HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Business, Politics & the Economy


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #41  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2011, 2:57 PM
-Harlington-'s Avatar
-Harlington- -Harlington- is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Halifax-Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,097


Province wants to triple immigrant numbers



By DAVID JACKSON Provincial Reporter
Sat, Apr 30 - 4:54 AM

The provincial government wants to triple the number of immigrants to Nova Scotia by the end of this decade and will press Ottawa for help doing it.

Premier Darrell Dexter and Immigration Minister Marilyn More released a new immigration strategy at Pier 21 in Halifax on Friday.

It sets targets of 5,000 new Nova Scotians annually by 2015, and 7,200 by 2020. There were 2,424 new immigrants in 2009, according to the provincial Office of Immigration.

Dexter said the province will continue lobbying Ottawa to lift the cap on the provincial nominee program, now set at 500. That doesn’t include the nominee’s family.

"It doesn’t make any sense, if we all agree that immigration is critical to economic development and then place a limit on that development," Dexter said.

The program allows the province to nominate immigrants who help meet the province’s labour and economic needs to have their entry to Canada fast-tracked by Ottawa.

Dexter said it’s unfair that Manitoba, with a population slightly larger than Nova Scotia’s, can nominate 5,000 people — 10 times as many as this province. There are about 1.2 million people in Manitoba, about 33 per cent more than in Nova Scotia.

Manitoba attracted 13,500 immigrants in 2009, more than five times as many as Nova Scotia, according to that province’s Labour and Immigration Department.

Tom Peck, a provincial immigration spokesman, said the big reason Manitoba’s numbers dwarf Nova Scotia’s is the prairie province’s nominee program started in 1998, seven years before Nova Scotia’s was up and running.

Dexter said, to be fair to Ottawa, that 2010 was the first year the province hit the cap for 500 nominees, but that underlines the need to remove it.

Federal Immigration Minister Jason Kenney told The Chronicle Herald in December that removing the cap isn’t a simple matter. He said other provinces and groups also want limits lifted, but Ottawa didn’t want to increase the number of immigrants — 265,000 — it planned to allow in the country in 2011.

Dexter said the program is important but not "the linchpin to a successful immigration strategy."

The province is putting another $790,000 into programs supporting immigration. The strategy promises improvements to settlement programs, encouragement for temporary foreign workers to stay here, and earlier recognition of foreign workers’ credentials.

There will also be a bigger effort to provide prospective immigrants with information about life here, from the cost of homes to getting children into schools to required work credentials. Making that type of information easily accessible can make a big difference in attracting people, said Claudette Legault, director of programs and services with Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services in Halifax.

"Whichever province can get that (pre-landing) piece down right first is going to be the draw for immigrants just coming to Canada," Legault said.

Liberal immigration critic Michel Samson said he’s cautiously optimistic about the strategy, but he wanted to hear more from Dexter about efforts to lift the nominee cap.

"I realize the premier’s indication we can’t put our eggs all in one basket, but the nominee program has, by far, proven to be the most successful tool used in the province of Nova Scotia, not only to bring immigrants here, but to actually keep them here," he said.

Progressive Conservative Leader Jamie Baillie said he’d prefer a target of at least 10,000 new immigrants a year. He said that’s projected as the minimum required to maintain the province’s population, never mind growing it.

"It is no time to be incremental or modest. It’s a time to be bold, and the strategy in my view is not bold enough," Baillie said.

He said he would like to see the province emulate Manitoba, which has settlement offices in rural parts of the province and a targeted approach to attracting immigrants.

The strategy says there will be a focus on countries and regions that have workers with the skills and transferable credentials to meet labour market needs.

( djackson@herald.ca)
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #42  
Old Posted Apr 30, 2011, 3:29 PM
PoscStudent's Avatar
PoscStudent PoscStudent is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: St. John's
Posts: 3,752
How does Nova Scotia do in retaining immigrants?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #43  
Old Posted May 1, 2011, 1:38 PM
terrynorthend terrynorthend is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,054
I dont understand the role the federal government has in determining WHERE the 265,000 immigrants settle. Sounds a bit fascist to me. If accepted to Canada, a newcomer should be free to settle where he wants; close to family, a potential job, a community, etc.

Even if we divide up those quotas by prop. pop., NS should be allocated about 6,900 of those 265,000 immigrants for our 900,000 population, based on a Canadian pop. of 35M.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #44  
Old Posted May 1, 2011, 2:11 PM
NBNYer's Avatar
NBNYer NBNYer is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Moncton
Posts: 1,222
Quote:
Originally Posted by terrynorthend View Post
I dont understand the role the federal government has in determining WHERE the 265,000 immigrants settle. Sounds a bit fascist to me. If accepted to Canada, a newcomer should be free to settle where he wants; close to family, a potential job, a community, etc.
I think its mostly through incentives, marketing of areas immigrants are less familiar with rather than tell people where to go. Not all immigrants like the big cities, they may just not be as familiar with smaller canadian cities and provinces and just settle for the larger cities that they know.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #45  
Old Posted May 1, 2011, 3:18 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
Honored Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto area (ex-Nova Scotian)
Posts: 5,558
I read that Manitoba tries to attract immigrants from areas that are most apt to stay in the province (probably Scandinavian countries with cold weather).

I think for Nova Scotia, places like Scotland, Germany, and other European countries with similar weather might want to stay in Nova Scotia, and these countries are relatively close by airplane (for visiting relatives after moving). Immigrants like to immigrate to areas that have same-country immigrant communities. I think in Halifax there is a fairly large Lebanese community so this could be another area to target.

If Nova Scotia feels that it can attract and retain people from China (maybe the colder northern parts) and India then those two countries have lots of people who want to emigrate. There are also the Caribbean countries which are close to Nova Scotia by airplane (but will people from the tropical countries want to stay in Nova Scotia?).

If the economy started to boom in Nova Scotia then it could attract some ex-Maritimers from other parts of Canada. There is no quota on attracting people from other parts of Canada - the Maritimes have been drained of people moving to Alberta and Ontario.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #46  
Old Posted May 1, 2011, 4:32 PM
PoscStudent's Avatar
PoscStudent PoscStudent is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: St. John's
Posts: 3,752
Does job prospects determine where they are allowed to settle I wonder?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #47  
Old Posted May 3, 2011, 3:40 AM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
Honored Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto area (ex-Nova Scotian)
Posts: 5,558
Quote:
Originally Posted by PoscStudent View Post
Does job prospects determine where they are allowed to settle I wonder?
Maybe not officially, but unofficially I think that it would (it makes sense also).

Halifax has to let Ottawa know about its low unemployment rate and forecast of tradesman shortages in the future.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #48  
Old Posted May 3, 2011, 5:13 AM
PoscStudent's Avatar
PoscStudent PoscStudent is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: St. John's
Posts: 3,752
Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
Maybe not officially, but unofficially I think that it would (it makes sense also).

Halifax has to let Ottawa know about its low unemployment rate and forecast of tradesman shortages in the future.
The unemployment rate compared to western cities though is higher and Halifax's is based a lot on government jobs where western cities aren't as much.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #49  
Old Posted May 3, 2011, 5:38 AM
someone123's Avatar
someone123 someone123 is offline
hähnchenbrüstfiletstüc
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 33,677
Quote:
Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
Maybe not officially, but unofficially I think that it would (it makes sense also).
I suspect that it just comes down to whether or not a province lobbies the federal government to increase the maximum. Nova Scotia hasn't done that.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #50  
Old Posted May 13, 2011, 6:11 PM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Planet earth
Posts: 3,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by someone123 View Post
I suspect that it just comes down to whether or not a province lobbies the federal government to increase the maximum. Nova Scotia hasn't done that.
It surprises me that they haven't to be honest. Considering the impending boomer retirement out here in Alberta, I know the oil sands and many companies are freaking out.

The situation may actually be even more pronounced in places like Nova Scotia and HRM because there - when you get a job, you generally devote a long time to that group. I know many people that are working with HRM that have moved up the ladder, but have stayed there. When they retire, it will create openings in middle and upper management. This is why I say it may be more pronounced. Another example is my aunt - she works with Tourism and has been there for almost 25 years. Government is a good example of where the retirement will create huge gaps in all levels.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #51  
Old Posted May 17, 2011, 10:28 PM
Jstaleness's Avatar
Jstaleness Jstaleness is offline
Jelly Bean Sandwich
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Dartmouth
Posts: 1,678
I once again did my part in helping Halifax's population. Although she was unexpected, my girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday night. We seriously didn't know she was even pregnant until the baby was born.
Watch for us on that TLC TV show about it. We have submitted our story.
__________________
I can't hear you with my eyes closed
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #52  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 2:05 AM
-Harlington-'s Avatar
-Harlington- -Harlington- is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Halifax-Nova Scotia
Posts: 1,097
lol, nice
and congrats
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #53  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 3:34 AM
halifaxboyns halifaxboyns is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Planet earth
Posts: 3,883
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstaleness View Post
I once again did my part in helping Halifax's population. Although she was unexpected, my girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday night. We seriously didn't know she was even pregnant until the baby was born.
Watch for us on that TLC TV show about it. We have submitted our story.
Right on! Way to go!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #54  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 3:38 AM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
Honored Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Toronto area (ex-Nova Scotian)
Posts: 5,558
I remember reading about a year ago that there was a baby boom occurring in the Halifax area hospitals. Now jobs need to be created to keep this newborn generation in Nova Scotia.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #55  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 4:46 AM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
we built this city
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,799
Like the shipbuilding contract...
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #56  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 9:52 AM
MonctonRad's Avatar
MonctonRad MonctonRad is online now
Wildcats Rule!!
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Moncton NB
Posts: 34,453
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstaleness View Post
I once again did my part in helping Halifax's population. Although she was unexpected, my girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday night. We seriously didn't know she was even pregnant until the baby was born.
Watch for us on that TLC TV show about it. We have submitted our story.
I don't know if you are being facetious or not, but it does happen....

I remember clearly once when I was an intern doing my obstetrics rotation in Sydney. A woman presented to Labour & Delivery at Saint Rita's in some distress. She told me "i think I might be pregnant". I delivered a healthy baby boy about 15 minutes later.

Congratulations!
__________________
Go 'Cats Go
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #57  
Old Posted May 18, 2011, 8:20 PM
Jstaleness's Avatar
Jstaleness Jstaleness is offline
Jelly Bean Sandwich
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Dartmouth
Posts: 1,678
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonctonRad View Post
I don't know if you are being facetious or not, but it does happen....

Congratulations!
100% the truth.
__________________
I can't hear you with my eyes closed
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #58  
Old Posted May 19, 2011, 7:54 AM
josh_cat_eyes's Avatar
josh_cat_eyes josh_cat_eyes is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Moncton NB
Posts: 2,450
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstaleness View Post
100% the truth.
This happened to 2 people I know in the last month. One girl was even into drinking and smoking, but somehow the baby is heathy. She is VERY lucky. Neither of them had any idea. The other girl actually didn't have it yet, but she is 7 1/2 months.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #59  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2011, 7:03 PM
jasonashhh jasonashhh is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: dartmouth
Posts: 32
I wonder what the shipbuilding contract will add to this hmmm
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #60  
Old Posted Jun 3, 2011, 8:08 PM
someone123's Avatar
someone123 someone123 is offline
hähnchenbrüstfiletstüc
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 33,677
Well, that contract is not a done deal. I do suspect that Halifax has good chances based on the strengths of the shipyard though -- no pork barrel politics required.

If Halifax does get the 11,500 or so jobs the impact will be huge. I'm not sure how much that includes spinoff jobs.
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Atlantic Provinces > Halifax > Business, Politics & the Economy
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 9:55 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.