Immigration agents to help drive rural population growth
Creating jobs for Islanders -
Aman Sedighi says there are abundant opportunities for immigrant entrepreneurs in rural Prince Edward Island – a fact the provincial government wants to tell more people about.
Sedighi runs A-OK Gardens in Brookfield – a 15-acre organic farm – and emigrated with his family from Iran in 2010. Government has recently approved twelve immigration agents, which are businesses that assist immigrants who want to move to the Island. The agents will share success stories like Sedighi’s and encourage immigrants to start businesses and settle in rural parts of the province.
“Before moving to Prince Edward Island my family endured a devastating earthquake where we lost a number of relatives and our family business,” said Mr. Sedighi, whose career in Iran included working for its department of agriculture as a researcher. “We re-built that business and eventually had the means to make the move to Prince Edward Island. Now we run an organic farm in Brookfield and we couldn’t be happier.”
A key part of the province’s Population Action Plan is to showcase the opportunities and benefits of rural Prince Edward Island when recruiting new residents. The 12 immigration agents will help identify potential newcomers and explore living and business opportunities for them.
“We will partner with what we’re calling ‘endorsing communities’ – which are jurisdictions outside of Charlottetown, Cornwall and Stratford – that can endorse an immigrant applying to come to the Island and improve the likelihood of a successful application,” Economic Development and Tourism Minister Heath MacDonald said. “As a small province, one of our advantages is that our population is interconnected and we look out for each other. We are confident that these immigration agents, together with our endorsing communities, will help make our new Islanders feel welcome in the rural areas of our province.”
“We are pleased to work with the provincial government to encourage population growth including immigration in rural parts of the province,” North Rustico Mayor Anne Kirk said. “We see great potential for our community to benefit from the new businesses, new ideas, and new cultures coming to Prince Edward Island and we look forward to welcoming immigrants to our region.”
Sedighi credits much of his business success to the people that supported his vision, such as fellow farmer and neighbour Eddy Dykerman of Brookfield Gardens. Working together with communities is part of government’s commitment to growing the Island’s population and increasing prosperity across the province.
“A significant portion of our most critical labour gaps exist in rural Prince Edward Island, so putting a sharp focus on the opportunities in rural communities will attract new immigrants to live and work outside of our major centres,” said Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Sonny Gallant. “Effectively promoting rural PEI as a place to do business is an important step in government’s action plan to continue the province’s population growth.”
“This is a win for communities across our province. With more people moving to rural PEI come new initiatives, opportunity and a culture of inclusiveness.” Rural and Regional Development Minister Pat Murphy said. “Immigration agents are welcomed and needed support for immigrants to live and launch their careers in rural communities.”
Media contact:
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
Backgrounder
Here are the 12 immigration agents:
- 10347345 Canada Inc. (Doing business as Abegweit Immigration),
- Aim 4 Inc.,
- Bether Capital PEI Inc.,
- Can-nection Immigrant Business Investments Ltd.,
- Confederation Capital PEI Ltd,
- Cox & Palmer,
- KC Immigration Services Inc.,
- Launching Point Immigration Services Inc.,
- Mazu Consortium Ltd.,
- New Island Opportunities Inc.,
- 7817436 Canada Inc. (Doing business as Sunrise Immigration and Investment)
- Western Immigration Opportunities Inc.