Immigration uncertainty, housing top of mind at the Bow Valley's largest-ever job fair

At Banff's annual summer job fair on Wednesday, businesses and applicants alike said immigration changes and staff housing have been at the top of their minds.

The event, which was held a month earlier than usual, was hosted by the Job Resource Centre and the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce. With a goal of filling 600 positions across the region, 32 businesses set up booths to meet potential new employees.

Savanna Yeager, assistant HR manager with Banff Park Lodge, said current staff have been sticking around longer than usual lately — a rarity in the seasonal nature of the Bow Valley.

But they're still looking for more staff ahead of the busy summer season, and she said it's been challenging navigating uncertainties around immigration, particularly with the temporary foreign worker program.

"A lot of people who are foreign-born workers … it's a bit harder to assist them because you're still trying to figure out yourself what exactly is going on, and we're all kind of waiting for answers," said Yeager.

She pointed to changes to labour market impact assessments (LMIAs) — essentially a document, issued by the federal government, that allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers after they prove they can't find a Canadian or permanent resident to fill a position.

Yeager said companies aren't allowed to apply for as many LMIAs now, and the documents are valid for a shorter period of time.

She said she's bracing for hiring to become more difficult in the coming years.

At another booth, Melanie Vandervaart with Cornerstone Catering and Events is seeing similar things.

"A lot more people this year are looking for LMIAs. We do seem to have a lot of people looking for staff accommodation as well," said Vandervaart.

Her company is looking to hire 50 new employees ahead of the busy wedding season, which she said seems to be kicking off earlier than usual this year.

Reinira Lankhuijzen, career coach with the Job Resource Centre, said they held the job fair early this year at employers' requests.

"Employers face really high turnover here, so they are trying to fill those positions earlier so that they know that they're set up for their summer season," said Lankhuijzen, who added the event used to run in April or early May, which was often too late.

She said the annual summer job fair is always a good way for people in the Bow Valley to make face-to-face connections with employers.