Nova Scotia's immigrant support agencies ramp up services to meet booming demand
CBC
Immigrants are coming to Nova Scotia in record numbers and support organizations in the province have ramped up their capacity to meet demand.
The province said last month that 6,169 permanent residents arrived in Nova Scotia in the first 10 months of 2021. Even with the pandemic, the number by the end of the year was expected to exceed the previous record of 7,580 set in 2019.
Booming immigration and inter-provincial migration have led to Nova Scotia's population exceeding one million for the first time.
Although immigration is a federal responsibility, Nova Scotia has some say in encouraging immigration to the province through the nominee program, which targets certain types of workers, and the Atlantic Immigration Program.
Jill Balser, Nova Scotia's labour and immigration minister, said an increase in immigration to the province brings genuine benefits.
"It's important to note that it's a planned population growth," she said. "We're looking at the talent that's required ... to build our economy and grow our economy."
It's a sentiment shared by Jennifer Watts, the CEO of Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia. Watts said ISANS has been excited by the increasing number of immigrants coming to the province as it is important for the economic and social development of Nova Scotia.
She said immigrants are helping to make the province a more diverse and inclusive place.
Balser said some immigrants are starting their own businesses while others are becoming part of the workforce.
The province and the Atlantic Immigration Program are working with employers to identify their needs, she said. Some areas identified that are now included in express entry categories are the hospitality industries, including restaurant workers, and the health-care sector.
Balser said getting workers here is one thing but keeping them is equally important, so retention is a main area of focus.
Communities need to welcome newcomers, she said, and the province is working with settlement agencies like ISANS and the YMCA to ensure that immigrants have the support they need.
Watts said ISANS provides a full range of services to immigrants.
"We offer resettlement programs and help people settle in and understand the community that they're living in, understand the Canadian school system and everything from how to use the transit system to a wide, wide variety of community resources," she said.