Honourable David Piccini
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development
Dear Minister Piccini:
On March 13, 2026, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, announced targeted, time-limited measures to help rural employers address these workforce challenges while maintaining strong safeguards to ensure Canadians remain first in line for available jobs as follows:
“At the request of provinces or territories, the Government of Canada will permit rural employers to retain their current number of low-wage temporary foreign workers and temporarily increase the allowable share of low-wage temporary foreign workers from 10% to 15% of their workforce in eligible rural regions.
These measures can be implemented within two weeks of a positive request from a province or territory and could begin as early as April 1, 2026. The measures will remain in place until March 31, 2027.”
We are writing to formally request that the Province of Ontario ask the Federal Government to allow rural communities in Northwestern Ontario to increase the allowable share of low-wage temporary foreign workers from 10% to 15%.
Thank you for your timely consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Charla Robinson, President, Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce
Mayor Rick Dumas, President, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association
Jamie Taylor, CEO, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission