We recently wrote about the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, an exciting new federal immigration program aimed at attracting new immigrants to rural and northern communities in Canada. This five-year initiative will help match employers who are experiencing an acute labour shortage with skilled foreign workers. One of the 11 communities that has been chosen is Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. 

Here are 4 things to know about living in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: 

1) Location: Sault Ste. Marie is located at the centre of 2 Great Lakes (Lake Superior and Lake Huron). Sault Ste. Marie sits at the border of Canada and the United States and is just a ten-minute drive over the International Bridge from Michigan. With direct access to the trans-Canada highway you can travel anywhere from Sault Ste. Marie. 

2) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: Due to a high rate of retirement and recent economic development, there are significant job opportunities in a number of industries. There is high job demand in fields such as skilled trades, Information Technology (IT), forestry, aviation, healthcare, finances and accounting, social services, engineering and more.

3) Affordability: In Sault Ste. Marie is an affordable place to live, for example the average cost of a three-bedroom detached home is under the $200,000, whereas in Toronto the cost would be over $900,000.

4) Education:  With three school boards, two post-secondary institutions and a variety of adult learning facilities in Sault Ste. Marie, you are able to access quality education at every level. Sault Ste. Marie is home to Algoma University where students enjoy small class sizes. Sault College also in Sault Ste. Marie is ranked first in Ontario by employers for the overall quality of their graduates.

Opening

Sault Ste. Marie has started to accept applications for this program, find out more information here