Businesses in Dawson Creek are certainly not exempt from feeling the crunch from a shortage of labour throughout northeast British Columbia, and many have turned to hiring foreign workers to fill those gaps.

The draw of a lucrative oil and gas industry has resulted in heavy competition for workers in other sectors of the local economy, especially in the hospitality and retail sectors, but also in skilled trades. The provincial government launched an Immigration Task Force late last year in part to look at labour market needs across the province and how they might be met through foreign workers.

That task force recently met in Fort St. John to discuss the labour market needs of this region, and in attendance at that meeting was Sue Kenny, manager of Community Futures Peace-Laird – a Dawson Creek-based not-for-profit agency focused on increasing business and entrepreneurial opportunities in the city and in the region. Kenny said she conducted a survey of some of the local businesses about their experiences in hiring foreign workers and said the issues were almost identical across the board.

“It was like the same person wrote each survey, it was the same issues, and when I went up to Fort St. John, it was the same issues there,” she said. “It is absolutely ridiculous what businesses have to go through in order to get foreign workers. They are pretty much filling out these forms and going through this process full time in order to have enough employees.”

She said employers need to first identify the need for workers through a Labour Market Opinion, and then have that document signed by a lawyer. She said the paperwork is onerous, and one small mistake on the application can result in it being rejected and the employer having to start the process all over again. She added was made aware of one local business that had to resubmit its application twice due to errors, and it ultimately took 18 months to hire two workers.

Kenny said the provincial and federal governments need to recognize the unique labour situation in the region and make the process for hiring foreign less cumbersome for employers.

“The Northeast has to be designated as an area of crisis. If we could have this area designated as an area of concern, it may make the process quicker,” she said.

She said local employers are looking for an expedited process, and for a longer commitment from foreign workers that are hired through that process. She added she has been in discussion with the provincial Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation about hosting a Temporary Foreign Worker Information Session in Dawson Creek, as was done in Fort St. John last December.

She said that ultimately, though, the demand for skilled labour is only going to increase in the future as industry continues to grow in the region, and especially if the Site C Dam is approved for construction, and that demand for workers cannot be filled solely through foreign labour, but must also come by increasing training for local people in the skills that are in demand. The provincial government has convened a Northeast Regional Workforce Table Open House Forum on Feb. 10 at Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek to bring together stakeholders in business and education to better align training and employment opportunities.

Kenny said she is interested in hearing form more local businesses about their labour market needs, and encouraged business owners to contact her at the Community Futures office.

One local business that is looking outside of the country to fill its labour needs is the Inn on the Creek on Eighth Street. Owner Fatima Mangalji said specifically they have had problems hiring and retaining housekeeping and front desk staff. She said they have tried to fill those positions by hiring locally, but she said they hired four workers in the past few months and they have all since quit.

Mangalji said they have applied through the Labour Market Opinion for foreign workers, but that has become a drawn-out process.

“It used to take about two to three weeks, but now it takes about 10 weeks, and that delay in the process is really tough on us employers,” she said.

She said, however, when she has been successful in that process, she knows that she is getting an employee who is committed for at least a year, though she has been fortunate that many stay on for at least two to three years.

“They are really hardworking people, so I really admire them,” she added.

The benefits of hiring foreign workers extend beyond just the employer, however, said Katie Stevenson, an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructor with the Dawson Creek Literacy Society, who is also training to be come an immigration consultant.

“I think there’s sometimes a misconception about what gap foreign workers are filling, and what they can bring, and we don’t realize that we gain a lot from having foreign workers here,” she said. “I know some people think they are taking the jobs of local people, but that’s not the case at all. You can get committed, well-qualified people who have a vested interest in bringing their family and helping to build the community.”

She added it can be hard to attract worker form other parts of the province because the cold climate and remoteness of the North can often turn people off of relocating here.

One of Stevenson’s clients, Seung Hun Oh, certainly did not have those reservations about moving to Dawson Creek. Oh is originally from South Korea, and moved here a little over two years ago after a brief stay in Vancouver after hearing about the job opportunities here from a friend.

“My purpose was to study English, and I was going to go back to South Korea a year ago, but I changed my mind because I want to stay in Canada,” he said, adding he enjoys the kindness of Canadians and the more relaxed lifestyle compared to his home country.

He currently works as a housekeeper at the Aurora Inn and Suites, and while he said he enjoys the job, his ultimate goal is to move away from the hustle and bustle of the city and move to the country where he wants to own or rent his own farm. He said he while he doesn’t have any experience in agriculture, he wants to learn so he can enjoy a quiet life in rural Canada.

Oh said he applied in November for permanent residence, and he is not sure how long that process could take, but expects it might take about a year or more.