TISDALE — Two out of three jobs at the Northeast Newcomer Services are gone due to a major cut to its operating grant from the provincial government.
In 2017, the province’s grant was $197,000. This year, it’s been winnowed down to $108,000.
“In Tisdale, the number of inquiries to [the Northeast Newcomer Services] has declined in recent years,” said an email response from the provincial government. “There continue to be newcomer services available to recent immigrants, but there were no inquiries from new clients in 2016 or 2017.
The province is divided into 11 regions, each served by a program like the newcomer services. Among those regions, Tisdale has had the lowest number of Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program nominations since 2013.
In 2016 there were five new nominees going to the Tisdale area.
The newcomer services, which are operated by the Town of Tisdale, don’t get a list of new immigrants coming to the area from the provincial or federal government. Immigrants come on their own accord.
The three staff members included a manager, a settlement officer and an information officer.
“The manager’s position is no longer there and the information and settlement officers have been combined and basically, they have to do 40 settlement plans per year, that one individual,” said Sean Wallace, who, as Tisdale’s economic development officer, is tasked with overseeing the newcomer services.
Before, the services were contracted to do 80 settlement plans per year. As of this year, from January to March 31, there have been 18 settlement plans done. Wallace said he understands that one person doing 3.3 settlement plans per month is very doable.
“From my point of view, obviously we don’t like losing any jobs in Tisdale and I can tell you I’ve used every piece of political collateral I had to try to save all three jobs,” he said. “I lobbied hard for two months and I think we’re very fortunate to actually save one of the jobs and not end up being serviced by, say, Prince Albert or Humboldt.”
Wallace said he expects newcomers will be treated the same way they were treated before .
“If we find that this person’s doing a lot more and we see those newcomer plans creeping back up into a range where there’s just too much, the province said they would look at that and make any considerations if we need to add more staff.”
The economic development officer said having the newcomer services in Tisdale is a pillar of the town’s economic development plan and that the services provided will help ensure that new immigrants stay within the Northeast.
