Immigration in the region | The Drummondville recipe

The people of Drummondville have understood something. If we want immigrants, we will not be able to have much success in attracting those who have settled in Montreal. We must recruit them directly from abroad.

This recipe, developed by Drummond économique, the city’s development agency, has borne fruit. The population has grown from 79,000 to 83,000 since 2021, largely thanks to immigration. And this is not only transforming the city’s demographics, it is also changing its face.

Today, newcomers from Cameroon, Colombia, Congo, Morocco, Mexico or Tunisia are everywhere: in the streets, supermarkets, factories, hotels, leisure activities…

Jean Eumatiel Bossicot opened the Haitian grocery store Marché Agapè on rue Saint-Jean, in addition to working as a beneficiary attendant.

But he is not alone in this part of town, which traditionally housed workers. On two street corners, across from the public market, there is a Cambodian restaurant, Délice Chhouk Tep, the Tienda Latina, a Latino convenience store, the Casa Que Bola, a Cuban restaurant, Casa Latina, a Latin American grocery store, the Drummondville Islamic Centre, the Épicerie Exotique Kanya and the Africa Kwabo restaurant, which surround more traditional establishments, such as the Maxime pizzeria, the offices of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste company, the Magasin général Saint-Joseph and the Desjardins ATM.

Mr. Bossicot lived in Montreal before moving to Drummondville.

But most immigrants do not come from the metropolis. In fact, more and more of them are arriving directly in the region, with a closed work permit or a study permit, without going through Montreal. Many are recruited by companies that are unable to fill vacant positions locally. However, these companies can count on the support of Drummond économique.

But things quickly changed. “We didn’t know that immigration would become so important,” she recalls. The reality today is that a city like Drummondville now relies on immigration to ensure its development and the success of its businesses.

In recent years, Drummond économique has played a major role in recruiting and retaining these workers, and has thus developed know-how that has been put to the service of other regions of Quebec. For example, the organization is helping with recruitment at the Northvolt plant.

But to achieve this, the strategy had to be refined. “We were still dreaming of attracting people who are already here. But getting people to move to Quebec when everyone is in the same situation is a waste of time. To be honest, getting people to move from Montreal is not easy. It takes a lot of energy and no return.”

In recent years, 700 companies have participated in one or another of Drummond économique’s foreign missions, organized in partnership with the Quebec Ministry of Immigration.

But if attraction is essential, its essential complement is retention. We must not only attract immigrants, we must keep them and make efforts to ensure that they become the permanent residents of tomorrow and populate the regions. This requires personalized reception services, integration activities, training for businesses, the publication of a guide to good practices, etc.

Rasakti, which specializes in machining and manufacturing components for the aeronautics industry, has recruited 53 foreign workers since 2019. Its retention rate is 75%. “It’s important to diversify countries so that everyone learns to talk to each other,” explains owner André Roseberry. New arrivals are welcomed at the airport, supported in finding accommodation, trained and advised.

“Because we want it to work in the end,” says M.^me Biron. We are in the region, but not that much.

These efforts on the ground are a million miles away from the political debate. While politicians worry about the number of non-permanent residents, a region like Drummondville wants even more and, above all, wants them to stay forever.

“Last year, in Drummondville, we welcomed 202 foreign workers from Morocco, Tunisia, France, Colombia, Madagascar and 20 other countries. There were 17 families, 16 couples and many singles,” says Éric Marchesseault, coordinator for the reception and retention of foreign workers.

“We want people who will settle here,” adds M.^me Biron. We are not in the seasonal sector. We are in the perspective of economic development.

That’s good. This is also what temporary immigrants are looking for, who agree to come and fill labour needs or take training courses in schools.

Silvana Tovar, 43, arrived from Brazil in October 2020 with her husband, a computer engineer recruited by CGI.

A lawyer in her country, Silvana now works to welcome new immigrants in Drummondville. For her and her husband, Drummondville, “it’s a dream.”

“I’ve lived in other cities and the people here are really different, especially with immigrants,” she says. “They’re patient, even if we don’t speak French well. They’re generous, they want to help us integrate. People are really pro-immigration.”

Shelly Barbosa, 29, also comes from Brazil. She arrived in Drummondville in December 2021 with a study permit to do a DEP in secretarial studies. She has been working as an administrative assistant for a year now.

“Drummondville, for me, is associated with ‘family.’ It’s really my city,” she explains.

Joaquim Larriva, 39, is from Ecuador. “We fell in love with the region,” he says of Drummond, where he moved last year with his wife and their two daughters after seven years in Quebec City.

“The cost of living, access to activities for children, it’s much cheaper,” he continues. “I miss family, food a little, but not so much…”