our community and strengthen our businesses’ capacity to develop and retain a skilled workforce." – Stephanie Harris, economic development officer with SEED
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
by the WSEDC office. Successful applicants receive a community endorsement letter and are recommended to the MPNP for consideration of a formal invitation to apply for immigration. When newcomers arrive, the local regional connections office provides them with a significant range of services, from helping them complete provincial paperwork to offering English courses to helping build resumés and connecting them to property management companies to assist in their
search for housing. The community also hosts a Newcomer Welcome Evening once a month. “The City of Winkler and the RM of Stanley have experienced tremendous success through immigration going back a number of years,” Sawatzky says. “One of the reasons our region has grown and has been as successful as it has been, in part, is due to immigration. Newcomers have been an important cultural and economic addition to our community.” ■
35 WINTER 2023
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