March, 2004
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report was developed against the backdrop of an animated public debate on Cape Bretion’s future largely from the perspective of the depreciating effects of depopulation. It has been assembled at the behest of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation under the direction of a Steering Committee comprising representives of a variety of community segments, including human resource development, economic devlopment, youth, citizenship and immigration, and local government. The consulting team was led by Dan White & Associates Limited and included Tom Denton and Bay East Solutions.
The overall objectives of the study as set down in the terms of reference were to:
• develop an immigration strategy for Cape Breton with the potential to attract 600 immigrants over a five year term;
• determine likely skill shortatges in Cape Beton over the next decade or more and consider the impact of immigration; and
• develop a long-term immigration strategy that will contribute to economic growth.
This work is the product of primary and secondary research, reviews of published reports and extensive web research, examination of best practices, consultation with key informants, and interviews with interested community stakeholders, various program officials, immigration consultants and labour market analysists. As well, an interim report and preliminary strategic directions were prepared and presented to the Steering Committee and senior officials of Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation.
The report reviews world, Canadian, and Atlantic regional population trends:
• population numbers will rise and peak mid-century, then decline;
• the Canadian population will grow older, retire, shrink, and impact the labour market;
• people everywhere are migrating to cities; large cities are growing larger;
• immigration policies and numbers can modify these trends but will not change them;
• the Atlantic region does not get its proportional share of immigrants to Canada;
• within the region, Cape Breton is attracting only about 20 immigrants a year; and
• robust societies / economies attract migrants; welcoming communities retain them.
Cape Breton's approach to its population issues must acknowledge the link to economic realities, and should be a "population strategy" of which immigration is but one component.
• Cape Breton's small population of immigrants is comparatively well-educated, and has achieved better than average economic success even though not participating in the labour market to the same degree as the general population;
• Cape Breton achieved success with its program to attract retirees, since discontinued due to funding; and
• Cape Breton can anticipate that over the next five years it will experience job openings in high demand occupations, perhaps as many as 1,000.
An immigration strategy for Cape Breton must conform to Federal immigration laws and regulations, as modified by the Province's immigration agreement with Ottawa.
• Family Class immigration holds little promise for Cape Breton at this time, but in later years could prove useful as an echo effect of earlier immigrant arrivals;
• Economic Classes immigration, in the Business subclassification, is an attractive instrument for economic development, but its small numbers of likely immigrants makes it of minor usefulness as a population strategy (even with business success breeding some possibility of an immigration spin-off);
• The Skilled Worker subclassification of the Economic Classes holds promise for Cape Breton, particularly if the Province is prepared to develop its Provincial Nominee Program along the lines that have been negotiated and developed in Manitoba for its highly successful Provincial Nominee Program;
• The Refugee Resettlement program holds the most immediate promise for Cape Breton, particularly if it can receive an allocation of persons under the Federal government-assisted refugee resettlement program; this program develops its own echo effect in subsequent years when other overseas refugees linked to these arrivals are identified for private sponsorship by churches and community groups, and a chain effect takes over; and
• The report cautions that Canadian overseas staff are stretched to the limit processing current immigration numbers, and that in most immigration cases long delays can be anticipated in getting through the queues.
The key to the successful retention of immigrants is a "welcoming community", a term inferring:
• the prospect of employment that is acceptable, suitable, and offers opportunity;
• suitable and affordable housing;
• family or ethnic community connections, or failing these, an actively hospitable community; of course, a hospitable community is needed in any event;
• good educational facilities, including facilities for English language acquisition;
• a proficient immigrant settlement agency, skilled in offering initial supports and services;
• an open and tolerant community that offers easy networking opportunities;
• health, wellness, and other service-providing agencies of a good standard; and
• cultural and faith institutions appropriate to the newcomer.
The report emphasizes the importance of community consensus and support around the population strategy and immigration themes, and the need for a structure and dynamic leadership if this is to be achieved, newcomers attracted, successfully resettled, and retained in sufficient numbers to justify the effort and expense.
Within the context of a population strategy that should have other components, the report recommends that an initial immigration focus be upon the development of a Refugee Resettlement program, a Business immigrant program, and a Skilled Worker program as modified by a Provincial Nominee Program. The report looks at a five-year model, and cautions that a build-up in numbers will only occur over time.