Evidence of meeting #67 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was immigrants.
A video is available from Parliament.
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Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Association for Newcomers to Canada
—whereby people wanting to do business are unable to get access to it.
The other one is public transit.
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Liberal
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Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This is for all of the witnesses from Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Let's say that we somehow figure out a way of increasing the flow of immigrants to Atlantic Canada. Will there be jobs available, and will there be housing available?
Let's start with Ms. Parisio.
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Coordinator, Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
I will answer in French, if you don't mind.
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Coordinator, Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
According to the studies that have been done recently, that is the case.
By 2025, the decline in the working-age population in Newfoundland and Labrador will be 10% or 35,000 people. So there's absolutely a clear need.
As in New Brunswick, we have already reached the target for nominees for the pilot program. We have already reached the number of job offers and vacancies, and it has only been three months. In fact, I am absolutely convinced that there is a need.
As for housing, it is true that it is a challenge for us. We could, however, consider new models. For example, there are a lot of practically vacant houses, which are inhabited by only one or two aging people. We could also create housing for the elderly, which would free up housing for immigrants.
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Coordinator, Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador
I'm not sure. The provincial government and the municipalities could participate, I imagine.
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Executive Director, New Brunswick Multicultural Council
As I mentioned during my remarks, 1,700 jobs have been identified by employers who have completed expressions of interest in the pilot to date.
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Executive Director, New Brunswick Multicultural Council
Those are full-time jobs. They qualify under the pilot.
That's within three months of that stream opening up. I think what we have here is a disconnect, in that certain sectors are having trouble finding workers in New Brunswick.
Our chief economist in New Brunswick, David Campbell, provided some data surrounding our specific industries. Fewer than 5% of workers in New Brunswick's business services sector are immigrants. In Vancouver it's 47%. In Toronto it's—
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Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Let me stop you for a minute, sir. Those are great facts to give to us, but would new immigrants be able to fill those positions that are available?
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Executive Director, New Brunswick Multicultural Council
As I explained, 1,700 jobs have been identified as unfilled—
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Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
I understand that, but would new immigrants, if we were to somehow figure out a process of getting new immigrants to come to...? I think you're speaking on behalf of New Brunswick. Would new immigrants be able to fill those jobs? I trust that some of them are technical jobs where you have to have education, technical capabilities. Would they be able to fill those jobs?
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Executive Director, New Brunswick Multicultural Council
Employers will seek people who have the skills. They'll screen for employees, just as any employer would, and hire and recruit employees who meet the qualifications for that job. These employers are doing that process internationally.
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Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Would we only accept immigrants with those qualities to come to New Brunswick?
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Executive Director, New Brunswick Multicultural Council
That's the premise behind the Atlantic pilot: that they're coming to address an immediate labour market need.
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Executive Director, Prince Edward Island Association for Newcomers to Canada
Right now, about 60% to 70% of our clients in our employment assistance service are finding work. We have growing sectors in Prince Edward Island in bioscience and in aerospace, with high demands for highly educated and experienced employees.
Frankly, new immigrant businesses are starting up through the provincial nominee program, and they're hiring.
Yes, then, I think there's both a demand and, as we're seeing, we're able to supply them through our employment assistance process.
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Conservative
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Conservative
David Tilson Conservative Dufferin—Caledon, ON
Wow.
Mr. Chairman, through you to anyone.... We'll try with Mr. Mackie.
In Ontario, for example, there are issues of language, issues of education for new immigrants, in other words, issues of transition. How would Prince Edward Island handle those issues?
