Canadian small towns hoping immigrants will replace exodus to cities

An increasing number of rural counties and small towns in the Canadian backwoods are hoping that new arrivals in the country will replace locals fleeing to the big cities.

Dwindling populations in Canada’s more remote regions are affecting local economies, with town councils attempting to attract more expat incomers to fill their needs. The recent trend of moves to the big cities is devastating local communities in Canada’s rural counties.

Findings from the 2011 census revealed that 35 per cent of the total population now live in the country’s three largest cities, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.The cities, it seems, are booming, whilst the rural regions are suffering from a loss of workers.

Across the country from Alberta to Ontario and in the northern provinces, there a real need for immigrants and especially for entrepreneurs and qualified professionals. Simcoe County in Ontario is taking the challenge seriously by developing its own website aimed at attracting new arrivals to its jobs, inexpensive property and business opportunities.

The site’s 300 pages of content tells immigrants all they need to know about living and working in a friendly, attractive environment. A representative from Simcoe’s local immigration partnership spoke at the Ontario Association of Municipalities’ annual conference, describing the county’s online attempts to up its population and introduce new businesses.

He stated that 74 per cent of new immigrants put their roots down in the big cities, with only 650 per year ending up in Simcoe after first settling elsewhere. The website, it's hoped, will bring a rush new immigrants directly to the county.