Welcome to Winkler! : rural immigration initiatives in Canada's western provinces

Through information available on the internet and interviews with program officials, 15 rural immigration initiatives and four provincial nominee programs in Canada's Western provinces were investigated to determine which factors contribute to successful attraction, integration, and retention of immigrants to rural areas. Initiatives targeted economic immigrants, and were provincially and/or municipally driven in order to accurately reflect specific gaps in the labour market. The receiving municipality must have the economic and social capacity for the immigrant, which includes the financial and political resources to provide settlement assistance, support of all community institutions, and a welcoming attitude shown towards immigrants. Targeting immigrants belonging to already-existing ethnic groups within the community minimizes the costs of formal settlement assistance while increasing the likelihood of the immigrants' social and political integration. The provincial nominee program is one such initiative incorporating all of these ingredients, and has gained greater use by the provinces and communities over time.