Citizenship and Immigration Committee on June 15th, 2026

[David Pierce]

Absolutely. I couldn't be more in agreement with that point.

If you're a CFO for a large company, or if you're running your small or medium-sized business, you're looking at these conditions and asking, “Do I have a future here in Canada?”

That is a fundamental risk that our businesses are facing at a time when there are active policies in the United States to draw business to the U.S. That's a risk.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

You mentioned that top performers are leaving Canada or considering leaving Canada. Can you elaborate? What are the reasons for that? Why are they doing so, beyond what you already mentioned? This is for either Mr. Pierce or Ms. Patterson.

[Anne Patterson]

I would be very happy to respond. Thank you.

In the digital economy and in the technology sector, we see a risk that newcomers will leave Canada. It's a jumping-off point, very frequently, to the U.S., particularly for folks who are in pursuit of higher salaries. Sometimes when newcomers come to Canada, we see that their skills are not strictly aligned to needs. That ties to our advocacy for greater skills alignment. They will go to markets in which they can capture the economic opportunities that are aligned to their skills.

Earnings are part of it. Employer recognition of newcomers as a valuable talent pool also matters. We see that 7% of technology talent exits Canada within the first five years upon arrival. It's not a huge number, but it is something to consider. Retention, making sure that employers have the ability to retain talent and making sure that wages are not suppressed all matter.

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

My last question is for Mr. Pierce.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

I'm sorry, Mr. Zuberi. We're over time.

Thank you, Mr. Pierce.

Mr. Deschênes, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Mr. Pierce, from what you said, I gather you think the reduction in the number of temporary foreign workers will result in and is already causing businesses to shut down. It is also reducing output in the manufacturing sector. You also mentioned retail.

So, in your opinion, what is the risk to the economy if things continue as they are?

[David Pierce]

Put simply, the risk is economic contraction—businesses shrinking, productivity reducing, competitiveness becoming a challenge, and it being harder to grow businesses and add shifts, so they simply won't.

In terms of the biggest risk, I keep pleading with this committee to step back and look at the broader context of the risk we're facing with the United States right now. There's an active campaign by the United States to recruit our companies to the U.S. We need to make it as attractive as possible to do business here. That includes having access to the labour that can operate the shifts, the mills and the facilities.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

I want to hear your thoughts on the situation in the regions, because that's something I hear a lot about in my riding. Things are different in remote regions since the labour pool isn't always as large.

Do you think the government's approach takes regional realities into account at present?

[David Pierce]

We were encouraged in some ways by the government's policy changes last year. They started to rely more on provincial governments through nominations and looking to provincial governments to dictate what they need in their regions. We feel that the country's too complex for somebody in Ottawa to make a decision and parse out immigration across the country. We think provinces need to be at the table. Industry needs to be working alongside them.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

What would you recommend to better address regional realities?

[David Pierce]

It would be leveraging labour market data. Where there is a labour shortage, that should immediately trigger our immigration system to pivot and to open either a dedicated stream in that regard or whatever the case may be. It would be leveraging the data from not just from Canada but also from the provincial governments.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Mr. Deschênes.

Thank you, Mr. Pierce.

That concludes this panel.

On that, Mr. Pierce, if you have any specific recommendations, I think it would be helpful if you could elaborate. Other countries have industry councils in which they bring the federal, provincial and municipal levels together. They bring the local and regional data together. Basically, right across the country they look at what the skills and labour needs are. They focus first on employing their current population, and then they look at how they fill in the gaps. I think any recommendations you have very specifically would be very useful for us.

[David Pierce]

We'd love to provide that. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

That goes for you as well, Ms. Patterson. We're looking for excellent recommendations here.

I want to thank both of you for your excellent testimony today and for your patience in answering our questions.

Thank you to all my colleagues for their excellent questions.

With that, I'll pause while we bring on board the next panel.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Welcome to our second panel, which is being held in a hybrid format. One of our witnesses is joining us online, and the other one is here in person.

I'm going to make a few comments for the benefit of our new witnesses.

Kindly wait until I recognize you by name before speaking.

For those on Zoom, at the bottom of your screen, you can select the appropriate channel for interpretation, either French or English. Of course, for those in the room, you can use the earpiece. I see that you've already done that, which is great. You can ask your questions in either English or French, and I will let you know when you have only one minute left.

This is a reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair.

Please do not speak over each other. It makes it very difficult for our interpreters to interpret and to correctly hear the conversation.

Now I would like to welcome our witnesses for the second panel.

From the City of Brampton and here online, we have Paul Aldunate, senior manager, economic development and international relations.

Welcome, Mr. Aldunate.

From the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, Local 67, we have Nathan Bergstrand, business manager.

Welcome to you as well.

You will each be given five minutes for opening remarks, after which we will proceed to rounds of questions.

I'll let you know that, when the bells go, I'll have to get unanimous consent for us to continue.

Mr. Aldunate, we'll have you begin for five minutes, and your five minutes begin now.

[Paul Aldunate, Senior Manager, Economic Development and International Relations, City of Brampton]

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee, for the opportunity to appear before you today. My name is Paul Aldunate, and I serve as a senior manager of economic development for the City of Brampton. I am pleased to speak on behalf of our municipality and the employers, workers and communities we support. Brampton is one of Canada's fastest-growing and most diverse cities. More than half of our residents were born outside Canada, and immigration has been fundamental to our economic success. Newcomers have strengthened our labour force, launched businesses, driven innovation and supported growth in advanced manufacturing, logistics, food processing, health care, technology, aerospace and cybersecurity. As this committee studies how Canada can better attract, retain and empower global talent, I would like to offer a municipal perspective grounded in the realities we see every day.

I will begin with workforce stability and the risk of losing existing talent. Last year, the City of Brampton convened a round table with local employers, industry leaders and provincial partners to discuss immigration and workforce challenges. The message was clear: Immigration policy is economic policy. One Brampton manufacturer shared a striking statistic. Approximately 15% of their workforce is on expiring work permits. When combined with the 7% natural turnover most businesses experience, they are facing a potential 22% loss of staff within the next 18 months. This is not an isolated case. Multiple employers across Brampton reported similar numbers. They describe this as a return to COVID-era disruption, except that this time, the instability is avoidable. Losing trained, integrated workers at this scale would reduce efficiency, increase onboarding demands and create operational uncertainty at a time when businesses are trying to grow.

Employers also emphasize that unemployment levels do not solve the problem. In 2026, Ontario's unemployment rate ranged from 7% to 8%; in the Toronto CMA, which includes Brampton and the region of Peel, it was approximately 7.6%. Even with the higher unemployment rate, there are simply not enough available workers to replace the 22% loss. As one employer put it, the math doesn't work. Just as importantly, employers stress the loss of experience and complementary skill sets. Many temporary workers bring advanced international training that pairs effectively with Canadian-educated workers. These mixed teams have proven to be more productive than either group alone. Losing their workers means losing that synergy, that mentorship and that productivity, all of which directly benefit our local economy.

The second item is access to specialized global expertise. The challenge relates to securing short-term access to highly specialized international technicians. Several Brampton manufacturers rely on foreign experts to install, calibrate, maintain or train staff on advanced equipment. According to those businesses, recent regulatory changes have made it increasingly difficult to obtain approvals for these short-term visits. In some cases, machinery worth millions of dollars will remain idle because the required experience could not enter Canada.

A third item is aligning immigration policy with regional economic realities. Brampton's experience also highlights the importance of aligning immigration pathways with regional labour market conditions. Our city has the highest labour surplus of any major municipality in Canada. For decades, residential growth significantly outpaced employment growth. While Brampton is now one of the top job-attracting municipalities in the country, the sheer scale of our population and the pace of residential development has made it difficult to keep up. This history underscores a key point. Immigration policy cannot be separated from economic development policy. The challenge is not simply the number of workers available; it is ensuring that immigration pathways support investment, productivity and long-term economic growth in regions with very different labour market dynamics. From Brampton's perspective, the question is not whether Canada needs talent but whether our immigration system is responsive enough to regional realities and whether it enables employers and communities to fully utilize the talent already here.

The fourth item is supporting entrepreneurial immigration. Canada must also continue to attract and retain entrepreneurial talent. In Brampton, immigrant entrepreneurs have been essential to our economic growth. The city had invested in entrepreneurial infrastructure, including the BHive, a soft landing space and innovation space to support founders. Through this work, we've seen how immigrant entrepreneurs create jobs, attract investment and strengthen local innovation ecosystems. As the federal government considers the future of entrepreneurial immigration, we encourage the development of a modernized successor to the start-up visa program, one that is more responsive to regional needs and more closely integrated with local economic development networks.

The recommendations are as follows: One, increase Ontario's allocation under the provincial nominee program and provide greater flexibility to align immigration selection with regional labour market conditions and economic development priorities.

Two, establish streamlined pathways for specialized international experts who support manufacturing, technology transfer, equipment installation and workforce training.

Three, develop a modernized entrepreneurial immigration pathway that leverages local innovation ecosystems, including what we have here in Brampton called Brampton's BHive, to attract high-potential founders and support job creation in communities across Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Thank you, Mr. Aldunate.

I'm sorry; that's the end of your time.

Now we have five minutes for Mr. Bergstrand. Your five minutes start now.

[Nathan Bergstrand, Business Manager, United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry, LU67]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good day to the members here in attendance.

I would like to thank the chair and the vice-chair for the invitation today.

My name is Nathan Bergstrand. I'm the business manager of United Association Local 67 of plumbers, steamfitters and welders, and I'm absolutely honoured to be here with you all today.

My lineage of Bergstrands came here from Norway in the early 1900s and was given land in Quebec, aptly named Swedeville, near Sherbrooke. My grandfather is most remembered by my family for working on a massive bridge project upon arrival in the early 1900s.

My mother's side is probably from Belfast, Northern Ireland. My aunt and uncle were born there. Mom was born here in Canada but grew up in Belfast. After the family moved to Canada, my grandfather worked for decades at Stelco steel in Hamilton.

My mother, Lorraine Bergstrand, was inspirational to me. She is the reason I sit before you today. Part of my childhood was spent watching my mother on Cable 14 after school, as she was a ward 1 councillor in Dunnville, before she moved on to become a regional councillor for the county of Haldimand—Norfolk. From there, she was elected as mayor of Dunnville before being amalgamated into the county of Haldimand, where she served as the first mayor of the newly formed Haldimand County. She later attempted an unsuccessful provincial campaign for the Liberals before moving on to a successful career in the private sector.

I tell you this because politics was just as important in our household as hockey, fishing or sport shooting is in others. The conversation around the dinner table always gravitated towards current political events.

My grandfather Ernie joined Local 67 in 1948, my dad joined in 1967, and I joined as a third-generation member in 2001. My father Randy was a second-generation steamfitter by trade. While his heart can be found at the lake as an avid fisherman, his workmanship and good name in the trade helped carry me into the position of business manager of Local 67. This is the reason I sit before you today.

I was elected business manager of Local 67 in 2015, at the age of 34. I have both my mother and father to thank for that and how I got here today. In my 25 years as a member of UA and 11 years as manager, I have learned much after believing that I had already known it all.

The United Association of plumbers, pipefitters, welders and apprentices of Local 67 has been around since June 24, 1899. We celebrated our 125th anniversary just two years ago. We encompass Hamilton, Brantford and Niagara. We currently have 2,077 total members, which includes 1,100 active members, several hundred active and inactive retirees and roughly 450 apprentices and counting. We currently deliver apprenticeship training for both pressure welders and steamfitters at our union hall. Through our apprenticeship programs, we produce the best tradesmen and women throughout the country, in my opinion.

Much like those in the other skilled trades, UA members build Canada. We build schools, hospitals, high-rises, arenas, steel mills, paper mills, chemical facilities, nuclear and solar power plants, natural gas cogeneration plants, pipelines, gas distribution networks, oil refineries and all other aspects of infrastructure that you can imagine.

The union trade system is unique. We, as many other union trades, have a system of travel cards. If one local needs more workers, it calls upon its fellow union halls throughout the province; if need be, we reach out more broadly throughout the country. We fan out to those union halls in need of employment and bring in skilled members within our system to fill job requirements of long and short duration. This is how we are so effective in completing highly important jobs of short and long duration, which can arise quickly and with high workforce demands, that are critical to important infrastructure and industry, such as responding to—

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

Mr. Bergstrand, hold on for one second, please.

The bells are ringing. I need unanimous approval for us to continue.

Shall we continue until a quarter to one? Does that give enough time?

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

What time is the vote?

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

The vote is at 1 p.m. I can go until 10 to one, if everybody wants to get a round in.

[A voice]

I can only wait until 12:45. I don't [Inaudible—Editor].

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

We can get one round in each.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London Centre, ON]

If we do a quarter to, I think it would be [Inaudible—Editor].

[The Chair, Liberal, Julie Dzerowicz]

There are two different things right here.

Go ahead, Ms. Rempel Garner.