Bruce County is authorizing a funding agreement with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to support the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership.
Council approved authorizing the Director of Government Relations and Director of Corporate Services to enter into the agreement during its meeting on March 20, which would provide funding to the partnership for the next three years.
Bruce County Manager of Economic Development Jeff Loney says, “This report is the culmination of a negotiation process with IRCC. The agreement we are looking for authorization, represents $1,177,266 to support the next three years of running the Grey Bruce Local Immigration Partnership in conjunction with Grey County.”
This comes after the partnership was established in early 2020 where a five-year agreement was entered with the IRCC to operate the program, in which the partnership’s activities would be funded.
This agreement is set to expire at the end of the month.
Late last year, the IRCC invited organizations to apply for continued funding, but with new changes.
These include a reduction in funding, a shortened agreement term from five years to three, and new requirements.
Loney confirmed the IRCC will still cover all the costs for the local immigration partnership.
“The agreement does intend to cover 100 per cent of the activities associated with this, with an administration fee that has been negotiated to support existing staff,” says Loney.
Funding for the partnership will renew on April 1.
