‘Improve access to primary care’: MPP Clark clarifies intention of Leeds and Grenville’s immigration pilot program

MPP Steve Clark is setting the record straight on the recently announced immigration pilot program, emphasizing it’s about bringing skilled healthcare professionals to Leeds and Grenville—not job seekers.

As previously reported by Brockvilleist, MPP Steve Clark made a big announcement at the annual Leeds Grenville Economic Development Summit in North Grenville on Nov. 22 regarding Leeds and Grenville being selected by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development to participate in the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program’s (OINP) Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot.

According to the news release, “Communities selected for REDI have demonstrated that they have skilled labour needs that cannot be met locally. The pilot aims to help attract and retain foreign workers that have the skills and experience needed to fill these labour shortages and support economic growth by providing them with a pathway to Permanent Residence in Ontario.”

The program will take effect in early 2025 and run for one year. There will be up to 200 nominations through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) available to Leeds and Grenville. While Clark is evidently excited about this opportunity, this announcement has prompted some unrest and frustration being expressed online among some members of the community, citing the ongoing labour shortages and high unemployment rates. A social media post on a local public forum garnered 150+ comments articulating multiple different perspectives and indicating a general confusion of what this actually means.

Brockvilleist reached out to MPP Steve Clark to provide further clarification on what this program actually means and how it may benefit the community.

​​”I want to be clear: the REDI program isn’t bringing people to Leeds Grenville to look for work,” Clark said. “REDI will target healthcare professionals who want to come to our region with a specific job offer.”

Clark continued, “The need for new doctors and nurse practitioners is something people talk to me about every day. REDI provides the pathway for them to come here, raise a family, put down roots in our community and, most importantly, provide quality healthcare.”

“Our government has spent millions of dollars on tuition enhancements for Ontario students who want to be PSWs, nurses, and doctors. But we are still in need of more. That’s why I worked hard for the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville to be selected as one of four areas in Ontario to pilot the REDI program.”

Clark sees this as an opportunity for government officials to act immediately to significantly increase the number of physicians, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and PSWs in the local community. “It will improve access to primary care, help hospitals deal with staffing shortages so they can be less reliant upon expensive agency nursing, while also providing staff to care for seniors in the number of long-term care homes that are expanding in our region.”