Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - October 2009
A new, aggressive recruitment campaign for Prince Edward Island appears to be successfully attracting immigrants, according to the latest figures from Statistics Canada.
In the second quarter of this year, the population of PEI has grown by 0.53 per cent, second in growth only to Alberta and the largest jump for that time period in 30 years.
Much of this growth is attributed to the new campaign being used to attract skilled immigrants from abroad. The province has shifted away from selling its physical beauty to selling an image of a safe, laid-back and balanced lifestyle.
So far it is working for immigrants from places such as China where gridlock and traffic can cause hours-long delays in commuting.
The province also aims to sell its Provincial Nominee Program, which fast-tracks permanent residency for workers whose skills are in demand. PEI offers settlement assistance such as language classes and foreign student assessments to help place new arrivals in appropriate schooling programs. They have even raised public awareness in an attempt to spread openness and acceptance among Islanders who have been in the province for generations.
At the same time the province is still trying to lure back residents who have migrated inter-provincially seeking more educational and financial opportunities elsewhere. Despite becoming a viable option for immigrants, the province does acknowledge that they need also to focus their efforts on retaining newcomers on a long-term basis.
�PEI is a very attractive option for people,� said Alan Campbell, whose portfolio as the province�s Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning includes immigration. �But, at the end of the day, we all have to eat and pay our bills.�
Source: Globe and Mail
