VAUGHAN, ONT.—The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) has submitted a pre-budget brief to the federal government calling for more workers with skilled trades backgrounds to be allowed to immigrate to Canada.
Two other issues highlighted were the need to accelerate the harmonization of building codes and renew funding for municipal infrastructure projects, stated a Feb. 23 release.
RESCON is calling on the federal government to increase the annual intake of skilled immigrants under the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) to 18,000 from 9,000, and also give greater autonomy to the provincial minister responsible for immigration to make it easier for Ontario to bring in immigrants who have specialized skill sets.
“The construction industry is a significant driver of Ontario’s economy, employing more than 400,000 workers directly, along with creating another 600,000 to 800,000 jobs in the supply chain and industries that cater to construction workers,” said RESCON president Richard Lyall in a statement. “The industry accounts for nearly eight per cent of the Ontario’s GDP. It is critical that we take action to safeguard the construction industry, make sure employers have the resources they need to build housing and infrastructure, and that the rules and adequate funding are in place to keep the ball rolling.”
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