During the past 30+ years, Canada’s population has grown by more than 25 per cent. Yet during the same period, Nova Scotia’s population increased by a mere three per cent.
Experts believe the modest growth combined with an aging population could lead to economic disaster for the province. The solution in the immediate term is an increasing immigration rate to Nova Scotia.
But the federal government controls immigration and puts a cap on how many immigrants can go to which province and when.
Last month, the Nova Scotia government said it would create two immigrant streams to attract newcomers — one as entrepreneurs and one for International University students to remain and work in the province.
Ottawa recently agreed to allow Nova Scotia another 300 immigrants to fast track under the federal government’s express entry streams.
Despite this positive development, Nova Scotia still needs three times these numbers of immigrants it currently receives in order to significantly increase its population levels.