Newfoundland and Labrador's population is shrinking. A possible solution is to bring immigrant families to the province to start a new life
Melissa Wong
Kicker
Fozia Wasim and her husband are fasting for Ramadan but serve their young children french fries for supper.
In 2006, Fozia and her family left Pakistan to pursue a master’s degree in business administration in the United States. She left the U.S. in 2010 to pursue a doctorate in chemistry at Memorial University, with her husband, Wasim Rauf, and nine-month-old son, Harim Wasim. Six years ago, their daughter, Bareeha Wasim, was born a Canadian citizen.
“We all got Canadian citizenship… this year,” Fozia said.
Newfoundland and Labrador needs immigrant families such as theirs. With less babies born, people moving away and an aging population there is a need to maintain the population with young immigrants and their families to make Newfoundland and Labrador their home.
Another immigrant family helping Newfoundland and Labrador reverse the shrinking population is Mona Khalil, Abdul kafi Almustafa, and their five children.
Khalil and Almustafa fled Syria in 2013. During their five years in Turkey, Khalil met, Jeremy Burridge, a Newfoundlander in an English class. He started a group to sponsor Khalil and her family. Kahlil said they have been in Newfoundland and Labrador since last July.
"This is our home," Khalil said. "It did not take more than a day to feel that.
"I came here with my language," Khalil added. "I did not learn English in this country. I learned before I came here."
Since she knew English, Khalil was able to make friends quickly. Because she speaks both English and Arabic, she was able to get a job with the Association for New Canadians within a month after her arrival.
Khalil does acknowledge that adjusting to life in this province would be more of a challenge for someone who does not speak English.
"I started watching everyone do it, the way they talk at work - I had to learn how to do my job and how to speak, you know, properly."
Rolling out welcome mats
Lan Gien, a retired Memorial University nursing professor, authored a paper called Attracting and Retaining Immigrates to Newfoundland and Labrador.
"Many of them (international students) in my study say they didn't feel supported when they were here," Gien said. "MUN and the College of North Atlantic should look at how to support... (international students) better."
"When they stay… they ask their friends and their families to come," Gien added.
According to Gien, if an immigrant feels isolated, they could leave and tell other people about their bad experience which could discourage other immigrants from coming to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Immigrants could feel they are not part of the community or do not deserve employment because they come from outside the province. Tony Fang, a Memorial University professor of economics and the Stephen Jarislowsky chair in cultural and economic transformation, said the province needs to be welcoming to immigrants.
"I think in order to help them to settle, not only short term but long term, we need to... (be) inclusive right? Being part of the society, part of the economy,” said Fang.
“It is like a loop,” Gien said. “For example, if you don't have enough immigrants in a place and the immigrants in a place do not feel it is a good experience, it will not attract more immigrants."
A provincial government strategic plan called The Way Forward outlines a strategy to confront this issue and many others. The Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism has partnered with MunicipalitiesNL and on April 24 funding of $567,000 was announced to support a WelcomeNL initiative.
The WelcomeNL initiative focuses on helping communities welcome and retain immigrants, provide resources and raise awareness.
The Way Forward plan and organizations such as The Association for New Canadians, an immigrant settlement agency, helped second language programs organize so immigrants can find work and make new friends.
Having immigrants from similar countries in areas together may help give them a feeling of support and belonging, Fang said. This may help to promote future permanent settling in the province and allow economic growth.
Entrepreneurs set up shop
Fozia and her husband started their own business, Avalon Tech, to stay in St. John’s. Wasim is a computer technician. Fozia alters and makes clothes.
“We started up a business,” Fozia said. “Tech and tailor . . . Right now, we have our business. Husband and wife, we are both operating.”
Fozia and Wasim put their own money into the business. They faced difficulties during their first year, however, they did not rely on programs to help immigrants start businesses.
To support immigrants, the province has created International Entrepreneur, which encourages highly skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs to establish businesses and create new jobs in the province.
Another provincial program is the International Graduate Program. It helps those with a work permit to obtain a job in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Fang said he believes that to an extent the provincial government has done good work on the immigration program behind the scenes.
How’s the weather?
Newfoundland and Labrador's climate is an obstacle for many immigrants. Khalil and her family were one of the immigrant families who had to weather the storm.
"When we first came, our sponsors found us some warm clothes," Khalil said. "We brought some with us, but it was very difficult to find, like, warm clothes in Turkey because we came in July and in July it's like… 50 in Turkey, while it was something like 15 here."
"We can not do much to change the weather," Gien said. "But there are ways to minimize (the) inconvenience of the weather."
James Baker, the program and research manager with the Association for New Canadians (ANC), says some immigrants struggle to adjust to the weather.
"They might not be aware of the weather so that can be a challenge, especially, if you come from a very warm climate,” Baker said.
Baker recalled recently talking to a friend who came here from Ghana, where the average high temperature is above 30 C for most of the year. The average low is 20-22 C.
“Here in the middle of winter … he was like ‘what have I gotten myself into?'"
According to Baker, immigrants who arrive during the winter are given government assistance and are provided winter clothing.
"Many are coming from a very warm climate … (and) are not going to have a coat that's appropriate for the weather here in Newfoundland.
"(The ANC) would provide support through our volunteer protection program so we would link them to activities that are happening … during the winter," Baker added. "You know skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sledding. . . They do a wonderful job of working with the immigrant refugee youth to help them acclimatize to the weather."
Is immigration the best solution?
Fang noted the province has the lowest fertility rate in Canada, lower than 1.4 per cent in demographics of the Newfoundland and Labrador population. In order to keep growing, it would need to be 2.1 per cent for population growth. Deaths in the province are also on the rise.
"(Immigration) is not the most important solution; it is the only solution to sustain population growth in Newfoundland, but also in the region," Fang added.
Fang listed some of the Regional Immigrant Retention Rates, but he warned that interpreting data can be a mix of truth and myths. These rates reported that 39 per cent of refugees who arrive in the province stay beyond five years, 11 per cent of international students stay following graduation, and 73 per cent of skilled immigrant workers stay in the province.
According to Fang, Prince Edward Island has Canada’s highest rate of bringing immigrants to their province at 1.3 per cent of the Canadian population. Newfoundland and Labrador’s rate of bringing immigrants into the province is beneath the national target.
“Our province has the lowest in the country. 0.3 per cent … so, that just gives you a sense about how lacking we are as a province to attract and retain immigrants to Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Foundation for a home
According to Fang, immigrants stay in the province for many reasons. These include access to resources, access to certain lifestyles, a good standard of living, and a sense of community, a safe place to raise a family, good education and employment opportunities.
Newfoundland and Labrador could also promote living in rural areas of the province, where the population decline is at its highest, providing a sense of community for immigrants coming from similar places.
She says the province should make its good qualities more known.
"Newfoundland (and Labrador) has to advertise the good aspect of living here. For example, like it's a safe place to raise a family then more people will come," Gien said.
Moving towards a more diverse future may hold the key to sustaining the population. The province has already won a few hearts on its long road ahead.
"We realized Newfoundland (and Labrador) is a very beautiful place to live, especially St. John’s,” said Fozia Wasim. “. . . (The) safer environment here, more friendly environment - peoples are very friendly here.