Immigration into Sask. communities increasing

REGINA — What a difference three years can make to the diversity of a province.

Rural Saskatchewan used to have difficulty attracting and retaining immigrants but small communities around the province are now becoming increasingly cosmopolitan.

The Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin released by Statistics Canada on Monday provides a snapshot of Canada's rural and small town areas in 2006 — a time when immigrants accounted for 5.3 per cent of the nation's population. In Saskatchewan, immigrants accounted for 2.6 per cent of the total population — 0.3 per cent were new immigrants.

Between 2001 and 2006, 15,000 people left Saskatchewan — the highest net migration in the country, said Roland Beshiri, co-author of the Statistics Canada report.

"The migration of people in general looked very bad at that time for Saskatchewan," he said. "It sounds as though things are much better now."

That's the case in Whitewood — a community of 1,000 people who are benefiting by the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's January trip to the Philippines, which resulted in 72 registered nurses hired for hard-to-recruit positions.

Thirty nurses — expected to arrive in late August — will be working in rural hospitals, health centres and long-term care facilities in Whitewood, Balcarres, Broadview, Grenfell, Imperial, Indian Head, Lestock, Montmarte, Moosomin, Raymore, Fort Qu'Appelle and Wolseley.

Mayor Malcolm Green said Whitewood will put out the welcome mat for two Filipino registered nurses when they arrive.

"Our goal is to make sure they're very comfortable so they want to stay here," Green said. "These positions aren't getting treated any different than if a nurse wanted to come here from any province in Canada. The incentive is exactly the same."

The nurses will join several other Filipino women who are working in the area as a senior's companion and as nannys.

"Like anybody who moves to your community, they add value and become part of the community," Green said.

Rob Norris, the minister responsible for immigration in the province, said in his government's first year, more than 1,400 newcomers settled in communities outside of Regina and Saskatoon. He expects that will increase with the launch of a new immigration strategy.

"We will be bringing in 10,000 newcomers from around the world over the next 18 months," Norris said.

His goal is to create more diverse, dynamic and cosmopolitan communities right across the province.

"The good news today is that newcomers are settling in more than 160 communities in Saskatchewan — 30 per cent are locating outside of Regina and Saskatoon and while there is still a significant focus on Regina and Saskatoon, we are seeing a greater geographic distribution and that's very healthy," he said.

A significant number of newcomers to the province are welders, truck drivers, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers, registered nurses and carpenters.


Manitoba's population jumps by a record 14,007


Source: CBC News

Manitoba experienced record population growth in the last 12 months, growing by 14,007, according to Statistics Canada.

Since the current record-keeping system began in 1971, Manitoba's population has never increased so much in a 12-month period. The previous record year was 1983-84 when the population grew by 13,615.

Andrew Swan, training and trade minister, said Wednesday that international immigrants are behind the population boost. Manitoba welcomed more than 12,000 immigrants between April 2008 and April 2009, another modern-day record.

"All Manitobans should be very pleased that more people are choosing this province as a great place to live and work," Swan said. "We are all looking forward to further strong population growth in the coming years."

The population growth is a direct result of Manitoba's provincial nominee program, which helps facilitate immigration to Manitoba for skilled and eager workers, he said.

"In the first year following the launch of the provincial nominee program in 1998, only 11.2 per cent of immigrants were provincial nominees," he said. "Now, they constitute more than 70 per cent of all the immigrants coming to Manitoba."

According to Statistics Canada data released Tuesday, Manitoba's population stood at 1,217,200 people as of April 1.



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