Newcomers streaming to mid-sized cities mainly due to emerging economic and employment prospects

According to a new statistics by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the mid-sized cities are now attracting increasing number of immigrants than large urban centers where stream of newcomers is either flatlined or even declined in recent years.

The figures show the number of immigrants taking up residence in Toronto dropped to 87,136 last year from 99,293 a year earlier, a decline of roughly 12 per cent, while the number coming to Vancouver slipped to 32,920 from 36,273, a drop of just over nine per cent. Montreal was up slightly to 38,710 from 38,391.

Meanwhile, Charlottetown was up 73 per cent to 801, Moncton 31 per cent to 343, Saskatoon 40 per cent to 1,618, Winnipeg 10 per cent to 8,472 and Red Deer 93 per cent to 567. It was a mixed picture in British Columbia's smaller centers, with gains in Kelowna, Chilliwack, Nanaimo and Victoria and declines in Kamloops, Abbotsford and Prince George.

The change reflects shifting economic and employment prospects across the country and efforts made by comparatively smaller centers to attract and retain newcomers. Various successful regional initiatives such as expansion in provincial nomination programs (in terms of extended family members and international students) and federal programs designed to encourage immigrants to settle in diverse areas of country are some of the reasons attributed to this shift.

In their efforts to spread newcomers across the country, CIC has been encouraging smaller communities to benefit from immigration for their growth and sustainability. For this purpose, CIC is providing them with enhanced guidelines and increased funding to help develop their own immigration strategy and build an inclusive settlement plan for newcomers.

Major urban cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are often cited as a preferred destination for newcomers because of their established ethnic communities and greater economic opportunities for individuals who do not have a high proficiency in English or French. These three largest metropolises absorb around 67 per cent of newcomers to Canada each year.

However, the recent figures have shown that newcomers who settle in smaller cities often enjoy a more successful economic integration. Labor force participation is highest in areas outside Canada’s threes largest metropolises, unemployment rates are lower, incomes are higher, and housing is less crowded. Moreover, immigrants have begun to appreciate the advantages of living in a smaller city, away from the congestion, pollution, noise and stress of a big city.

This influx of immigrants is very beneficial to small and mid-sized cities in terms of increasing the labor pool, raising the municipal tax base, and adding greater cultural diversification to the communities.