WELCOME HOME: Let These Organizations Help You Make The Move To Atlantic Canada
Moving across the country is nothing short of daunting. But if you move to the Atlantic Region, you’ll find plenty of great organizations ready to help you find work and settle down here.
No matter where you’re moving in Atlantic Canada, if you need help finding a home, finding a job, or finding office space, there are services, initiatives, and programs at your disposal. Many of them are economic development organizations because they know settling down here involves everything from finding a house, a job, or a good school for your kids.
In New Brunswick, for example, there are plenty of resources in each of the major cities. The Saint John Chamber of Commerce launched a remote worker subsidy program earlier this year and Opportunities New Brunswick works with economic development partners across the province to entice remote workers to move to the region.
One of those partners is 3+ Economic Development Corporation, based in Moncton. Their centre includes many programs meant to welcome international immigrants to the country as well as domestic newcomers to the region.
3+ works primarily with folks moving to New Brunswick that are starting a business or are relocating for work. They offer many options for those individuals ready to set themselves up in the region.
“We have a regional onboarding coordinator. What that person does is assist the families that are looking at housing, schools, daycare, transportation,” said Susy Campos, CEO of 3+. “Maybe one of the spouses works for the company [relocating to the region], but the other one needs to find a job here. Then that onboarding coordinator provides a connection to potential jobs available here, working together with WorkingNB.”
3+’s focus on economic development also includes programs that provide new residents with information on living in Moncton and the region at large.
Programs and initiatives like this exist across the region. Across the border in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Halifax Partnership is an economic development organization focused on bringing business and talent to the region.
Robyn Webb is the Director of Labour Market Development and the Executive Director of the National Connector Program with the Halifax Partnership. Some programs for new people moving to the region include the Connector program that helps people find jobs in their field.
The program is intended to connect the worker to their field by providing three referrals to businesses in the region. From there, each of those connections provides an additional three referrals, so eventually, the jobseeker has 13 connections added to their network.
“In the past year, we’ve worked with 400 participants, which includes newcomers and recent grads,” said Webb. “161 of those folks found jobs in their field.”
The Connector program has also branched out to new markets and has been adopted in other areas of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island.
Webb also says the team at the Halifax Partnership works with remote workers and works with Discover Halifax on marketing campaigns like the Never Have I Ever series to highlight new activities to do across Halifax.
Other initiatives include working with the federal government on the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, and partnerships with other organizations like Fusion Halifax that provides a place for young professionals to network.
“We want them to feel a part of the city and make them feel connected, that this is their home,” said Webb.
Across the Atlantic region, there are plenty of partners to help anyone moving to Atlantic Canada feel at home. If you’re unsure where to start, the economic development agencies in your chosen area are eager to welcome you to help their communities grow.
As Proud Atlantic Canadians we want to say “Welcome Home” to all new arrivals.
— KENT, Your Atlantic Canadian Home Improvement Store