Immigration growing in Nova Scotia
Province offers various opportunities
Nova Scotia’s immigrant population is diverse and swiftly growing, according to new data.
Nationwide immigration numbers collected from the 2016 census and released Wednesday shows the number of landed immigrants and permanent residents in Nova Scotia is now at 55,675, or 6.1 per cent of the overall population.
While this is lower than other provinces and the national rate of 22 per cent, the number of newcomers to Nova Scotia is growing. From 2011 to 2016, Nova Scotia saw a 15 per cent jump in immigration, which was fuelled in part by Syrian refugees who have settled in the province. More than 20 per cent of Nova Scotia’s immigrant population landed in the last five years.
So where are these newcomers coming from? The Statistics Canada data shows that the majority of recent immigrants (from 2011 to 2016) came to Nova Scotia from the Philippines (12.7 per cent), the United Kingdom (9.2 per cent), and China (8.4 per cent). In that five-year period, 885 or 7.5 per cent, of the immigrants came from Syria.
Elizabeth Eustaquio-Domondon, the Philippines’ honorary vice-consul in Halifax, says Filipinos immigrate to Nova Scotia and Canada for the same reasons she came here in 1999: family and opportunity.
“When I was living in the Philippines I would hear good words about how good Canada is (and) how good Canadian people are,” she said.
Eustaquio-Domondon said news of economic opportunities travels by word of mouth through family and friends, and often entire families will immigrate together. The vibrant Filipino community in Nova Scotia — which includes a number of organizations and groups aimed at keeping the culture alive in Canada — as well as the existence of organizations like the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia that help newcomers settle, are major draws.
Eustaquio-Domondon said a significant number of Filipino immigrants work in the healthcare field, many as nurses. She said newcomers often work as in-home caregivers while they achieve their licence requirements to practise in Canada.
Gerry Mills, executive director of the immigrant services association, called the increase in immigration exciting.