Speaking Notes

Statement from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on the new Canada-Nova Scotia framework agreement

Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 19, 2007

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Ladies and gentlemen, Premier MacDonald, Minister Bolivar-Getson, thank you for joining me here in historic downtown Halifax.

Quel plaisir d’être sur la côte Est, dans l’un des plus beaux ports du Canada.

(It’s great to be on the east coast—at one of the most beautiful harbours in Canada.)

You know, as Minister I travel across the country quite a bit—and wherever I go, I meet people born and raised in Nova Scotia.

To a person they are so proud of their province, and it’s easy to see why.

I can’t think of a better place to greet all of you today.

Le but de notre rencontre d’aujourd’hui est de célébrer la signature d’un accord qui vise à favoriser la prospérité de la Nouvelle‑Écosse — un endroit où de nombreux immigrants ont découvert leur nouveau pays d’accueil.

(We are here to celebrate an agreement that will help Nova Scotia prosper—at a place where many immigrants first experienced their new home country.)

For over a million immigrants, the journey toward Canadian citizenship began in 1928 with a single step—right here at Pier 21.

In fact, Nova Scotia has welcomed the world for generations.

Pier 21 today symbolizes the enormous contribution immigrants have made to this great country.

Newcomers who come to Canada bring new ideas, new skills, and above all, a new vibrancy and energy.

Newcomers helped build this country—and they will help build our future.

One of the people who is building our future is with us today is.

Lucien Nehme [NAH-me] is an example of what hard work and tenacity can achieve.

Since coming to Nova Scotia, as one of the first people approved under the Provincial Nominee Program, Lucien has successfully rejuvenated a landmark Nova Scotia restaurant— Willman’s Fish and Chips.

When Lucien first bought Willman’s Fish and Chips, the 60-year-old restaurant was in danger of closing.

But thanks to Lucien’s hard work and sense of humour, business is thriving.

[It certainly helps to have a sense of humour, whether you’re starting your own business or you are a cabinet minister.]

I’m told he has since found time to start another venture. Lucien, I wish you equal success in your new business.

This is what it’s all about, ladies and gentlemen.

Pour rester concurrentiel, le Canada a besoin d’un apport vital et constant de compétences et d’engagement de la part de plus de gens comme Lucien.

(To stay competitive, Canada needs that vital and constant infusion of skill and commitment from more people like Lucien.)

To continue to grow, Nova Scotia needs newcomers to invest and settle here.

That’s why Minister Bolivar-Getson, Premier MacDonald and I are here today for the signing of the first Canada–Nova Scotia Framework Agreement for Cooperation on Immigration.

This first-ever agreement formalizes our partnership with Nova Scotia on immigration.

It recognizes that the provinces and the federal government share responsibility for immigration under the constitution.

And, perhaps most importantly, it builds on the progress our governments have made together so far.

On one level, the agreement sets out how each government will plan and coordinate our immigration activities.

It will do so based on three fundamental principles: cooperation, consultation and information-sharing.

But it goes beyond that. It also reflects our mutual commitment to developing flexible, innovative approaches to immigration. Approaches that will help make sure immigration meets the needs of Nova Scotia, and of Canada.

For example, through this agreement, we have improvedments to the Provincial Nominee Program in Nova Scotia.

As many of you are aware, Canada and Nova Scotia have had an agreement on provincial nominees since 2002.

The program gives Nova Scotia a more direct role in selecting immigrants with the skills and talents the province is looking for.

We are very pleased to build on this cooperative relationship to ensure the success of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Nominee Program into the future.

Under the previous Provincial Nominee agreement, Nova Scotia was able to nominate up to 400 immigrants a year.

With this new agreement, we’re removing the limit on the number of immigrants Nova Scotia can nominate each year.

Removing the limit offers Nova Scotia a better opportunity to meet its unique economic, social and labour-market needs.

Ainsi, l’expansion du Programme des candidats des provinces joue un rôle. Toutefois, les besoins du marché du travail en Nouvelle‑Écosse ne peuvent être satisfaits uniquement par le Programme des candidats des provinces.

(So, expansion of the provincial nominee program has a role to play. But Nova Scotia’s labour-market needs cannot be solved by the provincial nominee program alone.)

With this agreement, we’ve also committed to finding ways to help temporary foreign workers and students come to the province.

In recent years, most have gone to Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.

Large, established ethnic communities in those cities have made them attractive to newcomers.  But those cities may not be where the need for immigration is greatest, or where the jobs are to be had.

This is a major challenge for our immigration system.

From an economic perspective, it’s about getting the right people to the right place at the right time—and so we need to align our system to make it more responsive to labour-market needs.

The new Canadian Experience Class program for students and temporary foreign workers is also part of the solution.

So I look forward to working with Nova Scotia in the coming year on this particular aspect of immigration, and to sharing the results with you in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we all agree that Nova Scotia has much to offer as a place to live and work. This has not gone unnoticed by immigrants.

In fact, immigration to Nova Scotia has increased over the last few years.

There were almost 1,500 new permanent residents in 2003. In 2006, there were over 2,500.

We want to see this trend continue.

Through this agreement, we will coordinate and thus strengthen our promotion and recruitment efforts overseas, so that more immigrants who are thinking of coming to Canada are aware of the benefits of Nova Scotia as a destination.

I firmly believe this agreement is a strong platform that will make sure our shared immigration programs are successful and responsive to your needs—Nova Scotia’s needs—and those of all Canadians.

Simply put… this agreement will help Nova Scotia grow by attracting new immigrants.

That we are signing this agreement today is another indicator of the significant progress this government has made on immigration matters in the short time since we took office.

L’un de nos objectifs fondamentaux est de rendre nos programmes à responsabilités partagées plus adaptés aux besoins socio‑économiques et aux besoins du marché du travail de chaque province et territoire.

(We have made it a fundamental goal to make our shared immigration programs more responsive to the economic, social and labour-market needs of each province and territory.)

We kept our commitment and created the Foreign Credentials Referral Office this year to help people trained and educated overseas get their credentials assessed and recognized here in Canada.

In fact, Halifax was among the first wave of cities to offer in-person information, path-finding and referral services through its Service Canada centre.

[Studies have shown that one of the largest determinants of success for newcomers is their command of English.]

We’re going to help with that.

Canada’s New Government has committed $1.3 billion over five years in settlement funding to help immigrants across the country integrate successfully once they get here—including access to English language training.

[That’s a significant increase in funding to a program that had been frozen under the previous government.]

Ce type de coopération dont nous parlons aujourd’hui fera en sorte que ces fonds seront bien investis.

(The kind of cooperation that we are talking about here today will ensure that these funds are well invested.)

On this occasion, I want to take a moment to reflect on what I believe is the characteristic that perhaps most defines us as Canadians and Nova Scotians.

I believe that characteristic is welcoming.

This is echoed in the sentiments of Prime Minister Stephen Harper who said earlier this year, and I quote:

“The characteristic that most defines Canadians is welcoming…. East and West, North and South, French and English, immigrant and Native-born, we are all proud champions of these founding values—of the Canadian way.”

Before I go, I want to say that this agreement is a solid example of what is possible when governments work together towards a common goal.

A goal that was identified and met through cooperation and teamwork.

Such efforts will not go unnoticed by those who are thinking of offering their skills to Canada and perhaps becoming citizens of this great country.

Je vous remercie donc une fois de plus. Merci Madame la Ministre Bolivar‑Getson. Je vous félicite, vous, vos équipes respectives ainsi que tous les Néo‑Écossais.

(So, once again, thank you. Thank you, Minister Bolivar-Getson.  I offer my congratulations to you, your teams and to all Nova Scotians.)