On the Atlantic pilot, one of the major criticisms of the earlier points-based system for federal skilled migrants was the immigration selection process was independent of the immigrant finding a job, meaning many skilled immigrants arrived in Canada to find their credentials were not recognized. I think the Atlantic immigration pilot goes some way to addressing that issue by linking employers with potential employment and immigrants.
Why are these jobs not being filled locally when unemployment is relatively high? There are two reasons: geographic mismatch and skills mismatch. Demand is likely to be high in the cities where unemployment rates are lower. High unemployment rates in rural areas arise from an older, less skilled workforce who have lost jobs in forestry and fisheries and whose skills are not readily transferred.