½ of newcomers that came to Huron County from 2011 – 2016, left the area within five years of arriving. That’s according to a presentation that Huron County Economic Development’s Local Immigration Partnership brought to South Huron Council at a council meeting on May 15th.
Immigration Partnership manager Mark Nonkes indicated that here in South Huron, our retention statistics are worse than the county average,
According to a 2021 census, there are 775 total immigrants residing in South Huron (not including migrant workers) – a decline since 2016, which saw 850.
Nonkes said that when we’re considering how to welcome newcomers, it’s not as simple as only securing housing and jobs,
Additional things that Nonkes says the community should consider include removing barriers for access, promoting cultural diversity and providing a sense of belonging, and providing interpretation services and language classes.
The immigration partnership is looking to take a more active role in the community, and is seeking various agencies, community partners, and volunteers to help offer programming to newcomers. One program that is currently being offered is conversation circles at the library to help people practice their English.
An additional factor to consider that Nonkes pointed out is that rural living isn’t for everyone. Many people are coming from large cities in foreign countries, and rural relocation can be difficult.
Mayor George Finch shared his own experience working with a recent immigrant to the community,
For more information about what the local immigration partnership is doing to help newcomers to the community, you can head over to their website – huroncounty.ca/economic-development/our-services/immigration-partnership
Written by: B. Shakyaver
