Strategic and Operational Community Plan for Promoting
Immigration to Miramichi and Northumberland County
Final Report
Prepared by
Groupe Conseil MONTANA Consulting Group
April 2012
1
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 3
1. Background to the project ......................................................................................................................... 6
2. Approach................................................................................................................................................... 6
3. Pre-consultation meetings ......................................................................................................................... 7
4. Stakeholders.............................................................................................................................................. 8
5. First planning session: Impact of the status quo ...................................................................................... 9
Review of demographic trends ................................................................................................................. 9
Discussion: Impact of Demographic Trends.......................................................................................... 14
Conclusions: the impact of ignoring the demographic trends in Miramichi Region .............................. 14
Possible and Desirable Future States ...................................................................................................... 17
Conclusions from the first planning session ........................................................................................... 19
6. Second planning session: selecting a focus for the strategy ................................................................. 21
7. Third planning session: the operational plan ......................................................................................... 26
Operational plan objectives..................................................................................................................... 26
Operational objective 1: Create Miramichi Community Immigration Council (MCIC) ........................ 26
Operational Objective 2: Positioning the Miramichi region as the place for foreign students and young
newcomers to get Canadian experience .................................................................................................. 29
Appendix A: Stakeholders and attendees................................................................................................... 35
2
Executive Summary
The main objectives of this initiative are:
 Develop a 5 year community strategic plan for population enhancement in the Miramichi region;
 Develop an operational plan for the following 12 to 24 months that will clarify the actions and
steps that will have to be taken in the short term in order to meet the 5 year strategic plan;
 Build community awareness about the current population dilemma in the region and the need for
change.
Three consultation sessions were held on 14 and 28 November 2011 and 23 January 2012. The first
session reviewed the demographic imperatives for New Brunswick and the Miramichi Region. It
concluded:
 New Brunswick population declined from 2001 to 2006, but grew between 2006 and 2011,
largely as a result of immigration.
 In the Miramichi area, however, population continues to decline.
 Demographic change and population loss would produce negative effects on all areas of the
community. Letting events take their natural course would make such negative outcomes
inevitable.
 It makes sense to develop a community strategy to encourage population growth. Such a strategy
should promote both foreign and domestic migration to the region.
 A strategic plan for population growth should not merely commit the community to seizing
opportunities that pass. It should seek to create new opportunities by bold action. To position a
small region like Miramichi as a magnet for immigration, we need to focus our attention on
specific related needs, applying maximum effort on a narrow frontage in order to make a
difference.
3
 Three strategic thrusts should be considered
a. An appeal to older late career immigrants, possibly retirees;
b. An appeal to mid career immigrants, such as entrepreneurs and skilled tradespeople;
c. An appeal to younger early career immigrants, such as foreign students seeking Canadian
experience.
In the second consultation session, we analyzed the three strategic thrusts identified in the first session.
The stakeholders concluded:
 The late career strategy should not be ignored, but it was decided that it should not be the
preferred strategy. It would not allow for significant and sustainable growth in the community.
 The mid-career strategy was seen as a balanced option, but one that would duplicate provincial
efforts. It should not be put aside, but it should not be the focus either.
 The early career option was seen to be the one that could produce the biggest population gain
over time. It offers gain in the short term, and major gain in the long term if newcomers begin
careers and raise families in the region. In addition, it could have a direct impact on the mid
career and late career options since the younger generation coming to the region could potentially
influence their parents and other family members to move to the region.
This decision does NOT preclude our support of initiatives for early or late career newcomers. For
example, there is some effort to promote our region as a Centre of Excellence for an Aging Population, an
initiate born in part from Retirement Miramichi. While embracing the focus on youth immigration, we
need to seize other opportunities where they occur.
The third session moved us in the direction of an operational plan. The stakeholders advocated for the
creation of a Miramichi Community Immigration Council [MCIC]. MRMA should be tasked and funded
to supply subject matter expertise and administrative and coordinative support to MCIC. MRMA should
supply the acting Chair of MCIC until the members develop bylaws and elect their own Chair.
MCIC members should represent, at a minimum
 Municipalities, especially the City of Miramichi
 Enterprise Miramichi
 Chamber of Commerce
 Carrefour Beausoleil
 School Districts
4
 NBCC
 Horizon Health
 Population Growth Division
 Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour
 Service Canada
 Real Estate Board
To carry out its work, MCIC will require five committees.
 Educational institution liaison committee
 Employer partnership committee
 Government relationship committee
 Communications and public affairs committee
 Community preparedness committee.
The stakeholders identified a number of tasks required to position the Miramichi region as the place for
foreign students and young newcomers to get Canadian experience. Montana Consulting Group added
several tasks to the list produced by the stakeholders. The timelines are specified in this report. In brief,
the tasks are:
1. Establish, in conjunction with MRMA, a business mentorship program for the region, possibly
modelled on Fredericton’s.
2. Develop a communications plan.
3. Explore opportunities to use foreign students as Miramichi regional ambassadors in their home
countries.
4. Provide a liaison service to place foreign students in regional work placements.
5. Assistance with Off-Campus Work Permit Program.
6. Create a student employment mentoring program.
7. Create a placement service for health care jobs.
8. Market unique Miramichi-based NBCC programs internationally.
9. Market a complete service approach to gaining Canadian experience.
10. Provide youth-oriented settlement support.
11. Promote the region.
5
1. Background to the project
The Miramichi Multicultural Association [MRMA] is a non-profit organization that promotes
education, understanding, communication, and harmony among all cultures; attracts and assists
in the settlement of immigrants and, advocates for the interests of people of all heritages.
The decline in the population in Northumberland County is a real concern to many people and
organisations in the Miramichi region. MRMA has taken on a leadership role in bringing the community
together to discuss ways to reverse this decline and position the region for future prosperity.
In May 2009, MRMA sponsored a preliminary strategy workshop guided by the publication
“Attracting and Retaining Immigrants: A Tool Box of Ideas for Smaller Centres,” a publication
developed by the National Working Group on Small Centres Strategies in Kingston, Ontario, in
2005. There were 18 participants at that preliminary workshop, representing municipalities,
economic development agencies, business associations, schools, community centres,
employment services, and youth organizations. Following an environmental scan of regional
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, many ideas were generated but only few were
adopted.
MRMA wished to overcome the challenges of galvanizing the community around a regional population
enhancement strategy. To that end, it sought the help of Montana Consulting Group [Montana] to assist
them in developing community strategic and operational plans.
The main objectives of this initiative are:
 Develop a 5 year community strategic plan for population enhancement in the Miramichi region;
 Develop an operational plan for the following 12 to 24 months that will clarify the actions and
steps that will have to be taken in the short term in order to meet the 5 year strategic plan;
 Build community awareness about the current population dilemma in the region and the need for
change.
2. Approach
Montana began by getting MRMA’s perspective on the challenges of population growth and newcomer
settlement in Northumberland County. Montana consultants George Raine and Maxime Labbé met with
Mike Mersereau (MRMA Coordinator) and Juliette Cabana (FSL Instructor) to review MRMA and
community actions to date and services provided to newcomers. Information was also provided regarding
the desired process and an agreement was made regarding next steps.
6
The agreed approach was as followed:
 Establish the context for consultation:
o Research into regional demographics;
o Review of literature;
o Interviews with key stakeholders (list provided by MRMA).
 First consultation meeting with key stakeholders: Bringing awareness and synergy
o Demographic trends;
o Impacts of the demographic trends;
o Possible and desirable future states.
 Second consultation meeting: Setting a regional strategy
o Strategic options;
o Option analysis;
o Most valuable option;
o Operational planning and accountability model.
In the course of the project, we discovered that the time allotted for the second consultation did not allow
for operational planning, and a third consultation meeting was undertaken.
3. Pre-consultation meetings
In this phase, we conducted interviews with different stakeholders in preparation for the main planning
sessions. The objectives of these interviews were:
 To understand of how the different stakeholders see and are impacted by the current demographic
trends;
 To get a better sense of how immigration is viewed in the region;
 To get the perspective on the role of MRMA with respect to the community at large.
Meetings were held with the following organizations:
 Population Growth Division in Fredericton
 City of Moncton – community and business development
 Enterprise Miramichi
 City of Miramichi
 Carrefour Beausoleil
7
 Miramichi Chamber of Commerce
All stakeholders spoke highly of MRMA’s involvement in the community and the attempts to bring
awareness in the community. But they noted that the current economic context of the region makes it
hard to attract people to Miramichi and the surrounding area.
All of the sources interviewed linked immigration to existing employment opportunities. They focused
exclusively on immigration that derived from a business need for special skills or for additional
manpower beyond regional human resources. The groups we spoke to struggled to see how immigration
could be marketed in a region with a depressed employment market.
It became clear that in order to develop a population growth plan that would be supported by the
community, we would need to begin getting stakeholders to reflect on the long-term consequences of
maintaining the status quo.
The plan for the first consultation session therefore became:
 Understanding the populations trends nationally, provincially and locally;
 Reviewing as a group the impact in the community at large;
 Planning for the future by defining what we want the region to be in the long term
 How are we going to get there?
4. Stakeholders
Appendix A to this report details the stakeholders who were invited to participate and those in attendance
at each session.
8
5. First planning session: Impact of the status quo
On 14 November 2011, the Miramichi Region Multicultural Association [MRMA] convened the first of
three planning sessions with community stakeholders, facilitated by Montana Consulting Group.
Our first consultation meeting was designed in a way that would allow the participants to come to an
agreement based on facts and not opinions. Once we agree on the facts, we can now discuss the impacts
of these facts on our desired future so that we can identify the possible solutions that will allow us to
achieve our desired future.
The participants reviewed demographic trends nationally, provincially, and regionally.
Review of demographic trends
We began this session with a review of demographic trends nationally, provincially, and regionally. Two
“predictive truths” about demographics were stressed so that participants could see the impact of the data
presented:
1. You can safely assume that people get one year older every year that passes; and
2. You can safely assume that people act their age.
National trends
Immigration has driven national population growth since the early 1990s due to lower fertility, higher
immigration rates, and population aging. In fact, Canada's foreign born population is at its highest level
in 70 years. Its visible minority population has tripled since 1981, and immigration accounts for most of
its population growth.
The following graphs illustrate Canadian demographic changes 1991-2021:
9
These three graphs illustrate the national distribution
of men and women based on their age. The
horizontal axis represents the percentage of male
and female and the vertical axis represents the age
groups.
Starting from the top graph and moving down to the
second and third graph, we can see that the bulge
where we find the largest percentage of male and
female population is moving from moving from the
25 to 39 year old segment in 1991 to the 45 to 59
year old segment by 2011. This is due to the aging
“baby boomer” population. By 2021, this bulge will
be moving beyond the usual working age.
At the same time, we see the 0 to 14 year old
segment shrinking. This is due to the dropping
fertility rate in the Canadian population.
10
The projected 2021 population pyramid does not
look much like a pyramid! We see the impact of an
aging population with fewer children. The
demographic imperative will place stress on the
overall economy of our country, the ability of our
labour market to support even a status quo
economy, difficulty in supporting community
infrastructure, and an increasing demand on health
care.
This graph projects the national population over 65
years old. We can see a small increase from 1921 to
1981, angling upward around the present date. By
2026 we project that more than 20% of the population
will be over 65 years old, increasing to and close to
30% by 2056.
Source: A Portrait of Seniors in Canada, StatCan Publication (Schellenberg, Grant, Turcotte, Martin,
2011)
Provincial trends
New Brunswick is projected to have the lowest average annual growth in Atlantic Canada over the next
three years with a change of only 2.7 per thousand. This contrasts with PEI, who is projected to see
average annual growth of 11.6 per thousand in the same period, mainly on the strength of international
migration.
11
Between 2006 and 2011, New Brunswick’s
population has increased by 2.9%, a positive
move, but much lower than the Canadian
average of 5.9%.
Immigration as percentage of New Brunswickers over 5 -- 2006
The current population in NB is strongly
dominated by “born and bred” New
Brunswickers. In addition, it is estimated that in
the period 2009-2014, New Brunswick will
experience the lowest average annual growth in
Atlantic Canada with a change of only 2.7 per
thousand.
The bottom line is that New Brunswick needs
immigration to maintain its population, and
immigration is still lacking.
At the time of the first planning session, no data was available from the 2011 census. Newly released
information now shows that the population of New Brunswick has grown substantially (+2.9%) between
2006 and 2011.
The rate of population growth in New Brunswick between 2006 and 2011 is the highest of any intercensal
period since 1976-1981. Between 2006 and 2011, this province received twice as many immigrants as it
did in the previous intercensal period. In addition, New Brunswick lost fewer people as a result of
1
interprovincial migration.
Regional trends
Regionally, the Miramichi area has seen population decline from just over 21,000 in 1991 to just over
18,000 in 2006. Absent some countervailing action, further decline is projected due to the loss of major
industrial employers and an aging population.
1
Source: Statistics Canada, The Canadian Population in 2011: Population Counts and Growth,
http://www.2006census.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-310-x/98-310-x2011001-eng.cfm#a5
12
The decline of population in
Miramichi from 1991 to 2006 has
resulted in large measure from the
loss of employment in the struggling
pulp and paper sector, with the related
impact on woodlands employment.
Despite the good news on the provincial front from the 2011 census, regional population in the Miramichi
area continues to decline. The Miramichi region [census agglomeration] shows a population decline of
2.3% between 2006 and 2011, dropping to 28,115 in 2011 from 28,773 in 2006.
Northumberland County shows a decline of 2.7% and Miramichi City, although faring better, shows a
decline of 1.8% since 2006.
2
The chart below ranks the census agglomerations with the lowest growth rates in Canada. Miramichi CA
th
ranks as the 8 lowest nationally.
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Name
Thompson
Chatham-Kent
Cape Breton
Baie-Comeau
Prince Rupert
Edmundston
Shawinigan
Miramichi
Bathurst
Matane
Kawartha Lakes
Elliot Lake
Brockville
Dolbeau-Mistassini
Williams Lake
Province/Territory
Manitoba
Ontario
Nova Scotia
Quebec
British Columbia
New Brunswick
Quebec
New Brunswick
New Brunswick
Quebec
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario
Quebec
British Columbia
Population
2006
13,446
108,589
105,928
29,674
13,392
22,471
56,408
28,773
34,106
18,709
74,561
11,549
39,668
16,257
18,760
2011
12,839
104,075
101,619
28,789
13,052
21,903
55,009
28,115
33,484
18,368
73,214
11,348
39,024
16,019
18,490
Growth rate
2006 to 2011 (%)
-4.5
-4.2
-4.1
-3.0
-2.5
-2.5
-2.5
-2.3
-1.8
-1.8
-1.8
-1.7
-1.6
-1.5
-1.4
2
Source: Statistics Canada, Census agglomerations with the lowest population growth between 2006 and 2011,
http://www.2006census.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-310-x/2011001/tbl/tbl4-eng.cfm
13
We are moving into an era in which any meaningful growth in the Canadian population will depend on
immigration.
Canadians’ average annual spending
In Canada, we tend to spend more money
between the ages of 40 and 65.
This means that has the population ages,
the spending will decrease
Discussion: Impact of Demographic Trends
Participants in the first planning session were asked to examine what the data were telling us and to give
their conclusions on the impact of letting events take their natural course. If the decline in the regional
population goes unchecked, how will it impact us?
The participants were divided into 6 groups and each group was asked to consider the impact of letting
the status quo approach to population play out. The areas for debate were:
 Government and Infrastructure
 Business and employment
 Health care
 Education
 Faith community
 Community and culture
Conclusions: the impact of ignoring the demographic trends in Miramichi Region
Government and Infrastructure
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The reduced tax base produced by an aging population in New Brunswick will impose further strain on
infrastructure. We are already struggling to maintain the roads we have built. Regionally, there will be a
loss of residential tax revenue needed to maintain local infrastructure.
We need to review the sustainability of the current structure of government [Note: In NB, about 6.5% of
the budget is spent on public servants, due in part to smaller communities without municipal government
services, and in part to the fixed cost of being a small province].
Business and Employment
The participants could foresee new challenges for small business. As aging entrepreneurs leave their
businesses, the issue of business succession will loom. There are opportunities here for newcomers.
In the Miramichi region, a shrinking population will reduce the area’s attractiveness to retailers and
service employers.
Further, an aging population is typically less willing to take on the risks of starting new businesses.
The participants could foresee that the demands on businesses will change. There will be an increase in
businesses catering to the senior communities, while the market for more youth-oriented businesses (e.g.
health clubs) could shrink.
Overall, the cost per person for services can be expected to rise as business struggle to thrive in a smaller
market. Accordingly, the value of businesses will decline.
In real estate, the housing market for principle residences will soften as supply outpaces demand. The
best hope would be that Miramichi could become a bedroom community for Moncton, but the commuting
distance makes that unlikely in the foreseeable future.
Health Care
Health care is already seen as the major driver of government spending, accounting for 33% of spending
3
according to the 2012-2013 New Brunswick budget estimates. Health budget increases of about 8%
annually continue to stress the Province’s modest tax base. An aging population will place greater
demands on the health care system and, unsupported by a tax base either natural population growth or
immigration, will quickly.
The participants recognized that, unless population is boosted by immigration, this combination of
increased demand and reduced tax base will put great pressure on governments to adopt a two-tier health
system.
3
Government of New Brunswick budget “Main Estimates”, http://www.gnb.ca/0160/budget/buddoc2012/ME201213.pdf
15
As demand for health care increases while resources remain constrained, wait times will increase, and the
number of “bed blockers” will rise. Currently, half of all acute care beds are occupied by “bed blockers”
– persons who could be cared for in a long term care facility, but who are occupying an acute care bed
due to lack of long term care space. A serious situation will become a crisis. The aging population will
strain the supply of personal care workers and geriatric care specialists working in nursing homes and
home care. Geriatric care is an area of medical and nursing practice that too few are entering.
Our physicians will age as well. Already many older doctors are limiting their practice. There is a risk of
further outmigration of health professionals from an overstressed system. There is a risk of further
outmigration of health professionals from an overstressed system. Participants believed the physician
replacement rate for the region may be too low. While immigration of physicians may offset this concern
to some degree, we remain too slow in recognizing foreign medical credentials.
Education
The demographic trends in the area of education are already having effect. Reduced enrolment has
started in the K-12 range. School District 11, for example, has a reduction of 34% in student population
over the past 15 years.
The community will have to come to grips with the need for school closures. In the schools that remain
open, lower budgets resulting from an overstressed tax base will continue to narrow the curriculum and
cause the loss of educational and support staff positions.
The impact of an aging population on education budgets may have longer-term effects. Austere education
budgets may restrict the community’s ability to train for the job opportunities we need to create in order
to attract newcomers.
Faith Community
The faith community is seeing the impact of a decline in the population mixed with a general decline in
religious practice. Fewer young people being introduced to religion. At the same time, as the older
churchgoing population becomes less active and diminishes over time, fewer persons remain to support
church activities and to maintain the physical infrastructure of our churches.
The Miramichi region has been traditionally homogenous and Christian. There is little local knowledge
of other faiths and cultures. There is a residual tendency to view people of other faiths as potential
converts rather than fellow seekers. As Christian communities shrink, there is a growing sense of being
under threat, and a concern about them becoming less welcoming to other faiths.
Community and Culture
16
Community groups that rely on volunteers find that younger people do not volunteer at the same rate. At
the same time, there will be a decade or more in which older residents have more time to become
involved in the community, and this may offset the lack of youth volunteers.
A greater concern to communities is that governments will mitigate their financial challenge by
downloading aspects of the social safety net to local communities, a responsibility Miramichi is not well
positioned to assume.
Possible and Desirable Future States
Participants in the first planning session were invited to discuss the future state of the region that they
would prefer, moderating their input by considering the likelihood of accomplishing these goals. The
discussion produced the following points.
Government and Infrastructure
Participants agreed that there is a need to grow the local tax base through a combination of attracting
newcomers who will grow and invest in our communities and by attracting new business.
Business and Employment
Participants stated that we need to promote a diversity of employment, and not rely on a single core
industry. Three focus areas were identified:
 Creative technologies (e.g. gaming industry)
 Value-added manufacturing
 Tourism, service, retail.
The first of these, creative technologies, could build on the NBCC programs currently offered in
Miramichi. But graduates do not yet have the practical job experience needed to attract software firms to
the region. We need a community-driven plan to build “incubator” businesses – businesses such as
technical support centres that can provide well-trained young people their opportunities for first jobs in
the creative technologies sector.
Participants expressed that Miramichi needs to scale its business ambitions appropriately. We don’t need
to be the centre for value-added manufacturing. It will be enough to be a centre for component
manufacturing.
17
The tourism industry has long been identified as a growth sector for the region. Participants noted that
tourism is dominated by small businesses, and some efforts should be made to grow small tourism
businesses into larger enterprises.
It was noted that the Province has done some work on small business succession but more aggressive
work could be done locally. On the other hand, many small business owners are reluctant to reach out for
succession support, not wanting to air their succession plans.
Finally, the participants identified a challenge to be overcome. Government support programs for
regional business development come with rules and procedures. Culturally, many Miramichi business
people are reluctant to follow such rules and do not therefore take advantage of support opportunities.
Businesses from outside the region have a negative perception of employee relations in Miramichi.
Influenced by the former industrial base in the pulp and paper industry, they see local workers having a
culture of entitlement characterized by adversarial labour-management relations.
Health Care
In the area of health care, participants mentioned mainly items of provincial rather than regional scope.
They discussed the need for a review of how we deliver primary care, recruit doctors, and open the doors
for nurse practitioners. They stressed the need to promote home care.
There was strong support for Miramichi’s need to keep its acute care hospital.
Education
In the area of education, participants voiced a number of suggestions. They stated that Miramichi could
become a centre of excellence for language training – both English and French as a second language, and
noted a real demand for such services.
It was suggested that the educational system in the region should pay attention to the children of
newcomers and give them extra help in school to speed their attainment of language proficiency.
Some participants suggested a youth immigration strategy targeting international students at the
secondary and post-secondary levels. They considered whether the region could attract foreign students
at the post-secondary level to stay and settle in the area. Local post-secondary education programs in
environmental and creative technologies could be marketed internationally.
It was noted that some newcomer parents report that their children are receiving a lower standard of
education here compared to elsewhere in North America or in their home countries.
Finally it was noted that an aging population has educational interests and that the region’s education
facilities could provide more continuous education opportunities for an older population.
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Faith Community
Participants discussing the faith community’s issues suggested promoting more interfaith services and the
teaching of comparative religious studies at a lower school level.
Community and Culture
Participants agreed that the community needs to do a better job of understanding and appreciating
newcomers. We also need to encourage newcomers to educate children in both our official languages.
Conclusions from the first planning session
The status quo is untenable
The stakeholders agreed by the end of the first meeting on three conclusions.
1. Demographic change and population loss would produce negative effects on all areas of the
community.
2. Letting events take their natural course would make such negative outcomes inevitable.
3. It makes sense to develop a community strategy to encourage population growth. Such a strategy
should promote both foreign and domestic migration to the region.
Clearly, as a group, there is recognition that the status quo is not viable for the community at large. It was
also understood that the nature of a population growth strategy would require broad community
involvement, and MRMA would likely play a significant supporting role.
A community strategy needs focus to have impact
The participants’ contributions were widespread and varied. Montana’s facilitators asked whether the
community response required more focus.
19
A strategic plan for population growth should not merely commit the community to seizing opportunities
that pass. It should seek to create new opportunities by bold action.
To position a small region like Miramichi as a magnet for immigration, we need to focus our attention on
specific related needs, applying maximum effort on a narrow frontage in order to make a difference.
Some strategies seek to attract immigration from a given population. For example, the Federal
Government developed a 2003 strategy to encourage French-speaking immigration to communities where
French is the minority language. Others seek to attract immigration from a targeted age group, such as
the Australian or Panamanian retiree visa programs. Yet others seek to attract specific skills. The Federal
Government, attentive to the needs of Western Canadian oil producers, recently announced a new
4
program to promote the immigration of skilled tradespeople.
The participants categorized our strategic options into three areas of focus
1. Late career immigration option
This strategy was referred to as the late-career option since it would focus on attracting temporary
residents and retirees to the area. Programs supporting temporary residents would be required,
and options similar to the Special Resident Retirement Visa of the Philippines could be
considered. This option would take advantage of the regions inexpensive real estate, natural
beauty, and recreational options.
2. Mid-career immigration option
This strategy would look to attract immigrants who would either bring needed skills to the region
or who would enter as entrepreneurs, bringing investment and employment to the region.
3. Early-career immigration option
This strategy would focus on attracting and retaining foreign students and creating Canadian
experience opportunities that would integrate young immigrants into the region.
We acknowledged that focusing on of these strategies did not preclude us from welcoming opportunities
that may arise in unpredicted ways. For example, a focus on youth immigration should not cause us to
discourage mid-career entrepreneurs. It would simply channel our primary effort for change.
Our second planning session was designed to examine these three options.
4
See “Feds create new immigration program to get skilled tradespeople to Canada,” Lauren Krugel, Canadian Press,
http://www.globalnews.ca/canada/money/feds+create+new+immigration+program+to+get+skilled+trades+people+t
o+canada/6442617997/story.html
20
6. Second planning session: selecting a focus for the strategy
Having determined that a plan that targeted any form of in-migration would lack the clarity to prompt
concrete action, we met on 28 November 2011 to select a focal area for our community strategy to
counter population decline.
The stakeholders reviewed each of three options. They were asked to consider
1. the obstacles to success – conditions that could undermine our ability to carry out the strategy;
and
2. he limiting factors – factors that could limit the ability of this option to produce the desired
impact.
What follows is a summary of the discussions.
LATE CAREER OPTION
The focus of this strategy would be to attract older and wealthier immigrants, many of whom
would be seeking to retire in the Miramichi Region.
Could do:
Obstacles and limiting factors:
 The region could study retiree-focused
business and look to promote itself as a
welcoming place for older persons,
targeting businesses that support an older
demographic.
 The market in Atlantic Canada for
retirement immigrants is chiefly in
Western Europe. A declining Euro has
already begun to reduce the numbers of
wealthy retirees and late career
temporary residents interested in
Atlantic Canada. This trend may well
continue for some time.
 Many local developers are resistant to
following needed regulations while
outside developers are not interested in
the region
 The region could encourage the
construction of housing more suitable for
temporary residents and seniors. For
example, the region could expand on
Retirement Miramichi.
 The region could be more systematic about
developing contacts with this market. For
example, there are foreign students with
parents who could become temporary
residents, but we don’t at present open a
dialogue with them.
 This option offers a shorter-term and
smaller population gain than other
options, since temporary residents are
not guaranteed to remain, and they will
not raise families in the Region.
21
LATE CAREER OPTION
The focus of this strategy would be to attract older and wealthier immigrants, many of whom
would be seeking to retire in the Miramichi Region.
Could do:
Obstacles and limiting factors:
 The region could promote more events and
activities to make the region more
welcoming.
 The region could be marketed through
people who have already returned,
encouraging them to bring their friends.
 The Miramichi Airport could be developed
as a base for air commuters.
 There are extremely few air commuters
in the Region, and the Moncton and Saint
John business areas are too small to
make the option attractive to the right
number of people.
Conclusion:
Although some of the suggested initiatives could help attract more people who are planning for
retirement, the participants agreed that this strategy is not one that will allow for significant and
sustainable growth in the community.
The region has had success with Retirement Miramichi and other late-career initiatives. But
when we look 10-15 years ahead and we think about the need to grow our population, the
group agreed that this was not the strategy that would bring us there.
The late career strategy should not be ignored, but it was decided that it should not be the
preferred strategy.
22
MID CAREER OPTION
The focus of this strategy would be to attract immigrants who would either bring needed work
skills to the region or who would enter as entrepreneurs, bringing new investment and
employment opportunities to the region.
Could do:
Obstacles and limiting factors:
 The Region could ensure that its
opportunities are properly linked to the
New Brunswick Asset Mapping project
undertaken by the National Research
Council.
 Attracting entrepreneur and special skills
is already a focal area for the Province of
New Brunswick, and the Province could
not show partiality towards Miramichi
over other regions.
 Potential investor / immigrants are
introduced to the region through
Enterprise Miramichi. In partnership with
Enterprise Miramichi, we could broaden
the community’s participation in
welcoming investors.
 None. We could indeed do a better job
as a community at partnering with
Enterprise Miramichi to attract potential
entrepreneur immigrants.
 The region could be more systematic about
developing contacts with this market. For
example, there are foreign students in our
community or elsewhere in Atlantic Canada
with parents who could be interested in
opening businesses here, but we do not at
present open a dialogue with them.
 Many of the programs that would
support these kinds of immigrants exist
at the provincial level.
 Regional business owners looking for a
successor to buy their business could be
introduced to potential investors.
 CBDC, in collaboration with PGD, already
have a website called “Future NB” that
advertises business for sale. We need to
encourage new entrepreneurs to become
bilingual.
Conclusion:
The Mid career option is a good balanced option. But adopting this as our focus simply
duplicates the provincial effort. The province, through their initiative with Population Growth
Division, has already focused considerable attention and energy on the immigrant
entrepreneur.
The participants agreed that the mid career option was an important option and that it should
not be put aside, but it should not be the focus either.
23
EARLY CAREER OPTION
The focus of this strategy would focus on attracting and retaining foreign students and creating
Canadian experience opportunities that would integrate young immigrants into the region
Could do:
Obstacles and limiting factors:
 We could really market opportunities within
the school districts [language training] and
NBCC Miramichi [creative technologies, health
services] as a magnet for foreign students.
 NBCC is a provincial entity and it will
be a struggle to create a purely
regional initiative.
 Because students are not prohibited from
working on campus, we could develop student
consulting services in such a way as to qualify
as on campus, thus providing regional
opportunities to gain Canadian work
experience.
 There is only a 1% vacancy rate for
rental property. We would need to
facilitate student accommodation.
 There could be an opportunity to partner with
UdeM, UNB, St. Thomas, Mt. Allison and other
Atlantic universities to create a regional
Canadian experience program for their large
contingent of foreign students.
 We could maximize local internship
opportunities. For example, Horizon Health
Network has 800 internship opportunities.
We could look to bring foreign students here
from across the Maritimes and get them
integrated into our region.
 We could develop within our educational
facilities language training for foreign students
to prepare them for Canadian universities and
colleges.
 We could promote the lower cost of living
here for young people.
 We could offer an “ambassador scholarship”
to foreign students in Atlantic Canada who
promote our region to other potential young
newcomers in their own countries.
 We could develop marketing materials
targeting foreign post-secondary students.
24
EARLY CAREER OPTION
The focus of this strategy would focus on attracting and retaining foreign students and creating
Canadian experience opportunities that would integrate young immigrants into the region
Could do:
Obstacles and limiting factors:
targeting foreign post-secondary students.
 We could collaborate with educational
institutions in attracting “incubator
businesses” such as creative technology help
desk businesses to give students related
business experience.
Conclusion
The early career option is the one that demonstrates the biggest population gain over time. It
offers gain in the short term, and major gain in the long term if newcomers begin careers and
raise families in the region.
In addition, the early career option can potentially have a direct impact on the mid career and
late career options since the younger generation coming to the region could potentially
influence their parents and other family members to move to the region.
The participants supported making the early career option the focus of our new community
efforts, while maintaining support and encouragement for mid and late career newcomers.
This decision does NOT preclude our support of initiatives for mid or late career newcomers.
For example, there is some effort to promote our region as a Centre of Excellence for an Aging
Population, an initiate born in part from Retirement Miramichi. We should seize other
opportunities where they occur. Nonetheless, we should remember that the average of several
strategies is not a strategy and embrace the youth immigration focus.
The participants agreed that an operational plan now needed to be developed to help the region achieve
the aim of being a centre of excellence for integration of foreign students as new Canadians and for
Canadian career launching. It is interesting to note that foreign students, while still in school, contributed
more than $6.5 billion to the Canadian economy in 2008 [more than softwood lumber].
This was set as our focus for the third and final consultation meeting.
It must be emphasized that the selection of the early career strategy should not prevent us from exploiting
other opportunities that come our way, but it should guide the direction that the community and MRMA
is taking when making decisions affecting immigration in the region.
25
7. Third planning session: the
operational plan
The third session was held on 23 January
2012.
Our objectives for the day were as
follow:
1. Develop specific
initiatives/action items
2. Identify people or organizations
that will be accountable to
support the initiative
3. Identify MRMA’s role in
supporting the initiatives
Operational plan objectives
Three-quarters of new immigrants to Canada each year settle
in three Census Metropolitan Areas: greater Toronto, greater
Montreal, and greater Vancouver. This means that the
economic benefits – and costs – of immigrant settlement
accrue largely to these centres, rather than being shared more
equally across the urban system as a whole. Of the four
significant immigrant classes (skilled workers, business,
family and refugees), skilled workers are the most likely to
settle in the three largest cities….
Following the example of Australia, some policymakers have
suggested that one means of addressing the spatial
concentration of new immigrants is to make it easier for
international students at Canadian post-secondary institutions
to apply for permanent residence. It is argued that
international students who have studied in centres other than
the three largest cities may be more likely to remain there,
having established a good support system. These students
would also be familiar with Canadian culture, have a good
knowledge of at least one official language, and possess a
Canadian degree. They would thus be able to integrate
quickly, with relatively few barriers to labour market entry.
“International Students and Regional Immigration Policy,”
Liisa Cormode, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, University of
Saskatchewan
Three major objectives were identified as
being central to operationalizing the
Early Career Strategy:
1. Creating a community organization to act as the spur to continued action in support of the
strategy;
2. Positioning the Miramichi region as the place for foreign students and young newcomers to get
Canadian experience
3. Promoting the region as a place to develop a career.
Operational objective 1: Create Miramichi Community Immigration Council (MCIC)
Structure
26
Accountability is essential in driving new initiatives forward. One of the biggest obstacles in community
based initiatives is that everyone thinks that it is someone else’s responsibility. Everyone agrees in
theory, but too often there is no follow through. It was clear to the participants that an operational plan
would require a community steering group. This group would assign work and ensure that its stated
actions would be publicized to the extent that a failure to follow through would be uncomfortable. The
participants discussed the establishment of a group to be called the Miramichi Community Immigration
Council, charged with executing the community strategic plan.
Not-for-profit status
It was raised as a concern that we would have group of volunteers being held accountable for results. The
perception is that it will be difficult to get people to donate their time if they know they can be blamed for
not producing the desired results. Realistically, we have little choice but to rely on voluntary support.
That said, MCIC should incorporate as a corporation without share capital so that it can develop revenue
that might assist it in hiring an executive director at a future date. Local law firms should be solicited for
pro bono assistance in incorporation.
MCIC Mission
As a working mission, until and unless replaced by MCIC, we recommend:
MCIC will promote immigration to Northumberland County in order to preserve the economic
vitality and sustainability of our communities.
MCIC will will develop our Region as an open and welcoming community to ensure that our
communities are welcoming places for newcomers to settle, whether the newcomer are arriving
entrepreneurs, investors, temporary foreign workers, or retirees from across Canada and around
the world.
In addition to this general mandate, MCIC will work with the educational institutions of the
Atlantic Provinces, the federal and provincial immigration authorities, and the people, schools,
and businesses of Northumberland County to position our Region as a centre of excellence for
attracting and retaining foreign students and immigrant youth to develop Canadian experience
with us and to make their careers here as new Canadians.
MCIC membership
We recommend the following membership structure for MCIC:
27
 Secretariat: MRMA should be tasked and funded to supply subject matter expertise and
administrative and coordinative support to MCIC. MRMA should supply the acting Chair of
MCIC until the members develop bylaws and elect their own Chair.
 Membership: MCIC members should represent, at a minimum
o
Municipalities, especially the City of Miramichi
o
Enterprise Miramichi
o
Chamber of Commerce
o
Carrefour Beausoleil
o
School Districts
o
NBCC
o
Horizon Health
o
Population Growth Division
o
Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training, and Labour
o
Service Canada
o
Real Estate Board
MCIC Committees
To carry out its work, MCIC will require
 Educational institution liaison committee
 Employer partnership committee
 Government relationship committee
 Communications and public affairs committee
 Community preparedness committee.
28
Operational Objective 2: Positioning the Miramichi region as the place for foreign
students and young newcomers to get Canadian experience
A number of tasks should occur in the first two years of MCIC.
By Q4 of 2012:
1. Establish a liaison between MCIC and PSETL / Enterprise Miramichi in order to ensure the
whole community is mobilized when newcomers are being introduced to the region. PSETL and
Enterprise Miramichi currently introduce the area to persons applying as immigrant entrepreneurs
under the Provincial Nominee Program.
Suggested project leads: Enterprise Miramichi, Chambers of Commerce
2. Seek out a leading role for regional enterprises and labour organizations in the Creating Inclusive
Workplaces initiative of the New Brunswick Multicultural Council.
Suggested project leads: MRMA, Miramichi Regional Hospital, Miramichi District Labour
Council [who need to be invited to the table].
By Q1 of 2013:
1. Research the needs and interests of foreign students in Atlantic Canadian universities.
MCIC should work with the universities’ placement offices and Deans of Students to hold
discussion sessions with foreign students to determine:
a. How many would accept the opportunity to settle and gain Canadian experience in a
smaller Maritime community.
b. What barriers they perceive in settling in a place like our region.
c. What assistance the community could provide them
d. What opportunities exist for cooperative learning experiences in our region and for
summer employment
29
e. What they need to present themselves in the most attractive light to regional employers
f.
What opportunities exist for campus-based consulting and business support services to
Miramichi based organizations.
Suggested project leads: University Programs Miramichi, Chamber of Commerce, School
Districts, Carrefour Beausoleil.
By Q2 of 2013
1. Establish, in conjunction with MRMA, a business mentorship program for the region ,
possibly modelled on Fredericton’s.
Suggested project lead: Chamber of Commerce, Newcastle and Chatham Business Districts.
2. Develop a communications plan. Stakeholders expressed a concern about the openness of the
population at large in welcoming new comers to the region. The recent economic struggles and
local perception that there are not enough jobs for current residents are getting in the way, and we
will have to be creative in our communication strategies. MCIC needs to develop a well thoughtout communication plan that tells the story: the status quo is not an option. The plan should
create a sense that the region depends on these initiatives. It would be naïve to think that
everyone will be on board, but a good communication plan will help the population understand
the initiatives and it will likely bring more supporters.
Suggested project leads: Municipalities, MRMA.
By Q3 of 2013
1. Explore opportunities to use foreign students as Miramichi regional ambassadors in their
home countries. Students who have had some exposure to our region can be engaged as
ambassadors to raise interest in the region among potential mid and late career immigrants in
their place of origin. It must be remembered that foreign students generally come from some of
the wealthiest, best connected, and most enlightened families in their native lands. This could
involve arranging bursaries or financial incentives through local businesses.
30
Suggested project leads: Municipalities, MRMA.
2. Provide a liaison service to place foreign students in regional work placements. This
objective will require developing partnerships with university and college placement offices and
with organizations such as the Miramichi Chamber of Commerce. Our program should provide
foreign students with interesting and challenging work placements in the region that could
potentially become full-time opportunities. It will allow the students to experience the Miramichi
region and realize what living here could be like. It should be noted that effective 1 April 2012,
PSETL has taken employment services back from settlement associations such as MRMA, but we
need to determine what the community can do to augment the department’s efforts.
Suggested project leads: MRMA, Chamber of Commerce.
3. Assistance with Off-Campus Work Permit Program. MCIC should explore how foreign
students could be assisted in obtaining permission to work off campus so that they can take
summer employment in Canada. It must be recognized that “summer jobs” are not the norm in
many cultures, but a number of foreign students might want to take summer employment to gain
valuable experience and polish their language skills, perhaps in conjunction with learning another
Canadian official language.
Suggested project leads: MRMA, PSETL
4. Create a student employment mentoring program. This program could be organized through
MRMA. It would pair students in work placements with established newcomer business people
and with HR professional in the Miramichi region who can assist the foreign student in
understanding the Canadian workplace. In time, alumni of the program can become mentors.
The mentoring program could include job search skill training and health and safety training.
Suggested project leads: Chamber of Commerce, Newcastle and Chatham Business Districts.
By Q2 of 2014:
1. Create a placement service for health care jobs. According to our health care stakeholders,
there are ample employment opportunities in health care in the region. MCIC should conduct an
HR planning exercise with Horizon Health in order to determine what role it can play in matching
foreign students to employment needs. Placements in health care will be extremely beneficial for
foreign students seeking permanent residency under the Canada Experience Class.
Suggested project lead: Horizon Health
31
By Q4 of 2014:
12. International marketing of unique NBCC programs. Since NBCC is a provincial institution
and cannot show preference for one region over another, MCIC could undertake to publicize
specialized programs offered at NBCC Miramichi through its network of regional ambassadors
[see 2 above].
Suggested project leads: City of Miramichi, MRMA.
13. Market a complete service approach to gaining Canadian experience. The region has a wellestablished capacity for ESL and FSL training through the school districts, and can establish a
strong feeder system from second language facility to post-secondary facility to Miramichi region
employment.
Suggested project leads: Atlantic Education International, Carrefour Beausoleil, School
Districts, Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau Brunswick.
14. Settlement support. MRMA should prepare ways to assist younger immigrants to integrate into
the region. Assistance could be provided in different ways:
a. Yout- to-youth mentoring program
b. Assistance in housing searches
c. Collective leisure activities for young newcomers [This would not be a new activity for
MRMA. There should, however, be an attempt to integrate young newcomers with
Canadian youth as well.]
d. Community welcome activities
e. Pro bono legal services.
Suggested project leads: MRMA, Faith groups, Real Estate Board, Sport NB.
15. Promoting the region. The region must promote itself specifically as a focal area for youth
immigration. There is a need to develop a section on the website targeted to this initiative.
32
Suggested project leads: Municipalities.
33
34
Appendix A: Stakeholders and attendees
The tables on the following pages detail the stakeholders invited to each planning session and the attendees.
Representative
Stakeholder organization
Brian Donovan
Enterprise Miramichi
Huguette Duguay
Carrefour Beausoleil
Ann Morrissy
Miramichi Adult Learning
Ivy Lam
Terry Matchett
Executive Director, Greater Miramich
Chamber of Commerce
Newcastle Business District
Brian Geneau
Historic Chatham Business District
Stephanie King
Nancy Boucher
Downtown Miramichi - Historic Chatham
Business District & Newcastle
Downtown Miramichi - Historic Chatham
Business District & Newcastle
School District 16
Derek Hutchison
School District 16
Pat Savoie
Department Post Secondary Education,
Training & Labour
Department Post Secondary Education,
Training & Labour
Department Post Secondary Education,
Training & Labour
NBCC
Wade Halliahan
Marjorie Power
Richard Breault
Carole Daley
Hal Sommers
Sylvain Melancon
President Greater Miramich Chamber of
Commerce
Centre communautaire Carrefour
Beausoleil
14 Nov 2011
x
x
Attendance
28 Nov 2011
x
23 Jan 2012
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
35
Michael Mersereau
Beausoleil
MRMA
Ethel Sonier
MRMA
Juliette Cabana
MRMA
Jeff MacTavish
City of Miramichi
Joan Cripps
City of Miramichi
Beverly Bowes
Miramichi Regional Hospital HR
Kerry Kennedy
Horizon Health Network
Dr. Michael Hayden
Sherry Allison
Miramichi Regional Hospital Medical
Services
Miramichi Boys & Girls Club
Denise Daigle-Lavigne
École Carrefour Beausoleil
Sonny Stewart
Village of Doaktown
Yvette Robichaud
Village of Rogersville
Scott Clowater
Glen Hollowood
Rural Community of Upper Miramichi
(Boiestown)
Village of Blackville
Roger Ward Jr.
Village of Neguac
Ibrahim Faisal
President MRMA
Terri Cormier
Retirement Miramichi
Noëlla Brideau
Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau Brunswick
Michael Hill
St. Thomas University
Michelle Cadogan
Miramichi River Tourism Association
Tammy Sandford
Miramichi River Tourism Association
Andrew Frost
NBCC, Miramichi/MRMA Board Member
Angele Dignam
Service Canada, Miramichi
Jason Arseneault
Regional Operations & Community
Development, Sport NB
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
36
Norm Rogers
University Programs Miramichi (UPM)
Sophie Richard
School District 11 International Students
Maurice Daigle
School District 11
Bernard Landry
School District 11
Winston Dottin
MRMA Board Member
Eileen Girouard
Real Estate Board/Allied Realty
Rev. Brad Blaikei
St. James Presbyterian Church, Miramichi
Rev. Charlene McGuire
MacKnight
Rev. Joseph Okoko
St. Andrews United Church, Miramichi
Brent Carter
Rev. Terry Branscombe
St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church,
Blackville
United Pentecostal Church, Miramichi
Rev. Gary Churchill
Holy Trinity Congregational Christ,
Miramichi
St. Michael the Archangel Basilica,
Miramichi
Wellington Street United Baptist Church,
Miramichi
Miramichi Wesleyan, Miramichi
Rev. Richard Steeves
Saint Andrews Anglican Church, Miramichi
Lisa Pardy
Delta Augustine
Settlement & Multiculturalism Branch,
Population Growth Division, DPETL
Settlement & Multiculturalism Branch,
Population Growth Division, DPETL
Immigration Branch, Population Growth
Division, DPETL
NBCC Student
Yvette Bourque
Société de l'Acadie du Nouveau Brunswick
Ellen Bowes
School District 16
Vladimir Sokolowski
MRMA Board Member
Rev. John Fraser
Rev. Dale Greer
Gabriel Légère
Renu Dhayagude
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
37
Bill Fraser
Member of Legislative Assembly
Tilly O'Neill-Gordon
Member of Parliament
Bruce MacDonald
Atlantic Education International Inc.
John Barrett
CIC, N.B. Director
Donna-Gibbs
CIC, Program Officer, Settlement
Ashraf Ghanem
Jake Stewart
Settlement & Multiculturalism Branch,
Population Growth Division, DPETL
Immigration Branch, Population Growth
Division, DPETL
Member of Legislative Assembly
Robert B. Trevors
Member of Legislative Assembly
Serge Robichaud
Member of Legislative Assembly
Barbara Flanz
MRMA Board Member
Rambha Pershad
MRMA Board Member
Régis Robichaud
Village of Neguac
Gill Wallace
MRMA Community Connections
Coordinator
George Itoafa
x
x
x
x
x
38