0 Report Immigrant-Friendly Communities: Making Immigration Work for Employers and Other Stakeholders in Small-Town Canada Prepared for: The Leaders Roundtable on Immigration Prepared by: The Conference Board of Canada April 16, 2009
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 1 This report has been prepared for the Conference Board of Canada s Leaders Roundtable on Immigration, under the direction of Douglas Watt and Diana MacKay. The report was researched and written by Vadim Kukushkin with contributions from Kurtis Kitagawa. Contact: VADIM KUKUSHKIN Senior Research Associate Organizational Effectiveness and Learning 255 Smyth Road Ottawa, ON K1H 8M7 Tel: 613-526-3090, ext. 285 Fax: 613-526-4857 E-mail: kukushkin@conferenceboard.ca About The Conference Board of Canada We are: The foremost independent, not-for-profit applied research organization in Canada. Objective and non-partisan. We do not lobby for specific interests. Funded exclusively through the fees we charge for services to the private and public sectors. Experts in running conferences but also at conducting, publishing and disseminating research, helping people network, developing individual leadership skills and building organizational capacity. Specialists in economic trends, as well as organizational performance and public policy issues. Not a government department or agency, although we are often hired to provide services for all levels of government. Independent from, but affiliated with, The Conference Board, Inc. of New York, which serves nearly 2,000 companies in 60 nations and has offices in Brussels and Hong Kong.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 2 Contents Executive Summary... 3 Chapter 1 Why Small Communities Need More Immigrants... 5 1.1 The Context of Immigration to Small Communities... 5 1.2 Objectives of this Report... 5 1.3 The Socio-Economic Case for Attracting Immigrants to Small Communities... 6 Chapter 2 The Lure of the Metropolis: Canada s Recent Immigration Trends... 9 2.1 Immigrant Destinations in Canada... 9 2.2 Why Immigrants Settle Where They Do... 11 2.3 Making Small Communities Destinations of Choice... 12 Chapter 3 Building a Federal Provincial Municipal Partnership on Immigration... 14 3.1 Regionalization and Federal Immigration Policies... 14 3.2 Provincial Programs and Initiatives... 16 3.3 Bringing Municipalities into the Immigration Dialogue... 21 Chapter 4 Immigration to Small Communities: How Does Canada Fare?... 22 4.1 Business Leadership and Immigrant Recruitment... 23 4.2 Immigrant Entrepreneurs in Small Communities... 28 4.3 Community-Driven Immigration Initiatives... 29 Chapter 5 Putting Small Communities on the Map: Four Local Approaches... 35 Case Study 1: Employer Engagement, Cultural Heritage, and Immigration in Winkler, Manitoba... 35 Case Study 2: Brooks, Alberta: The Multicultural Revolution in a Single-Industry Town... 44 Case Study 3: On the Cutting Edge: Immigrant Diamond Cutters in Yellowknife... 52 Case Study 4: Chips and Chipsets: Recruitment of Immigrant IT Workers at McCain Foods in Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick... 60 Chapter 6 Making Immigration Work for Small Communities: Keys to Success for Employers and Other Stakeholders... 67 Appendix A Bibliography... 71
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 3 Executive Summary Small communities in Canada are struggling to produce and maintain sufficient numbers of welleducated, skilled workers needed to meet local labour needs. As birth rates fall and young people leave small towns for educational and employment opportunities in large cities, many small communities are experiencing depopulation and slow economic growth or decline. This report considers the role that immigration directly from abroad or internal, secondary migration can play in creating a strong future for small communities in Canada. It demonstrates the importance of employer leadership in creating immigrant-friendly communities in smalltown Canada and examines the ways in which businesses and other community stakeholders can partner in attracting and retaining immigrants. The report outlines the socio-economic benefits that various stakeholder groups can receive from increased immigration to small communities. In particular, it points out that: immigration can help small communities meet their labour needs, bring entrepreneurial talent, and offset demographic decline; immigrants settling in small communities can find attractive employment opportunities and a high quality of life; immigrants offer new perspectives on economic and social issues, and enrich their host communities with their cultural insights, knowledge, and creativity; and an increase in immigration to small communities can help ease the socio-economic pressures on larger cities. The presence of ethnic networks of family and friends plays a key role in determining where immigrants settle in Canada, followed by employment, educational opportunities, lifestyle, and housing. Today, Canada s largest cities offer the most attractive combination of these factors, making them prime destinations for immigrants. However, employment opportunities, community programs, and provincial immigrant selection policies can influence existing migration patterns and create new immigration destinations. Recent collaboration between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments has resulted in a more flexible immigration system that includes mechanisms such as the Provincial and Territorial Nominee Programs (PNPs and TNPs), as well as the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. Employers and other stakeholders in small towns can use the advantages of this more responsive system to work with provincial governments and the federal government to address local labour and population needs. In particular, they should consider bringing skilled workers from abroad through the PNP and/or using the provincial nominee system to move currently employed TFWs to permanent residency.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 4 Through case studies of four small Canadian communities that have had success in attracting and retaining immigrants, this report identifies four key components of an effective immigration strategy for small towns: immigration should be integrated with the community s long-term economic development strategy rather than used as a temporary solution for labour shortages or population decline; employment availability is essential, as is employer leadership and commitment to recruiting and retaining immigrant talent; attraction, settlement, integration, and retention of immigrants require concerted action involving all community stakeholders, including employers; and building a critical mass of immigrants in the community is important for long-term success of local immigration efforts. Collaboration between employers and other stakeholders is particularly critical for immigrant retention and integration. Communities should make sure that local businesses do not see immigrant workers merely as stop-gaps for labour shortages, but consider them potential longterm residents of the community. To successfully settle and retain immigrants, small towns also need to possess an adequate social infrastructure and engage the entire community in welcoming and assisting immigrants. Each group of community stakeholders has its own role to play in the process of attracting and retaining immigrants. To assist small communities with their immigration efforts, this report concludes with a list of key actions that different stakeholders should consider in order to build an immigrant-friendly community.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 5 Chapter 1 Why Small Communities Need More Immigrants Chapter Summary Small communities should consider immigration as a strategy for economic growth. Immigration can help small communities meet their labour needs, attract entrepreneurial talent, offset demographic challenges, and increase their long-term sustainability. Small communities can offer immigrants attractive employment opportunities and a high quality of life. An increase in immigration to small communities would help ease the socio-economic pressures on larger cities. 1.1 The Context of Immigration to Small Communities Small communities 1 in Canada are struggling to produce and maintain sufficient numbers of well-educated, skilled workers needed to meet local labour needs. As birth rates fall and young people leave small towns for educational and employment opportunities in large cities, many small communities are experiencing depopulation and slow economic growth or decline. Rural communities far from metropolitan centres are particularly vulnerable. If current trends continue, attracting migrants from other parts of Canada or from abroad will become increasingly important for population growth and economic development in small-town Canada. 2 This report considers the role that immigration directly from abroad or internal, secondary migration can play in creating a robust and sustainable future for small communities in Canada. It explores how immigration can be used as a successful strategy for small communities, focusing on the importance of engaging small-town employers into a collaborative framework with other leading community stakeholders in creating conditions for success. It examines how attracting immigrant talent can be a competitive advantage for small-town employers and how other community stakeholders can work with employers who embark on a campaign of immigrant recruitment. 1.2 Objectives of this Report This study aims to uncover the keys to success for employers and other stakeholders in making immigration work for small communities. Its objectives are to: 1 For the purposes of this study, a small community is defined as a city or town with a population of less than 50,000 people, located outside census metropolitan areas (CMAs). Statistics Canada defines a Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) as an area consisting of one or more neighbouring municipalities situated around a major urban core. A CMA must have a total population of at least 100,000, of which 50,000 or more live in the urban core. There are currently 33 CMAs in Canada. See Statistics Canada, Standard Geographical Classification, p. 18. 2 Clemenson and Pitblado, Recent Trends in Rural-Urban Migration, p. 25.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 6 identify key challenges that small communities face in attracting, settling, integrating, and retaining immigrants; highlight factors that make small communities attractive to immigrants; clarify the role of business leadership in creating immigrant-friendly communities; put forward effective policies and approaches that businesses and community stakeholders can implement to attract and retain immigrants; This report includes case studies of four small Canadian communities that have been successful in attracting and retaining immigrants (Winkler, Manitoba; Brooks, Alberta; Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; and Florenceville-Bristol, New Brunswick). It also showcases other small communities with a successful immigration record, as well as those currently working on economic development strategies that focus on immigration. This report will prove useful to employers and others in small communities who are seeking to attract immigrants or who might be considering immigration as a socio-economic strategy. It is also intended to assist federal, provincial, and municipal governments interested in implementing policies and programs that encourage immigration to small communities. 1.3 The Socio-Economic Case for Attracting Immigrants to Small Communities Long-term economic sustainability requires a well-educated, skilled, and productive workforce. Despite the economic downturn, global competition for talent will continue. Skills shortages will remain a major challenge in Canada, which is faced with an aging population, low fertility rates, and diminishing pools of skilled and semi-skilled labour. 3 Bringing Immigrant Skills to Small-Town Workplaces Immigration is not the only answer to Canada s labour needs, but it is an important part of an overall solution. Within the next decade, immigration is projected to account for 100 percent of net growth in the labour force. And after 2025, all net population growth in Canada is expected to come from immigration. 4 The situation is even more serious in small towns, many of which will soon require substantial immigration inflows to counterbalance the rapid aging of their populations. Employers operating in small Canadian towns need to recognize this reality and become more active in seeking immigrant talent in order to sustain their workforces and support future growth. Most Canadian immigrants are skilled and well educated. Recent immigrants, for example, are more than twice as likely as Canadian-born people to have a university degree. In 2007, 48.6 per cent of Canadian immigrants reported having significant skill levels in the professional; 3 See Watt, Krywulak, and Kitagawa, Renewing Immigration: Towards a Convergence and Consolidation of Canada s Immigration Policies and Systems, p. 1. 4 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Report on Plans and Priorities, 2008 2009, p. 16.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 7 managerial; skilled and technical; and intermediate and clerical occupational categories. 5 Tapping these skills can help small-town employers meet their labour requirements and improve their future access to global talent pools. Employers in small communities can benefit from best practices in hiring immigrants developed in large Canadian cities. Several major urban centres have launched multi-stakeholder initiatives to promote the inclusion of immigrants in their labour markets. A recent example is the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC), established in 2003. TRIEC s primary goal is to find and implement local solutions that help break down the barriers that immigrants face when looking for work in the Toronto Region. 6 Its success comes from bringing together employers, labour, occupational regulatory bodies, post-secondary institutions, assessment service providers, community organizations, and different levels of government. Immigrants as a Source of Entrepreneurial Talent Immigrants do not just fill jobs that already exist. They also come with investment capital of their own and entrepreneurial abilities that enable them to create new businesses and new jobs for Canadians and other immigrants. To make the most from immigration, small communities should not focus solely on the labour needs of employers they should also welcome and encourage immigrant entrepreneurship. Immigrant-owned businesses often take the lead in designing new products and services and using innovative manufacturing processes that can be adopted by other local employers. They can become the community s window on the larger world, connecting it to global markets and serving as gateways for attracting more domestic and international talent. The Demographic Benefits of Immigration Immigration can be used as a population strategy to offset demographic decline and stimulate population growth in small communities. On average, immigrants tend to be younger than the Canadian-born population, and many come from cultures that have higher fertility rates. According to the 2006 census data, 57.3 per cent of immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2001 and 2006 were in the prime working age group of 25 to 54, compared to 42.3 per cent of Canadians. At the other end of the age spectrum, just 3.4 per cent of recent immigrants who came in the same period were aged 65 and over. In contrast, 11.5 per cent of the Canadian-born were in this age group. 7 Immigration may not be an option for all small communities Some small cities and rural areas will need to explore alternative sources of growth, such as domestic investment, tourism or retiree migration, or consider amalgamating with neighbouring communities. 5 CIC, Facts and Figures 2007, p. 53. 6 For more information, see www.triec.ca. 7 Statistics Canada, Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population, p. 13.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 8 Building Competitiveness through Diversity Embracing cultural diversity can give small Canadian communities a competitive edge in an economy dominated by large metropolises. Immigrants offer new perspectives on economic and social issues, and enrich their host communities with their cultural insights, knowledge, and creativity. According to a recent Conference Board report, communities that effectively utilize the skills of their immigrant and visible minority populations gain by increasing their social capital and cohesion. 8 Small towns planning for growth through immigration can learn valuable lessons from initiatives such as DiverseCity, a project aimed at promoting leadership diversity within organizations in the Greater Toronto Area. (See box DiverseCity: Promoting Diverse Leadership in the Greater Toronto Area. ) DiverseCity: Promoting Diverse Leadership in the Greater Toronto Area DiverseCity: The Greater Toronto Leadership Project was launched in November 2008. It is sponsored by the Maytree Foundation in partnership with the Toronto City Summit Alliance. DiverseCity is an eightprogram initiative that aims to increase the representation of ethnic and racial minorities within political, economic, and social leadership in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). DiverseCity was created in response to a call from more than 600 Toronto region leaders at the Alliance s 2007 Summit for a collective effort to diversify leadership to help the GTA better achieve, excel, and prosper. Source: Jon Sarpong, DiverseCity Works to Bring Diversity to Top Jobs Across the City. Benefits to Large Urban Centres Promoting immigration to smaller communities can help Canada s metropolitan centres, such as Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, to better settle and integrate their own immigrant populations. The concentration of immigrants in Canada s largest cities (see details in Section 2.1) puts a significant strain on their labour markets and social services. Diverting part of the immigrant stream towards smaller communities would play an important role in relieving these pressures. 8 Krywulak and Sisco, The Value of Diverse Leadership, p. 14. The term social capital refers to the quality and value of the relationships among individuals and groups, and the extent to which these relationships promote trust, cooperation, and collaboration.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 9 Chapter 2 The Lure of the Metropolis: Canada s Recent Immigration Trends Chapter Summary Large cities attract the majority of Canadian immigrants. Ethnic social networks play a key role in determining immigrant destination choices. Employment opportunities, community programs, and provincial immigrant selection policies can influence existing migration patterns and create new immigration destinations. The patterns of Canadian immigration have evolved over time, reflecting the changing nature of the Canadian economy and society. Before the 1930s, the majority of immigrants settled in rural areas and small towns where they became farmers, started businesses, or worked as agricultural labourers and domestic servants. Canada s industrial frontier, dominated by forestry, mining, and railway construction, also attracted a large number of immigrant workers, including temporary labour migrants. In the 1930s and 1940s, the global trend towards increased urbanization started a major shift in the geographic distribution of Canadian immigrants. For decades to come, large cities became the engines of economic growth, not only attracting the majority of new Canadians, but also siphoning off native-born population from rural areas and small towns. 2.1 Immigrant Destinations in Canada Today, the majority of Canadian immigrants continue to gravitate towards large cities. During 1998 2007, Canada welcomed an average of 227,911 immigrants per year, the vast majority settling in one of the CMAs. 9 Over the last decade, the proportion of immigrants destined for Canada s ten largest cities has consistently remained above 80 per cent of the total. (See Chart 1.) 300,000 250,000 Chart 1 Immigration to Canada's Ten Largest Cities, 1998-2007 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 Ten Largest Cities Other Destinations 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada 9 This figure includes only immigrants classified as permanent residents by CIC.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 10 Toronto, Vancouver, and Montréal lead all Canadian immigrant destinations, attracting more than 73 per cent of all immigrants admitted to Canada as permanent residents between 1998 and 2007. (See Chart 2.) Toronto received the majority (44 per cent) of these newcomers, followed by Vancouver (15 per cent), and Montréal (14 per cent). Chart 2 Immigrant Destinations in Canada, 1998-2007 Montreal 14.3 % Other Canada 26.8 % Vancouver 14.8 % Toronto 44.1% Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada Canada s other CMAs are the next most popular destinations for newcomers. During 1998 2007, Calgary attracted about 4 per cent of the new immigrant population, followed by Ottawa- Gatineau (3.3 per cent) and Edmonton (2.2 per cent). According to a recent study by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, there is evidence that immigrant settlement patterns are shifting towards suburban communities and smaller municipalities. 10 Even though more immigrants are choosing cities other than the big three, immigration in Canada remains overwhelmingly an urban phenomenon. The 2006 census data indicate that 94.9 per cent of Canada s foreign-born population live in either a CMA or a census agglomeration (i.e., an urban community). By comparison, these areas are home to 77.5 per cent of the Canadian-born population. 11 Immigration to small Canadian cities and rural areas has been little more than a trickle. In 2006, just 5.1 per cent of Canadian immigrants lived in small cities and rural areas, compared to 22.5 per cent of the Canadian-born population. 12 Even when smaller communities succeed in attracting immigrants, they find it difficult to keep them. Many immigrants move to larger Canadian cities shortly after arriving in Canada. Up to 15 per cent of immigrants in smaller communities move within six months after arrival, compared to 3.7 per cent in the case of 10 Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Immigration and Diversity in Canadian Cities and Communities, p. 5. 11 Watt, Krywulak, and Kitagawa, Renewing Immigration, p. 19. 12 Statistics Canada, Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population, p. 18.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 11 Toronto and Vancouver, and 2.3 per cent in Montreal. 13 Refugees tend to be the most mobile of all immigrant classes, followed by economic immigrants and family class immigrants. 2.2 Why Immigrants Settle Where They Do What attracts Canadian immigrants to large urban centres? The majority choose their destinations in Canada based on the presence of ethnic and kinship networks. Once a critical mass of immigrants from the same ethnic background establishes itself in a particular location, migration to that community begins to operate in a chain pattern, whereby new arrivals are brought in through informal networks of family and friends. Over time, immigrants begin to develop ethnically based resources and support strategies, further perpetuating existing migration trends. 14 Data from Statistics Canada s 2001 2003 Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC) highlight the importance of ethnic and family networks as a factor in immigrant destination choices. Of nearly 12,000 immigrants surveyed, 41 per cent chose their destinations because of a spouse, partner, or other family member currently living there. Another 18 per cent chose their destinations because they had friends in those locations. The prospect of employment, cited by 14 per cent of the immigrants, was the second most important reason behind destination choice. Close to 5 per cent based their decision on education prospects, another 5 per cent on lifestyle criteria, and 4 per cent on housing. (See Table 1.) Table 1 Top Factors that Influence Where Immigrants Settle in Canada Factors % of Immigrants Ethnic and Kinship Networks Spouses, Partners or other Family Members Friends Employment Education opportunities Lifestyle Housing 59 41 18 14 5 5 4 Source: Statistics Canada, Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada: Process, Progress and Prospects, pp. 11-13. 13 Houle, Secondary Migration of New Immigrants to Canada, p. 20. 14 See, for instance, Akbari and Sun, Immigrant Attraction and Retention: What Can Work and What Is Being Done in Atlantic Canada? p. 131.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 12 Settlement Patterns by Admission Class The reasons for settling in different areas of the country vary by immigrants admission class. For example, immigrants admitted in the economic class reported that family and friends and employment opportunities were equally important in their choice of location. Of the three largest metropolitan areas, Toronto was the most likely to be chosen by economic-class principal applicants because of the job prospects. Notably, employment-related reasons were more significant for economic-class principal applicants who decided to settle in smaller cities or outside a CMA. One-third of these immigrants cited jobs as the most important reason to move to these areas compared to only 20 per cent who settled there to join spouses, partners, or family members. 15 Settlement Patterns by Country of Origin The settlement patterns of recent immigrants also vary by their country of origin. Immigrants born in Northern and Western Europe and the U.S. have a greater tendency to go to smaller communities, while immigrants from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe are more inclined to settle in urban centres. Because Asia and Africa account for most of Canada s recent immigration, large cities remain preferred destinations for the majority of new arrivals. 16 2.3 Making Small Communities Destinations of Choice Will large cities remain Canada s preferred immigrant destinations in the foreseeable future? The answer is a definite yes. However, employment opportunities, community programs, and provincial immigrant selection policies can influence existing migration patterns and create new immigration destinations. Some small communities in Canada have fared well in attracting immigrants. For instance, a number of rural regions in Alberta and Manitoba are actively bringing in new immigrants to fill job vacancies. From 2000 to 2002, nine rural communities in these provinces were among the top thirty census divisions that attracted the most immigrants per capita. 17 Living in a small community can provide immigrants with a number of benefits, including lower living expenses, more affordable housing, safer neighbourhoods, and faster economic integration. Immigrants in smaller centres reach income parity with the Canadian-born population much faster than those immigrants who settle in larger metropolitan areas. 18 Research also shows that visible minority immigrants in communities of 10,000 or fewer people feel more welcome and experience less racial discomfort than those who live in big cities. 19 15 Statistics Canada. Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada, pp. 11 13. 16 Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Towards a More Balanced Geographic Distribution of Immigrants, p. 17. 17 Rose and Desmarais, Directions to Consider in Favour of the Regionalization of Immigration, p. 55. 18 Statistics of Canada. Immigrants in the Hinterlands, The Daily, January 25, 2008. 19 Small Towns Offer Visible Minorities Less Ethnic Friction, The Vancouver Sun, October 28, 2008.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 13 Most immigrants are not aware of these advantages. As a result, small communities may need an extra effort to offset the pull of large cities. Doing so requires concerted action from employers and other stakeholders to create job opportunities for newcomers, provide them with access to social services (housing, transportation, school and health care facilities, language training, etc.), and make them feel welcome. The good news for smaller communities is that there are many actions that have the potential to help them attract the immigrants they want. Employers, community leaders, and policy makers need to recognize this potential and work together to make small communities destinations of choice.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 14 Chapter 3 Building a Federal Provincial Municipal Partnership on Immigration Chapter Summary The immigration dialogue between various levels of government has resulted in a more flexible immigration system, which gives provinces, territories, and communities more power to use immigration as a means of addressing their economic and demographic needs. Provincial Nominee Programs are a key mechanism of encouraging immigration to small communities. Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia have created their own regionalization programs and tools to assist small communities in attracting and retaining immigrants. Canadian municipalities are seeking more funding and more voice in the national immigration dialogue. The past decade has witnessed an intensive dialogue on immigration between various levels of government. The result has been collaboration on a more flexible immigration system, which has increased the ability of provinces, territories, and communities to use immigration in addressing their economic and demographic needs. While the federal government still sets national immigration priorities and administers visa processing, Canadian provinces and territories now play a larger role in selecting, settling, and integrating economic-class immigrants than they did ten years ago. Employers and other stakeholders in small towns can use this more responsive system to work with provincial governments and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) in order to attract more immigrant talent to their communities. 3.1 Regionalization and Federal Immigration Policies A more equitable distribution of immigrants across Canada, referred to as regionalization, has recently become one of CIC s priorities. In 2001, CIC commissioned a study of potential strategies and approaches that could be undertaken to direct immigrants away from Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal to other large cities, smaller cities, and rural and remote areas. The study found that: provinces, regions, and cities will have to be successful at economic development if they want to attract and retain immigrants; the chances of longer retention are enhanced if the ethnic origins of new arrivals correspond to those of the existing community. 20 While acknowledging the difficulty of drawing immigrants away from large cities, the report recommended the use of financial incentives (e.g., waiving application fees), reduced entry requirements, and provincial nominee programs as mechanisms for increasing immigrant 20 CIC, Towards a More Balanced Geographic Distribution of Immigrants, pp. 55 57.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 15 dispersal. It also concludes that so-called second-tier cities, such as Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and metropolitan areas in southern Ontario, are the most promising alternatives to Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal. Recent immigration statistics largely support this conclusion. In 2002, the federal government put forward the idea of a social contract as a basis for obtaining for itself greater control over where immigrants would settle upon arriving in Canada. The proposal would allow prospective immigrants in the Skilled Worker category to sign a contract with CIC under which they would have to reside in a designated area for a term of up to five years before receiving permanent resident status. It was hoped that the newcomers would establish roots in these communities and remain there once their contractual obligations expired. The plan was abandoned after encountering considerable opposition, primarily on the grounds that it violated mobility rights enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 21 In recent years, the federal government has shifted its focus to giving the provinces more tools to develop their own attraction and retention strategies within the general policy framework developed through federal provincial consultations and incorporated in bilateral agreements on immigration. Federal provincial partnership on regionalization of immigration is formalized in a framework agreement, Federal Provincial Territorial Strategic Direction on Immigration, approved at the November 2005 meeting between the federal, provincial, and territorial immigration ministers. 22 As of March 2009, Canada has signed agreements on immigration with all ten provinces as well as Yukon. The federal government also sponsors community and regional initiatives that aim to develop tools and approaches designed to promote immigration to small centres. CIC helped organize two National Settlement Conferences in Kingston (2001) and Calgary (2003), which brought together immigrant settlement organizations, federal government departments, and the appropriate branches of provincial governments to discuss ways of enhancing the capacity of the settlement sector. One of the outcomes of this initiative was the creation of the National Working Group on Small Centres Strategies. A discussion paper, prepared by the Group for the 2003 conference, recommends that: Canada adopt an immigration strategy that increases the benefits of immigration to all parts of Canada; federal and provincial policies recognize and encourage small-centre initiatives that express the need and desire to attract new growth and retain existing population. 23 The Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres, produced under the auspices of the National Working Group on Small Centres Strategies in 2005 (with a second edition published in 2007), is an important first step towards assisting smaller communities in attracting and retaining immigrants. It provides advice and recommendations on: 21 Curry, Small City Immigration Plan on Track. 22 FPT Strategic Direction on Immigration, p. 3. 23 The Small Centre Strategy (The Regional Dispersion and Retention of Immigrants), p. 15.
building community consensus around immigration; Immigrant-Friendly Communities 16 engaging community stakeholders in planning and implementing an immigration strategy; key factors affecting immigration to small centres; using federal and provincial immigration programs to increase immigration to the community; creating a welcoming community that would ensure the integration and retention of newcomers. 24 Part of the funding for the Tool Box came through CIC s Welcoming Communities Initiative (WCI), which helps communities in Canada to overcome racism and discrimination as key barriers to the settlement and integration of new immigrants. In recent years, CIC has expanded settlement programs in the regions to include anti-racism elements and activities, such as leadership courses and peer anti-racism workshops for youth; interactive presentations in schools on the value of diversity and multiculturalism; awareness campaigns in schools and the community; and regional conferences on diversity. 25 Employers and other stakeholders in small communities can benefit from access to CIC s programs in creating a more welcoming social environment for new immigrants. 3.2 Provincial Programs and Initiatives Canadian provinces and territories today have more authority than a decade ago to set their immigration priorities and direct immigrant talent where they feel it is most needed. Federal provincial agreements on immigration provide provincial and territorial governments with tools to select immigrants based on the requirements of specific industries and regions. As a result, more Canadian provinces and territories are embarking on policies designed to increase immigration to small urban centres and rural communities. Provincial Nominee Programs: A Tool That Works Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) have become one the most effective mechanisms of encouraging immigrants to reside in small centres without infringing on their mobility rights. Immigrants applying as provincial nominees are assessed under provincial selection criteria and must have the skills, language abilities, education, and work experience needed to make an immediate economic contribution to the province or territory that nominates them. Compared to federal immigration programs, the PNPs have the flexibility to respond to employer and community needs in a more direct and timely manner, as well as attract immigrant entrepreneurs to the province. The structure of Canadian PNPs and selection criteria for each immigrant category vary depending on the province s needs and immigration priorities. Although PNPs 24 National Working Group on Small Centre Strategies, Attracting and Retaining Immigrants: A Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres. 25 CIC, Welcoming Communities Initiative.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 17 may contain province-specific nominee streams, all programs are driven by employers, who account for the majority of nominations in Canada. Today, all Canadian jurisdictions except Nunavut and the Northwest Territories have Provincial or Territorial Nominee Programs. 26 Between 2003 and 2007, the total number of permanent immigrants nominated by the provinces (including principal applicants and family members) grew from 4,418 to 17,095 (a 287 per cent increase). 27 Communities and employers are increasingly using PNPs to address their labour and population needs. (See especially Section 4.1 and Case Study 1 in Chapter 5.) Manitoba was the first province to launch a PNP in 1998 and is recognized today as Canada s leader in using the provincial nominee system to promote immigration to smaller centres. (See box First Out of the Gate: Lessons from the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program. ) A number of other provinces are attempting to increase the role of their PNPs as a gateway for immigrant talent. Nova Scotia, for instance, offers its economic stream nominees a Residency Refund option to help them stay and succeed in the province. This option enables economic stream nominees to apply for a refund of the $100,000 economic contribution without interest. Applicants must provide satisfactory evidence that they and their dependents have resided in Nova Scotia on a full-time basis for twelve consecutive months and that they are still living in the province at the time of application and assessment. 28 First Out of the Gate: Lessons from the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program In 1998, Manitoba became the first province to establish a Provincial Nominee Program, which has grown into an effective instrument of achieving greater dispersal of immigrants across the province and matching them with regional labour needs. Since the program was introduced, Manitoba s share of the national immigration total increased from 1.7 to 4.6 per cent in 2007. With over 30,000 skilled workers, business nominees, and their family members received since 1998, Manitoba also has Canada s largest share of provincial nominees. In 2007, the province admitted 7,689 provincial nominees or 45 per cent of the nation s total. In 2007, over 70 per cent of Manitoba s economic class immigrants and their dependents came through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP). The introduction of the MPNP has had a direct impact on the distribution of immigrants throughout the province. During 2003 2007, over 9,800 newcomers from over 150 countries settled in more than 130 regional communities in Manitoba. Compared with other immigrant categories, provincial nominees are more likely to settle in communities outside Winnipeg. In 2007, 28 per cent of provincial nominees chose regional destinations while only 15 per cent of immigrants in other categories did so. As a result of the increasing number of immigrants destined to small towns and rural areas, Winnipeg s share of the provincial immigration total fell from 90 per cent in 1998 to 76.5 per cent in 2007. Sources: Manitoba Labour and Immigration, Manitoba Immigration Facts: 2007 Statistical Report; Tom Carter et al., Attracting Immigrants to Smaller Urban and Rural Communities; and Government of Manitoba, How to Immigrate: Provincial Nominee Program, www2.immigratemanitoba.com. 26 Under the Canada-Québec Accord (1991), Québec has its own provisions to select immigrants. 27 CIC, Facts and Figures 2007, p. 8. 28 Nova Scotia Office of Immigration, Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) Fact Sheet.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 18 Recent statistics from across Canada show that immigrants who come as provincial nominees are less likely to reside in metropolitan centres than those arriving under federal immigration programs. For example, only 62.3 per cent of provincial nominees admitted to Nova Scotia in 2006 settled in Halifax compared to 73.7 per cent of the total number of the province s immigrants. 29 A similar situation exists in Saskatchewan, where 66 per cent of provincial nominees were destined to Saskatoon and Regina in 2006 compared to 75 per cent of all immigrants that settled in the province. 30 Provincial Initiatives to Support Immigration to Small Communities In addition to Provincial Nominee Programs, several Canadian provinces have developed targeted policies, programs, and tools designed to assist businesses and other stakeholders in the regions in their efforts to attract and retain immigrants. Québec, Manitoba, and British Columbia are three examples of Canadian jurisdictions that have undertaken province-wide initiatives to enable smaller communities to share in the benefits of immigration. Quebec Québec s recent regionalization initiatives are based on a close partnership between the provincial government and regional conferences of elected representatives (Conférences régionales des élus or CRÉs) regional consultative bodies consisting of municipal officials as well as representatives of various social and economic sectors. 31 A large degree of regional autonomy in setting immigration goals and implementing immigration programs has been a distinct feature of Quebec s regionalization policy. As of December 2006, the provincial Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities (MICC) had partnership agreements with ten CRÉs to help foster regional economic development through immigration. These agreements provide for varying arrangements depending on local conditions and the region s progress in relation to immigrant attraction, but MICC s own contribution is always placed at the disposal of the CRÉ, ensuring that the choice of projects and funding priorities rests with local authorities. 32 MICC works with CRÉs through its network of regional directorates to harmonize the provincial immigration objectives with regional priorities. The Ministry has also created a bilingual immigration portal containing detailed information on immigration opportunities and settlement services in each of Quebec s sixteen regions. 33 MICC s Regional Integration Program 29 Nova Scotia Office of Immigration. Nova Scotia Immigration Information and Fact Sheet, p. 2; and CIC, Facts and Figures 2007, p. 36. 30 Garcea, Immigration to Smaller Communities in Saskatchewan, pp. 136 137. 31 Conférences régionales des élus (CRÉs) were created in 2003 as part of a process of reviewing the province s relationships with regions and municipalities. CRÉs are formally recognized as the provincial government s main partners in matters of regional development, including drafting five-year development plans and reaching agreements with specific government ministries or agencies, or other partners. 32 Allen and Troestler, On the Ground with the Québec Government s Immigration Regionalization Strategy, pp. 64 66. 33 The English version of the website can be found at http://www.immigrationquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en/settle/index.html.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 19 (Programme régional d intégration) provides financial support to non-profit community organizations engaged in promoting immigration to areas outside Montréal, Laval, and Longueil. In 2005 06, MICC contributed financially to 26 projects administered by these organizations. This funding supplements MICC s financial contributions allocated to the CRÉs and municipalities under the ten regional agreements. 34 Manitoba Manitoba assists its small communities in developing immigration strategies through a set of online resources that provide recommendations on immigrant recruitment and settlement. The Community Immigration Planning Guide, created by Manitoba Labour and Immigration, provides small-town stakeholders with a step-by-step framework for recruiting, settling, and integrating immigrants. The Guide is based in part on Citizenship and Immigration Canada s Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres (see Section 3.1) and uses recommendations from four immigration case studies conducted in 2005 by Brandon University s Rural Development Institute in Steinbach, Winkler, Portage La Prairie, and the Parklands region. Two additional guides identify keys to success and best practices in developing community settlement services and English as an Additional Language (EAL) training programs. 35 Under the Manitoba Immigrant Integration Program, local businesses, settlement service providers, educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, municipal governments, and other eligible agencies can apply for funding to provide settlement services and language instruction for newcomers. British Columbia In British Columbia, the Ministry of Attorney General has partnered with Community Futures British Columbia and B.C. Skills Force Initiative to develop regional immigrant integration strategies for four regions Kootenay/Boundary, Thomson/Nicola Valley/Shuswap, the Northwest, and Vancouver Island. The key objective of the initiative is to foster a more inclusive and welcoming environment for new immigrants and promote their strengthened participation in civil society. Through this initiative, key stakeholders from each of the selected regions (Community Futures organizations, chambers of commerce, industry associations, educational institutions, immigrant service providers, multicultural societies, health authorities, and others) were brought together in February June 2008 to develop a regional immigrant integration strategy. 36 While each strategy is tailored to the needs of the specific regions, all follow a similar framework, including policies and measures related to information, employment, community awareness and receptivity, communication, and policy. (See box Regional Immigrant Integration Strategy: Vancouver Island Region. ) In June 2007, British Columbia launched the WelcomeBC initiative with the two-fold purpose of assisting immigrants in accessing a wide variety of settlement and integration services and ensuring that B.C. communities have the capacity to be welcoming and inclusive. The Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplaces Program (WICWP), which operates under the framework of WelcomeBC, provides funding to small communities in support of local initiatives fostering diversity and multiculturalism. 34 Ministry of Immigration and Cultural Communities, Regional Immigration in Québec and Refugee Settlement. 35 Manitoba Labour and Immigration, Community Immigration Planning Guide. 36 Wiest and Trepanier, The Development of Regional Immigrant Integration Strategies for B.C.
Immigrant-Friendly Communities 20 Regional Immigrant Integration Strategy: Vancouver Island Region 1. Information Pursue a Welcome to Vancouver Island branding initiative Collect, package and disseminate relevant information to newcomers Collect and share testimonials that document the experiences of the region s immigrants Follow up inquiries from immigrants and solicit their input Promote the greater visibility of immigrant-friendly establishments throughout the region 2. Employment Identify and promote job opportunities for immigrants Deliver workplace diversity training to regional businesses Develop and implement strategies of matching employers with suitably qualified immigrant workers Introduce mentoring/coaching programs to assist employers in retaining immigrant workers Work with employers to ensure that immigrant workers and families receive assistance and support in engaging in community activities 3. Community Awareness and Receptivity Engage local media in raising public awareness of the benefits of multicultural communities and helping to develop greater sensitivity to immigrant needs Ensure the development and delivery of easy-to-access multilingual services for immigrants Sensitize the existing community service providers to the special needs of immigrants and their families Promote the benefits of hiring immigrant workers Organize a series of annual multicultural welcoming events for immigrants in communities throughout the region 4. Communication Survey newcomers to better understand their needs and as a way of sharing information about available immigrant services Increase outreach to immigrants by identifying and promoting points of contact for newcomers Develop a communications strategy to enlist community support for the regional immigrant integration strategy Enlist local media in profiling immigrant success stories Organize a series of community-based events to recognize and celebrate cultural diversity 5. Policy Advocate for a speedier immigration application/approval process Work to improve the lack of settlement services for temporary foreign workers Explore opportunities to establish service delivery partnerships that would enable immigrant services to be delivered to the region s smaller communities Advocate for increased funding for the development of family retention strategies Work to eliminate inequity in funding for settlement services across Canada Advocate for an extension of employment terms for temporary workers Advocate for a more effective foreign credential recognition process Source: Wiest, Paul, and Ron Trepanier, The Development of Regional Immigrant Integration Strategies for B.C.