Ottawa is redirecting immigration into small and remote communities, a move which threatens to replicate in small-town Canada the same immigration-fuelled social and economic problems plaguing major urban centres.
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) was launched in January 2025, one of the last immigration policies implemented by the Trudeau government. A total of 14 communities are included, ranging from Claresholm in Alberta, Steinbach and Brandon in Manitoba, Peace Liard and West Kootenay in BC, and Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan.
