Sioux Lookout employers will hear Wednesday how Ontario’s REDI immigration initiative may help recruit and retain skilled workers

The Kenora and Rainy River districts are among Northwestern Ontario areas selected for Ontario’s 2026-27 REDI initiative

SIOUX LOOKOUT — Employers from across the Kenora and Rainy River districts will receive a detailed briefing Wednesday on a new provincial immigration initiative intended to help communities recruit and retain skilled workers.

The Municipality of Sioux Lookout is hosting an in-person session from 9 to 11 a.m. on Nov. 4 covering Ontario and federal immigration pathways for employers. Presenters from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program are scheduled to explain eligibility and employer services.

The session follows the selection of the Kenora and Rainy River districts for Ontario’s Regional Economic Development through Immigration initiative for 2026-27. Thunder Bay district is also participating, giving the program a broad Northwestern Ontario footprint.

REDI links participating communities with the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program. The province says selected regions receive dedicated support and employer information services intended to connect businesses with skilled foreign workers and provide eligible workers with a route toward permanent residence.

Confederation College led the successful regional application with municipalities, economic development organizations, employers, Indigenous communities, educational institutions, health organizations and workforce partners, according to Sioux Lookout’s announcement.

Mayor Doug Lawrance said the local objective includes retaining people already working in Sioux Lookout who face difficulty securing permanent residence. That distinction matters in a region where employers can spend heavily to recruit workers only to lose them when immigration status or career pathways remain uncertain.

The initiative does not remove federal or provincial eligibility requirements, guarantee a nomination, or guarantee permanent residence. Employers and workers will still have to qualify under the applicable stream and complete the required processes.

The province has not published a community-by-community nomination allocation on its public REDI page. Employers attending Wednesday’s session should seek clarity on eligible occupations, documentation, timelines, worker protections and how nominations will be prioritized across the large participating census divisions.