Labour shortages lead discussions during ÍøÆسԹϒs annual Hill Day
More than 70 experts from across Canada and representing all sectors of the construction industry met with parliamentarians from all parties to discuss the labour crisis and urgent need to Rebuild Canada’s workforce NOW during ÍøÆسԹÏ’s annual Hill Day on November 15, 2022.
A Hill Day reception was held on November 14, where ÍøÆسԹÏ, our members, and partner association leaders joined several Members of Parliament, including the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Helena Jackzek, and the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, Sean Fraser, to discuss the industry’s critical needs. Minister Fraser gave a short speech focusing on recent changes to Canada’s immigration targets to help address the acute workforce shortage facing the industry.
ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï construction vests could be seen throughout the halls of Parliament Hill during the industry’s full day of meetings on November 15. ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï members and partner association leaders engaged in close to 60 individual meetings during the day with high-profile parliamentarians, including meetings with five Parliamentary Secretaries of key portfolios to the industry. ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï also met with 12 members of the recently announced Conservative Shadow Cabinet.
Although ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï applauds the federal government’s recent decision to welcome up to 500,000 newcomers per year for the next three years, this is not enough. Policies that attract and utilize the construction skills and experience of immigrants and newcomers were a key ask. Solutions raised by ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï members included modernizing Canada’s immigration policies, working with the provinces and territories to ensure skills matching is well aligned between jurisdictions, and updating the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
ÍøÆØ³Ô¹Ï looks forward to working together with the federal government on our shared priority to develop the workforce we need to build sustainable infrastructure for the benefit of all Canadians.
For more information on ÍøÆسԹÏ’s advocacy work, please email Louis-Philippe Champagne, Director of Government Relations.
