Growing The Population Is Still New Brunswick’s Top Priority
Jun 21, 2021
by Krista Ross
With New Brunswick moving to Phase 2 on the province’s “Path to Green” last week and vaccination progress being made throughout much of the world, it’s time to refocus on some of our pre-pandemic priorities – the most important of which is growing our population.
Demographically, newcomers are typically younger, often with families and have a significant positive economic impact on our communities. They start businesses, create jobs, fill vacant positions and bring expertise – increasing the creation of net new businesses and jobs in the city, expanding the tax base for all levels of government, unlocking wealth creation, and making our community more prosperous. Immigrants also bring social diversity, global perspectives and are active volunteers in our communities. According to the most recent Census data (2016), 6,445 immigrants live in the city of Fredericton, comprising 11 percent of the population.
Fredericton’s community and stakeholder groups have intentionally and collaboratively worked closely together to attract, welcome and settle newcomers for more than a decade, culminating with the launch of the City of Fredericton’s five-year immigration strategy in 2019. As part of that strategy, the Fredericton chamber coordinates the Immigration Advocacy Committee to bring concerns and ideas that can support newcomers to government. Some of the current efforts of this committee at the provincial level include:
- Calling on the government to create an “Immigration Ombud” position that can act as an advocate on policy issues and for newcomers trying to navigate the system.
- Working with government to review recent changes to the business stream of the Provincial Nominee Program.
- Advocating for permanent residents to be granted municipal voting rights.
- Expanding family reunification programs.
At the federal level, we are advocating that the government provide resources to speed up the Startup Visa program. We are also focused on attracting and retaining more international students
For more information follow the link bellow:
https://huddle.today/growing-the-population-is-still-new-brunswicks-top-priority