Reimagining Immigration: Huron County Businesses Depend on It

The Huron Chamber of Commerce is proud to be a signatory to Reimagining Immigration and to represent rural southwest Ontario on the national advisory committee for this important initiative. Alongside chambers of commerce, industry associations, and stakeholders across Canada, we are advancing solutions that will strengthen our immigration system, support Canadian employers, and provide meaningful protections and opportunities for foreign workers.

This initiative proposes the creation of the Canadian International Workforce Program (CIWP), a new immigration stream designed to address the persistent and structural gaps in Canada’s labour force. The program recognizes that more than one-third of all jobs in the Canadian economy are classified as low-skilled or labour positions, and that these jobs are increasingly difficult to fill due to demographic realities.

“Our employers across Huron County are telling us, clearly and consistently, that immigration workers are essential to their businesses,” said Colin Carmichael, Executive Director of the Huron Chamber of Commerce. “We cannot sustain our local economy without them.”

Why Immigration Matters in Huron County

Huron County has one of the lowest and most persistently low unemployment rates in Ontario. For local employers, this is both a sign of economic strength and a pressing challenge. With so few workers available locally, businesses across every sector—manufacturing, agriculture, health care, hospitality, retail, and construction—struggle to recruit and retain the staff they need.

In practice, this means restaurants shorten their hours, manufacturers delay orders, and hospitals and care facilities remain short-staffed. These gaps hurt not only businesses but also residents who depend on essential services. Immigration workers are not a “nice to have” in Huron County; they are the difference between businesses staying open or closing their doors.

This reality is compounded by national demographic trends. Canada’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.26, far below the replacement level of 2.1. By 2030, nearly one in four Canadians will be seniors. With more people retiring than entering the workforce, immigration has become the only source of labour market growth for the past two decades. Canada currently faces more than half a million job vacancies nationwide.

But here’s the key point: those numbers understate the challenge in Huron County. We do not have a surplus of young workers locked out of the labour market. Quite the opposite—we do not have enough young people to fill the jobs that exist today, let alone those that will open as our population continues to age. That is why immigration workers are essential here in a way that is even more pronounced than in many other regions of the country.

For too long, employers requiring year-round lower-skilled workers have relied on patchwork solutions through the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. While it has provided short-term relief, it was never designed to fill permanent vacancies. The data tells the story: 90 percent of advertised jobs in Canada are for year-round positions, and nearly half of all TFWs in non-agricultural streams eventually become permanent residents.

The Canadian International Workforce Program (CIWP) proposes a more sustainable approach with two distinct streams:

• Stream 1: Seasonal and Temporary Jobs – For workers who come to Canada temporarily to fill low-skilled jobs tied to seasonal cycles, such as agriculture. These workers would return home when the season ends.

• Stream 2: Year-Round Jobs – For jobs that are consistently vacant year after year and known to be unattractive to Canadian or permanent resident workers. This stream would integrate pathways to permanent residence for foreign workers, recognizing the ongoing need for these positions.

By providing certainty for employers and clear protections and pathways for workers, CIWP aims to replace the inadequate stopgaps of the past with a fair, demand-driven system. The proposal also calls for longer LMIA work permits (up to five years), bilateral agreements with source countries, and a points-based pathway to permanent residency for year-round workers, especially those in rural and remote communities.

A Divided Nation on Immigration

A recent Abacus Data poll shows how politically charged this issue has become. According to the survey, 44 percent of Canadians support eliminating the Temporary Foreign Worker Program altogether, while only 30 percent oppose that idea and 18 percent remain undecided. Support for scrapping the program is highest among younger Canadians and in the Prairies, while older Canadians and Quebec residents lean against elimination.

These findings reflect real public concern—but they do not reflect Huron County’s reality. For some Canadians, the TFWP may symbolize an economy that is unfair or tilted against them. In Huron County, the situation is reversed. We don’t have enough workers to fill local jobs, and there is no hidden pool of unemployed youth waiting for opportunities. Eliminating the TFWP or failing to replace it with a program like CIWP would leave gaping holes in our economy.

This is why the national debate must recognize regional differences. What may feel like an abstract political argument elsewhere is a matter of survival for businesses and services in Huron County.

What Local Employers Are Saying

“We initially turned to Temporary Foreign Workers after lengthy, significant challenges in finding enough Canadian employees to meet our manufacturing and installation demands. Although there was some initial hesitation about their integration into the workplace and community, those concerns quickly faded. From day one, the Temporary Foreign Workers brought valuable experience, a strong work ethic, and infectious enthusiasm to our operations. We need the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, as it adds stability & reliability to our manufacturing and construction workforce. Elimination and/or scaling back of the TFW program will have a significant negative impact to our operations.”

“The elimination of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program would be a devastating blow to our local business, stripping us of the skilled and reliable workforce we depend on to operate efficiently. Without access to these essential workers, we face reduced productivity, increased costs, and the very real risk of having to scale back or shut down operations—hurting not just our business, but the broader community we support.”

Strengthening Protections for Workers

A central principle of the CIWP is protecting the rights and well-being of foreign workers. Too often, critics of immigration point to stories of exploitation as a reason to scale back programs. In fact, a reimagined system would do the opposite: it would strengthen safeguards, including stricter regulation of unscrupulous immigration consultants, a robust Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process to ensure legitimate job postings, enhanced inspections of employers, and fulsome pre-departure information for workers.

The proposal also emphasizes faster processing times as a core protection. Employers and workers are currently waiting up to nine months for approvals, delaying operations and leaving workers vulnerable. Reducing these bottlenecks is essential to building confidence in the system.

Workers would also benefit from certainty in pathways to permanent residency, giving them confidence that their contributions to the Canadian economy can translate into long-term opportunity. For employers, this stability reduces turnover and allows for stronger workforce planning.

Addressing Misconceptions

Public conversations about immigration are often clouded by myths and misconceptions. The Chamber is committed to sharing the facts:

• Myth: Foreign workers take jobs from Canadians.
  Every TFW position must pass a rigorous LMIA process proving that no Canadian or permanent resident is available. Employers consistently report that these jobs go unfilled year after year.

• Myth: Immigration drives housing shortages.
  Canada’s housing challenges stem from regulatory delays, construction costs, and lack of serviced land—not from immigrants. Temporary Foreign Workers represent fewer than one percent of Canada’s total labour force, with approximately 190,000 permits issued in 2024.

• Myth: Employers should just raise wages.
  Wages have increased significantly across sectors in recent years, but higher pay cannot fix structural issues like geographic mismatch, demographic decline, or the lack of interest among highly educated Canadian youth in lower-skilled jobs.

By engaging proactively with these realities, we can preempt unfounded criticism and reinforce the truth: immigration is not the problem—it is part of the solution.

The Huron Chamber of Commerce has been a strong advocate for smart, responsive immigration policy. Earlier this year, we wrote to the Government of Ontario urging an expansion and extension of the Rural Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) program. That call was driven by the same reality our members continue to face: without access to immigration workers, Huron County businesses will not have the people they need to operate.

Our participation in the national Reimagining Immigration initiative builds on this advocacy, ensuring that Huron County’s unique perspective is included in conversations that will shape national policy. Importantly, the proposal also warns that recent cuts to temporary immigration quotas could worsen labour shortages and even push some employers out of business.

The Canadian International Workforce Program is not just a national policy idea—it is a lifeline for Huron County. Workforce shortages are already constraining local businesses, and without a long-term solution, the prosperity of our towns and villages is at risk. A fair and sustainable immigration system will allow employers to plan, services to remain accessible, and communities to grow stronger.

The Huron Chamber of Commerce will continue working with partners across the country to make this vision a reality. Immigration is essential today, not tomorrow. For Huron County, it is the foundation of our economic future.

The Huron Chamber of Commerce is one of Canada’s fastest growing Chambers, connecting community leaders since 1990. Representing businesses across eight Huron County municipalities, the Chamber focuses on growing the local economy, supporting business success, and strengthening our towns and villages. As an independent, non-profit organization, the Chamber advocates for business and community interests, facilitates collaboration, and convenes stakeholders to develop and support a vibrant and thriving county.