National Immigration Month Bill

Honourable senators, I rise today to voice my support for Bill S-215, An Act respecting National Immigration Month.

I would like to first recognize Senator Gerba for her continued advocacy on this bill, introducing it again in this new Parliament. I would also like to thank my Senate colleagues who have also shared their thoughts in support of Bill S-215 last week.

Canadian identity has always been and continues to be shaped by the exceptional contributions of immigrants. The Canada we know today would not exist if not for the dedication, resilience and cultural diversity brought by those who came from abroad. We are very fortunate to have such a diverse population and multicultural mosaic in our country. A national immigration month would offer a much-needed opportunity to celebrate their contributions and our diversity, as well as to push back against the growing anti-immigrant attitudes in our country.

From coast to coast to coast, we all benefit from the many contributions of immigrants. In the West, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway depended on the work of Chinese immigrants, who withstood dangerous working conditions. Here in Ottawa, we pass the Rideau Canal daily, a site that is the culmination of the hard work, in perilous conditions, of Irish immigrants in the early 1800s. On the East Coast, we have Pier 21 in Halifax, where nearly 1 million immigrants landed in Canada over 43 years.

Last week, Senator Gerba told us about the experiences she and her husband had, coming from Cameroon. Senator Mégie spoke of the immigration of Haitians in the 1960s and 1970s and shared her own personal story of coming to Canada. Senator Ravalia mentioned his story, coming from what is now known as Zimbabwe. Colleagues, by sharing their own stories, they have highlighted just how much immigration has impacted and benefited Canada, including right here in our chamber.

Canada was a place of safety and new beginnings for more than 7,000 refugees from Kosovo between 1999 and 2001. Last week, I had the privilege of attending the International Forum on Women, Peace and Security in Kosovo, where I heard some of their powerful stories first-hand. I was deeply touched, not only by what they had been through but by the way in which Canada welcomed them and became their new home. These Canadians cherish our country and are rightfully proud of their journey to Canada.

While I don’t have any first-hand experience in immigrating to Canada, I would note that three generations ago my family emigrated from Scotland. Most of us have come from somewhere else at some point in our heritage, and I support newcomers to Canada who want to build their futures here.

Today, immigrants make up a considerable portion of our population. Immigrants accounted for 23% of the population in 2021, which was the largest proportion in over 150 years. Also, Canada has the highest proportion of immigrants among G7 countries, and I think that should be a source of great pride.

In Atlantic Canada alone, the share of recent newcomers settling in our provinces has almost tripled in 15 years, between 2006 and 2021. In my home province of New Brunswick, it rose from nearly 7,500 in 2015 to nearly 40,000 in 2023. This is an indication of Canada’s inclusive and welcoming spirit, one that we have carefully fostered throughout our nation’s history. As my colleagues have highlighted in their statements, this welcoming attitude towards immigrants is the result of a long history of advocacy and positive change to protect the rights of immigrants in our country. However, we still have work to do to reinforce our capacity to welcome and retain newcomers in our communities.

In the midst of growing anti-immigrant sentiments, I would like to highlight the ways in which immigrants are critical to the strengthening of our economy. Provincial labour markets have historically relied on newcomers to respond to labour shortages. Again, I will use the example of my home province of New Brunswick, where immigration is critical to the strength and, indeed, to the survival of our economy.

The New Brunswick Labour Market Outlook 2023-2032 projected that between 2022 and 2032, our province is expected to see a population growth of 11.4%. Labour force and employment are forecasted to grow by 9.1% and 9.6%, respectively. In addition, 98,000 individuals who are expected to retire will need to be replaced, and an additional 35,000 jobs are expected to result from economic growth. These will also need to be filled.

Even with a significant portion of these openings being filled by young New Brunswickers, the projected population growth alone will not be large enough to meet the future demand for labour, as New Brunswick is actually expected to experience negative natural population growth. Young people entering the labour force for the first time will fill only 54% of these forecasted job openings, as projected by the New Brunswick job report.

To bridge the forecasted gap between population growth and labour growth, the remaining 46% will need to be filled through a mix of immigration, workers from other provinces and increased rates of labour force participation. However, as our colleague Senator Ravalia so eloquently stated in his statement last Thursday, newcomers to Canada continue to face significant obstacles in their journeys, obstacles that make it difficult for newcomers to join the workforce and contribute to our shared economy. I believe we must do our part to support immigrants as they overcome these barriers.

I have long been an advocate for newcomers, doing my part to help them navigate and overcome these challenges, in particular in my past life at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce. For example, at the chamber we prioritized the creation of programs aimed at supporting newcomers. We ran the Business Immigrant Mentorship Program; The Hive, which was an incubator centre for newcomer entrepreneurs; and Succession Connect, which helped build connections between those in our community looking to transfer their businesses and newcomers who were looking to put down roots in the community and buy a business. These programs served as an example for other communities across Canada.

I also volunteered with the Opportunities NB’s connector program, helping mentor international students and other newcomers and connecting them to people within my network. These may seem like small contributions, but it is the little things that we can do to make a critical difference to someone who is new to a province or region and needs guidance to navigate a new and unfamiliar environment.

Recently, I was invited to Ignite in Fredericton to speak with their Economic Empowerment Program for Immigrant Women, which is aimed at helping immigrant women learn and build the necessary soft skills to own a business or pursue a rewarding career in Canada. I had the honour of sharing my expertise and advice with women who came from Ukraine, Vietnam, Nigeria, Jordan, Nepal and many other countries. They have made Fredericton and New Brunswick their home. They were intelligent, bright and engaged, and they were focused on building successful futures and homes here in Canada.

By supporting newcomers across the country, we are contributing to the success of all Canadians. We have many success stories in New Brunswick and across the country in all sectors. The proposed national immigration month is a step in the right direction to recognize the benefits that immigration has given our country and to ensure that we continue to help newcomers succeed from coast to coast to coast.

It is easy to see immigrants as data points instead of seeing them as individuals who each have their own potential and ability to contribute to our culture and to our economy. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we approach immigration in a welcoming way and see immigrants for what they are: friends, neighbours and fellow Canadians.

In my hometown of Fredericton, we have long celebrated an immigration month with events, celebrations and storytelling. Let us extend this tradition across the country so that we can all share in the celebration of the contributions immigrants have made to our country. Let our approach to immigration live up to the core values that we as Canadians hold dear, such as inclusion, diversity and economic prosperity.

By instituting a national immigration month, we reinforce our commitment to these values and send a powerful message to Canadians and the international community that Canada will continue to recognize and protect our immigrant population.

I am proud to support Bill S-215 and hope that my fellow senators share in my support for this important bill and will send it to committee for further study.

Thank you, wela’lin.