The mayor of Fort St. John, Lori Ackerman, has said that a pilot project to bring more international skilled workers to the Northern B.C. town is in the process of being established. At this time, however, few additional details about the program are known.

"We're working on it, and once we've got it all ironed out with all the details, it'll gladly be public,” stated Ackerman, who added that "We've received the nod from the province and the federal government to do this pilot project.”

Fort St. John will be looking towards newcomers with skilled trades experience, such as electricians and welders.

"We're looking at trying to get field trades into whatever areas we need them," said local MLA, Pat Pimm. "The oil and gas industry, we really have problems getting to become part of the foreign worker program or whatever, because they don't have real consistent hours." He said that because of this, they have not been able to access foreign workers similar to other businesses.

The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program allows the province to select candidates for Canadian immigration who may benefit the local labour market.