Canadian Government Helps Launch Tool Box To Attract Immigrants To Smaller Communities
06/02/2008
"Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres" is a resource aimed at attracting immigrants to smaller communities, and supporting their settlement and integration across Canada.
Parliamentary Secretary Ed Komarnicki, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, joined provincial, municipal and community partners to launch the "Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres".
The Tool Box addresses topics such as: creating local opportunities; setting practical objectives; building consensus; involving the community; the importance of family ties, employment, and housing services; accessing existing opportunities under current immigration rules as they relate to skilled and business immigrants, provincial nominees, refugees and temporary residents; and, factors needed to create a welcoming community, such as respect for diversity, accessibility of public services and educational facilities, health, safety, faith and spirituality and leisure activities.
"The Government of Canada believes in the importance of immigration, and we are a proud partner in this initiative," said Mr. Komarnicki. "We want to help smaller communities across the country to benefit from immigration and this tool box will help them develop their own immigration strategies."
This comprehensive guide was created in response to an expressed interest by smaller communities in attracting newcomers. It includes information on immigration and employment realities, and recommendations on strategies for building support, reducing barriers and creating welcoming communities.
The National Working Group on Small Centre Strategies, which organized this initiative, includes representatives from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, provincial governments, and immigrant settlement service providing organizations.
Jean McRae, Executive Director of the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria and a member of the National Working Group said "The Tool Kit is a practical tool for smaller centres to use as they build a strategy to address the issues surrounding the attraction and retention of immigrants to their community. It allows communities to be creative while encouraging active participation from existing community members as they build an inclusive plan for newcomers."
In early 2007, the Canadian census data showed that Canada has the fastest population growth of any Group of Eight industrialized country. Canada relies heavily on Highly Skilled Migrants and immigration could become the only source for population growth by 2030
The trend in migration is still leaning towards urbanization but the census shows a significant growth in the smaller communities. This "Tool Box "is one way to make smaller communities and towns more attractive to migrants.
Background facts:
"In 2006, 94.9% of Canada's foreign-born population and 97.2% of recent immigrants who landed in the last five years lived in either a census metropolitan area or a census agglomeration, i.e., urban community. This compares with 77.5% of the Canadian-born population. Conversely, only 5.1% of the immigrant population lived in a rural area in 2006, compared with 22.5% of the Canadian-born population". (National Statistical Agency)
Overall, the Government of Canada is investing $1.4 billion in settlement funding over five years to provinces and territories outside of Quebec, which receives annual funding through a separate agreement.
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