Council receives response from province on Temporary Foreign Worker Program support

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — City of Fort St. John Council has received a response to the city’s correspondence requesting that the province opt in to the Temporary Foreign Worker program’s temporary measures. 

At the May 25th Fort St. John city council meeting, staff shared a letter from the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, which was dated May 14th. 

On April 20th, Fort St. John’s mayor, Lilia Hansen, penned a letter asking the province to opt into the temporary measures of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program, which the Government of Canada announced on March 13th. 

Hansen said members of the Fort St. John business community have expressed that labour shortages have affected their ability to operate, grow and provide essential services to the community. 

Hansen said in her letter: “We recognize the importance of balancing labour market needs with broader provincial priorities, and we encourage continued collaboration with local governments and industry partners to address regional workforce challenges.”

In response, the B.C. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Jessie Sunner, said she empathized with the businesses, employees and residents of the Fort St. John community and the stress the imminent expiry of employees’ work permits has caused.  

“I also acknowledge the unique difficulties that small and medium-sized businesses in rural communities face,” the letter reads. 

Sunner added the province has opted into the targeted variance, which allows rural employers to retain their existing proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers beyond the current 10 per cent cap for an additional year, if all other program requirements are met. 

“This measure is intended to provide short-term stability for rural employers and workers while longer-term solutions are pursued,” she said. 

Sunner said her ministry’s priority remains to connect people in B.C., particularly young people, with available job opportunities in addition to investments in skill development and training.

She added that the government continues to invest in workforce solutions that will support both employers and workers in the long term, including employment and training programs. 

“My ministry is committed to understanding the perspective of rural communities and will continue to work with the federal government to develop long-term solutions focused on reducing youth unemployment and strengthening skills development for people living in B.C.,” she noted. 

To read the letter, see below.