Federal government to launch new immigration policy for Atlantic Canada

The key to more economic and social growth in Atlantic Canada is attracting more “new Canadians,” to the region, Liberal MP Scott Brison says.

“We’re going to have a new immigration policy for Atlantic Canada very soon,” the Kings-Hants member of Parliament told the Truro Daily News, following a presentation at a chamber of commerce luncheon this week.

“We see it as being central to our future as a region, economically and socially.”

Brison said a new set of policies will be launched in the near future aimed at attracting and retaining more immigrants to Atlantic Canada after hearing from provincial representatives that the federal government “in the past” has not been as strong a partner as it should be.

“Immigration is key to driving growth in our economy,” he said. “In Atlantic Canada we’ve got a terrible demographic trend line in terms of an aging and teetering on decline- population. And the best way to address that is through immigration.”

Brison suggested it is time to mirror what Manitoba has been doing by connecting immigration to labour market needs.

And we are also at the age, he said, where the general populace must “banish ‘come from away’ from our vocabulary” because that mindset only deepens the prejudice or stigma against those who choose to come here.

“Someone who actually chose to come here is quite special and they see opportunities that we don’t see,” Brison said. “Whereas we see obstacles, they see opportunities. And they create jobs.”

Source: thewesternstar.com