28 THE CAAR COMMUNICATOR DEEPENING THE LABOUR POOL of cheap Crown land back in the 1930s, but some small towns continued the tradition as a means to increase their population. CAAR isn’t saying that’s what the federal government needs to do, but for the towns, it has been an effective method. For example, in 2013, the town of Saint-Louis-deBlandford, an hour southwest of Québec City, wanted to increase its population of 900 people. It purchased a large amount of land and divided it into 40 plots. Each plot was free to anyone willing to move there and build a house. The hitch—which prevented many land speculators from cashing in—was that buyers had to put down a $1,000 downpayment and commit to building a valued $125,000 house within a year, and at completion, the town would refund the downpayment. Reston, Manitoba, did something similar, allowing it to add 50 people to its previous 500—an increase of 10 percent. Each town that is trying the land “giveaway” is doing so slightly differently from the others, but the point is that there are a lot of Canadian towns from coast-to-coast willing to experiment. While that particular example did not specifically target growth for the ag sector labour pool, we can use it as an example to show the creativity of attracting people to the municipality. As for immigration, what can towns (and provinces and Canada) do to attract new immigrants to come and work in their neck of the so-called woods? The report suggested a “combined effort between government, placement agencies, and farm operators is needed to find individuals with relevant skills and experience and encourage them to settle in rural communities where there is agriculture work.” It continued: “In turn, this could involve offering employment, education, and cultural integration support in rural areas, not only for potential workers but also for their families.” The report also noted that there needs to be supportive apprenticeship programs that will help create a better workforce capable of attaining the technical and specialized skills needed to take Canadian agriculture forward. It’s not just for agriculture either; it’s for other industries, too. We need to ensure that people coming into the field are capable of learning and taking things to another level of ingenuity. The concept of “formalizing and promoting skilled trades within agriculture can increase the sector’s recognition for the high-skilled jobs and rewarding Though plaid isn’t a requirement but is always appreciated, two people discuss the agronomy of a wheat field. artiemedvedev/iStock/Getty Images Plus photo
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