According to the three Maritime premiers, the Atlantic Provinces badly need more immigrants, while former New Brunswick premier proposed his own solution: require newcomers to live in the region.
"The imperative to have an immigration profile that is similar to the rest of the country in all aspects is mission critical," Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan said recently.
He was reacting to a recent op-ed piece written by Frank McKenna, where the former New Brunswick premier says boosting Atlantic Canada's population through immigration is necessary to combat the region's aging and declining populations.
McKenna, who is now deputy chairman of the Toronto-Dominion Bank, said in an interview that the federal government should create a special program for Atlantic Canada that would require immigrants to live three to five years in the region before they are granted citizenship. His advice is badly misguided.
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil appears closer to the mark when he says that the provinces have a responsibility to work with communities and social groups to create the infrastructure and support system so that immigrants who come to the region will want to stay.
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The content of this article reflects the personal insight of Attorney Colin Singer and needs no disclaimer