The City of Morden, Manitoba, has reopened its Morden Community Driven Immigration Initiative (MCDII) for 2026, a Strategic Initiative under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) that allows the city to formally support skilled workers who do not have existing family or job ties in Canada. The city resumed general intake in January 2026 after a pause in late 2025.
Morden is targeting workers in specific occupations that are hard to fill locally. Priority roles identified by the city include early childhood educators, heavy-duty mechanics, welders, painters (in manufacturing or construction settings), manufacturing supervisors and other healthcare professionals — including physicians and nurses.
According to the Morden Immigration office, the program typically selects approximately 50 families each year. Successful applicants who are shortlisted are invited to make an exploratory (in-person) visit to Morden for interviews with local program officials and community representatives to assess fit for life in a smaller prairie community.
Shelly Voth, Morden’s Immigration Coordinator, says the local selection seeks candidates who have a genuine intention to live in a rural Manitoba community rather than move to a larger city. The city’s local selection process works alongside the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program, which provides the formal provincial nomination that allows supported candidates to apply for Canadian permanent residency.
Government of Canada demographic and economic data show Morden was one of the faster-growing communities in the province between 2011 and 2021; city officials say the MCDII is among the tools used to address labour shortages in manufacturing, health care and service sectors to support continued local growth.
