Roll out the welcome mat

Atlantic Canada offers golden opportunity for American immigration to escape Trump

What are the key elements of a Canadian strategy in the context of the new Trump Administration? For Atlantic Canada, there should be only one game in town: get as many highly-talented Americans as possible to move to the region, as soon as possible. I am not talking about dozens or scores of Americans, but rather thousands of educated, skilled, ambitious Americans – whatever their political stripes.

There is no shame in being explicit about Canada’s intention to capitalize on political uncertainty south of our border by identifying, seducing and recruiting some of the best and brightest to relocate northward. The smartest countries in the world – led by Singapore and Israel – operate on this logic constantly. The Americans profited over the last century from the immigration (much of it targeted) of thousands of brilliant minds from unstable countries.

Indeed, it is entirely consistent with the founding traditions of our country to offer a new home to American brethren who are ill at ease with their political circumstances. Most notable is the case of the United Empire Loyalists, who were so instrumental in the early political and economic development of Canada in general, and the Maritimes especially.

For Atlantic Canada, this is a world-historical opportunity – but one that is necessarily time-limited. Other countries – hungry for American talent – could eventually displace us in the imagination of today’s prospective migrants.

What’s to be done by the four provinces of the region? Answer: roll out the red carpet, big-time. Fly to American cities to meet with top professionals, older and younger alike – in business, science and culture – and then fly these same people to the region’s beautiful cities and towns to show them around. Break bread with them. Show these people how they and their families can live.

Tell them that Atlantic Canada is building, and that they will be key players in the building up of Canada’s most beautiful region as it prepares for the 21st century. This idea of making them dream, and dream big, is a critical part of the sell.

What does Atlantic Canada have to offer top Americans? First, a culturally and linguistically familiar, extremely hospitable, physically magnificent, safe and politically happy and peaceful base from which to foist their talents onto the world. Second, considerable physical space, solid institutions, and the opportunity to build and live well. And third, proximity to their old home (America), including its massive market.

Let us not understate the import of being asked to move in the first place – flattery is an important part of every seduction.

While the Atlantic provinces should be first movers in executing their own campaigns for American migration – that is, not awaiting a full national strategy, which may never come – Ottawa should do everything possible to accelerate processing times for American immigrants. This would be in recognition of the time-limited nature of the opportunity and the fact that Americans are, perhaps among all foreign nationals, the most likely to integrate into Canadian society with minimal friction.

Top-tier Americans would not be coming to Atlantic Canada merely to fill discrete job openings, but rather to be the major employers of the future, as well as the term-setters in the Atlantic Canadian, Canadian and global economies of this century. It is time for the region to seize on this unique opportunity.