Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and Anne Kang, British Columbia’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, welcomed the continued growth of the iconic Canadian company’s global headquarters in Vancouver.
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lululemon has committed to grow in Vancouver over the next five years and invest in creating over 2,600 local jobs.
“We applaud lululemon’s decision to significantly expand their global headquarters in Vancouver. lululemon’s continued success serves as a testament to Vancouver’s status as a global hub for creativity and innovation," Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver, said.
"This announcement marks an exciting step forward for our city’s economic future, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact for years to come.”
In 2022, lululemon employed nearly 9,000 people in Canada.
Through the Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement, British Columbia can identify significant investment projects to be considered for a special exemption from the labour market impact assessment (LMIA) process.
Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada then assess the project to determine if it meets the criteria.
• To qualify under the agreement, a project must:
- represent a major investment in the economy
- involve a highly mobile global talent pool in high-wage occupations, creating a situation that is not well-suited to the LMIA process
- result in knowledge transfer to local workers and a reduction in the number of foreign workers needed over time
• The LMIA exemption for lululemon’s significant investment project was implemented on February 28, 2023, and expires on April 1, 2026. lululemon will submit a report on the performance of the agreement to the governments of Canada and British Columbia annually, and a formal evaluation will take place at least one year prior to the expiry of the proposal.
The special exemption from the LMIA process doesn’t apply to workers for the construction phase. ■
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