Oxford Frozen Foods, a blueberry processor in Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, is bringing nine new families to the area through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP) program.
Designated employers can hire skilled workers and international graduates through the AIP, which has been helping employers with the labour shortage in the Atlantic provinces. Newcomers will be granted permanent residency when they arrive in January and will stay in company-owned homes for the first six months. Oxford Foods is also working to place the families’ children at the local education centre.
Oxford values immigration and the benefits it brings to both immigrants and local communities. The company has used the Temporary Foreign Workers program before to bring newcomers. In addition, Oxford has been helping local first-time homeowners with 10-year interest-free loans of up to $20,000 dollars. Over 60 people have used the program, including two local Syrian families.