Islands and based on a seasonal economy, the Îles-de-la-Madeleine raised their hand in the parliamentary committee on immigration planning in Quebec to be part of a “pilot project” adapted to remote regions.
Temporary workers are becoming more and more important to Madelinots. From 44 summer employees in the archipelago in 2016, they have now increased to 200. For the Islands, this number represents a village. Around thirty will be added next year, and just as many the following year.
These employees, most of Mexican origin, arrive in the spring to process the fish products, then stop their work when the boats return to the dock in July. They are asked for again at the end of August when fishing starts again – leaving a big gap of idleness between these two high points for the economy of the Islands.
It is this void that “a pilot project for sharing temporary foreign workers” could fill, argues in an interview the mayor of the municipality of Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Antonin Valiquette, a few minutes before his speech to the elected officials of Quebec . Grocery stores, hoteliers and ultimately the entire tourism sector would benefit from flexibility on the closed work permits held by these workers who wait all summer for the return of fishing.
“If there is one thing where we have not had difficulty, it is finding a second employer to share the temporary workers from the processing factories,” assures the mayor, also former director of the Chamber of Commerce .
For now, the rules do not allow these seasonal employees to work for more than one employer, even if the latter are voluntary. When Madelinot business people want to make the most of the presence of these newcomers, “the second employer must redo almost the same steps as the first,” relates Antonin Valiquette. This process is “extremely expensive” for small businesses since it involves labor market impact studies for each employee.
Moving costs are so high for remote regions like the Magdalen Islands that such cost sharing between employers would certainly be profitable for everyone, including temporary workers, says the mayor. “We’re talking about savings and optimization. »
Not growing, only maintaining
The Îles-de-la-Madeleine also constitute a demographic textbook case in Quebec. The region is aging faster than elsewhere; according to studies, Madelinots are experiencing the consequences of the aging of their population 10 years before the rest of Quebec.
The success or otherwise of the integration of the neo-Madelinots will be a good indicator for the rest of Quebec, anticipates the municipality.
Simplifying the bureaucracy involved in settling newcomers, or at least allowing temporary workers to quickly become permanent, are among the main solutions proposed by Mayor Valiquette. “It doesn’t help to spend energy and money to attract people so that they leave,” he notes. […] We are not talking about a development perspective. We talk about maintaining ourselves. »
The regionalization of immigration, often presented as being the key to the success of this transition, must finally be the subject of closer monitoring on the part of Quebec, notes the community of the archipelago in its brief. “Employers in the Islands are unaware of the different roles of the MIFI and the services that are offered. There is also no representative of the MIFI who works directly in the territory,” we note.
The general consultation on immigration planning in Quebec continues until September 28.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.