Canada’s Pattern of Immigration Spreads East and West

There are now more than seven million first generation immigrants in the country and almost four million have come to Canada in the past 20 years. From 1991 to 2006, Ontario attracted 54.5 percent of the immigrant population. During the same period, the Maritime Provinces attracted less than 1 percent of the immigrants and Saskatchewan only attracted 0.6 percent.  In recent years the distribution of new immigrants within Canada is rapidly changing.

The pattern of immigration in recent years has not only been changing towards western Canada. In 2011, 2.7 percent of all immigrants settled in Maritime Provinces and 2.9 percent settled in Saskatchewan. Places like New Brunswick are seeking immigrant workers to replace retiring workers and employers are bringing in immigrant workers because they cant find local people that are willing to work year round. Hence, New Brunswick has witnessed a 42 percent increase in immigrants over the past five years.