Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 19th, 2017

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to all of you for coming and giving us your perspectives.

All of us around this table—from this side, that side, and every side—want the east coast to do well. We are all on your side. I can give you the immigrant point of view. I came to Ontario 40-plus years ago. I came to a situation similar to what you are going to go through, an absolutely white country. When the immigrants come, they are looking for jobs, nothing but the jobs. They want to work five days, six days, seven days. They want to be successful. They want to rent their own apartment. A year down the road they want to buy a car. Two years down the road they want to buy a house. This is how the economy goes. This is how we succeeded in Ontario. I'm hoping you do the same.

We heard over and over that the original population is shrinking. What are the main reasons? Is it fewer births, or people moving away? Can anybody tell us something about that?

Please, go ahead.

[Wadih Fares]

The reality is that for Canadians the birth rate is not there anymore. The old families used to have four or five kids, but no more. That doesn't exist anymore. That's number one.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Right.

[Wadih Fares]

We need to grow the population. We believe that immigration is one of the most important elements that we can use to grow the population.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Absolutely, and we all believe that. This is why Ontario is doing very well, because most immigrants are coming here.

[Wadih Fares]

The challenge is not only in Canada but around the world. The whole world is competing for immigrants. Every country in the world is competing for immigrants.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Does this have something to do with the unemployment or the wages?

[Wadih Fares]

I've never worried about an immigrant finding a job. I'll tell you one thing. If someone decides to leave their country, their parents, their home, friends, language, and culture, and go to a strange land, they're not lazy. They have the energy. They're out there and they came here to make good, to have a good life and a more comfortable life. They're looking for opportunities. Look at us in Canada. Immigrants came in and built this country.

I can tell you that in Nova Scotia—allow me to say this about the Lebanese community, because I'm of Lebanese background—they did a study two years ago. Every Lebanese person accounts for 3.8 jobs in Halifax. This is immigration. These are immigrants. I'm not worried about them.

I worry about what Gerry said, and I agree with her. The community sponsor program is the most important program we could put in, because if I come to Canada and I have a community that I can take comfort in, I stay. This is the most important thing, because even if I have a job, what happens after five o'clock? What happens on Saturday and Sunday? You have to make immigrants and newcomers comfortable.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

But remember that immigrants are always looking for opportunities. I'll tell you that 44 years ago when I came here, the biggest and toughest part was to find a job.

[Wadih Fares]

They find their own jobs. They make their own jobs.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

I tell you, it took me nine months to find my first job.

[Wadih Fares]

That's easy: nine months. What's nine months?

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

People who come to you or to me or anybody else, they are looking for the opportunity—

[Wadih Fares]

But nothing—

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

That was my question.

[Wadih Fares]

Nothing is so easy. You have to come here and get yourself familiar with the surroundings—

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Fares, I know this. I've gone through it. You guys came much after that. The situation was much better than in the days I came from. I want to make sure that we do—

[Wadih Fares]

I came when I was 18 years old.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

—the study so everybody understands. We want to make sure that people go to these—

[Wadih Fares]

That's right, but allow me to say this. There are examples everywhere. I came when I was 18 years old. I didn't even speak English. I went to university. There are stories like that. What I'm saying is that immigrants prove themselves—

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Okay. Let me speak to Adam.

Adam, would you have any opinion on it?

[Adam Mugridge]

Here's my opinion. Are there jobs? Absolutely, there are jobs. We can't find enough workers to fill the jobs we have right now, and we're talking about rural coastal communities. I think a question came up about why people left, and why the population is declining. You started your comment with that.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Yes.

[Adam Mugridge]

There's something that I was going to say, and I can relate to it personally. Some of my friends comment that there are no “good jobs”. What is a good job? That's a relative statement, but at the time, currently, do we consider a fish plant job a good job? I think it's a good job. I think it could be improved upon, and we're making steps to make it more attractive to all workers. Certainly, yes, there is....

Even in communities that have high unemployment, I think that number is not reflective of reality. I think that just because there's a high unemployment number.... We still can't find workers. There is a labour shortage despite that number. I think it's misleading to a lot of people when they see that.

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Is there anything from you, Ms. Mills?