Immigration Hit New Heights

by T. Smith

The population of Canada grew more in the past three months than it has in any third quarter since 1990, according to Statistics Canada. The population hit 33,441,300, up 129,900 since July. Every province and territory saw rising numbers, except the Northwest Territories, which saw a decline of 132 residents. Most of the growth was recorded in Western Canada, with Alberta continuing to report the highest numbers. New Canadians and people who moved to Alberta from other provinces numbered 25,640 in the third quarter of 2008, likely due to the continuing job opportunities offered in that province, Statistics Canada said. "Usually, people go where there are jobs, so that explains the strong tendency toward Alberta," said Hubert Denis, senior analyst for Statistics Canada. The agency said growth across the country was due mostly to immigration. Between July 1 and Oct. 1, 2008, 71,300 people entered Canada. Numbers have increased everywhere since provinces began stepping up their efforts to attract people internationally.

"Provinces are being more aggressive and it really shows in the numbers," said Denis. Prince Edward Island, for instance, has registered a drastic increase since it began participating in the Provincial Nominee Program, which makes it easier for people from other nations to come to Canada. In the third quarter alone, P.E.I. set records in immigration, welcoming 611 people. Its previous high was 420. "For a small province like P.E.I., this represents a very big increase," said Denis. All across Canada, similar programs have boosted immigration numbers significantly. Manitoba, the first province to introduce the program, saw spikes in immigration almost immediately. In 2001, the province attracted an average of 1,148 new Canadians every quarter; in 2005 it was 2,024 and the last quarter saw 2,588 people moving in from abroad. In 1998, when it introduced the program, Manitoba was looking at shortages of skilled labour in every sector, said Ben Rempel, the assistant deputy minister for Manitoba Labour and Immigration. 

"Without this program, the industry we have wouldn't have been able to grow as it has . . . we would have been looking at economic stagnation," said Rempel. "The key to attracting immigrants to Canada is understanding how they can contribute to the various distinct regional labour markets across the country." He attributes Manitoba's 80 per cent retention rate to its strong and diverse economy, affordable living and family-friendly communities. Rempel added that it's important for new Canadians to know what they're coming to, and to have support once they get here. "We work early on in the arrival period to give them the tools they need to be successful in the labour market." Statistics Canada has noticed that these programs are having a major affect of immigration patterns — newcomers are starting to be lured away from what Rempel calls "MTV" — Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. "Immigrants used to head mainly to Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia, and they're still going there, but they're also spreading out across the country in unprecedented numbers," said Denis.