Post by Jari on Dec 22, 2004 17:16:00 GMT -5
10,000 more people call province home
Wed Dec 22 2004
By Mia Rabson and Carol Sanders
IF shopping malls seem more crowded this Christmas season, they probably are.
That's because there are 10,000 more Manitobans this year -- the province's largest population increase in 20 years.
After 15 years of dwindling population, Manitoba this year has recorded the fourth-highest population growth rate of Canadian provinces.
"Yee-haw, this is good news," said Industry Minister Jim Rondeau.
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President Graham Starmer said the province's attempt to rebrand itself is beginning to work.
"Manitoba is the best place to grow with a family and that is becoming known throughout Canada," Starmer said. There are signs of the spurt everywhere in Manitoba, as well as some growing pains.
This year, house prices in Winnipeg are forecast to be among the fastest-rising in Canada behind only Edmonton and Calgary.
Yesterday, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said apartment vacancy rates are the lowest they've been in 20 years.
Manitoba's population as of Oct. 1 was estimated at 1.17 million, up 0.9 per cent from last year, and the increase appears to be part of a growing economy.
Manitoba is set to record the third-highest economic growth rate in the country for 2004 at 3.3 per cent, lagging behind only Alberta and B.C.
And yesterday, Statistics Canada reported that retail sales for October were up 8.6 per cent in Manitoba compared to a year ago, the second-largest increase in the country. "It's really great to have the numbers grow, as long as we can retain them," Starmer said.
The Manitoba Bureau of Statistics projects Manitoba's population will grow by 9,400 next year, and 10,300 a year between 2005 and 2017. In 12 years, Manitoba's population is projected to be 1.3 million.
In the last 12 months 6,485 more people came to Manitoba than left -- the highest net inflow of people to the province ever.
The previous record was set in 1982 with 5,204 people. From 1986 to 2001, the province lost more people than it gained every year except for 1999, when there was a net increase of 600 people.
Immigration is one of the biggest contributors to Manitoba's population boom, with 7,555 newcomers arriving this past year. That's a 31-per-cent increase over 2003.
Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan credited the provincial nominee program for the "historic growth" in the immigrant population.
"Everybody's doing a lot of work and it's showing," said Marty Dolin, director of Welcome Place, which helps refugees settle in the city.
A new report by settlement service agencies across Canada that hasn't been published yet ranked Manitoba as the best province overall for newcomers, said Dolin.
Manitoba has the best languagetraining services in the country, he said. There has been an increase in federal funding for English-as-a-Second-Language programs and Manitoba is spending more -- $725 for each fulltime equivalent student, up from $700 last year and from $660 a few years ago. Manitoba also boasts a pharmacare program and no medicare surcharge, Dolin noted.
And Manitoba has a large faith community, whose members privately sponsor more refugees than the federal government does, he said. The provincial government is also working hard to attract and retain more people, he said.
"The province is doing a great job with the provincial nominee program, but all the other (provincial) departments have to look at the impact of this."
More children are entering the school system and more people need mental and physical health services, said Dolin. At the same time, the federal government hasn't increased funding for settlement services in eight years, he said.
"We need enough staff," said Dolin. "I've got people who are burning out They're underpaid and overworked."
With the population growing again, education and housing can be a problem, Starmer said.
"Clearly this is going to be a challenge for all of us in child welfare," said Patrick Harrison, program manager for intake and early prevention with Winnipeg Child and Family Services. "It's hard to tell what the impact will be."
Starmer said immigration round tables with communities to help deal with the influx of people, as well as prepare to attract new ones, have helped.
He also said he's encouraged the numbers will continue to grow as progress is made on recognizing more foreign credentials for various professionals, such as nurses and engineers. The province needs more people, and newcomers are worth the investment, said Raj Pandey, owner of APR Industries in Winnipeg. He immigrated from India more than 30 years ago to study at the University of Manitoba, then started his own business that now employs 40 workers. He is now prepared to expand and hire more employees.
"There are people coming from another country with lots of talents -- you just have to tap into them. If you help them to adjust, and do good to them, they will return it to you."
This past year, Manitoba had a net loss of 822 people to other provinces -- mainly to B.C. and Alberta, StatsCan said. Rondeau noted, however, that that was the lowest net interprovincial loss since 1983.
"I think we're actually offering opportunities," Rondeau said. "We actually are having more jobs to offer, and not just low-end jobs, but good jobs too."
Tory Leader Stuart Murray said losing people to the booming western provinces should say to the NDP this province still isn't competitive. He said Manitoba needs a longterm economic strategy that offers tax cuts and economic competitiveness.
For the first time in 22 years, Manitoba had a net gain of people from Ontario, with 397 more people moving to Manitoba from Ontario than going the reverse direction. Last year Manitoba had a net loss of 580 people to Canada's largest province.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Wed Dec 22 2004
By Mia Rabson and Carol Sanders
IF shopping malls seem more crowded this Christmas season, they probably are.
That's because there are 10,000 more Manitobans this year -- the province's largest population increase in 20 years.
After 15 years of dwindling population, Manitoba this year has recorded the fourth-highest population growth rate of Canadian provinces.
"Yee-haw, this is good news," said Industry Minister Jim Rondeau.
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President Graham Starmer said the province's attempt to rebrand itself is beginning to work.
"Manitoba is the best place to grow with a family and that is becoming known throughout Canada," Starmer said. There are signs of the spurt everywhere in Manitoba, as well as some growing pains.
This year, house prices in Winnipeg are forecast to be among the fastest-rising in Canada behind only Edmonton and Calgary.
Yesterday, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said apartment vacancy rates are the lowest they've been in 20 years.
Manitoba's population as of Oct. 1 was estimated at 1.17 million, up 0.9 per cent from last year, and the increase appears to be part of a growing economy.
Manitoba is set to record the third-highest economic growth rate in the country for 2004 at 3.3 per cent, lagging behind only Alberta and B.C.
And yesterday, Statistics Canada reported that retail sales for October were up 8.6 per cent in Manitoba compared to a year ago, the second-largest increase in the country. "It's really great to have the numbers grow, as long as we can retain them," Starmer said.
The Manitoba Bureau of Statistics projects Manitoba's population will grow by 9,400 next year, and 10,300 a year between 2005 and 2017. In 12 years, Manitoba's population is projected to be 1.3 million.
In the last 12 months 6,485 more people came to Manitoba than left -- the highest net inflow of people to the province ever.
The previous record was set in 1982 with 5,204 people. From 1986 to 2001, the province lost more people than it gained every year except for 1999, when there was a net increase of 600 people.
Immigration is one of the biggest contributors to Manitoba's population boom, with 7,555 newcomers arriving this past year. That's a 31-per-cent increase over 2003.
Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan credited the provincial nominee program for the "historic growth" in the immigrant population.
"Everybody's doing a lot of work and it's showing," said Marty Dolin, director of Welcome Place, which helps refugees settle in the city.
A new report by settlement service agencies across Canada that hasn't been published yet ranked Manitoba as the best province overall for newcomers, said Dolin.
Manitoba has the best languagetraining services in the country, he said. There has been an increase in federal funding for English-as-a-Second-Language programs and Manitoba is spending more -- $725 for each fulltime equivalent student, up from $700 last year and from $660 a few years ago. Manitoba also boasts a pharmacare program and no medicare surcharge, Dolin noted.
And Manitoba has a large faith community, whose members privately sponsor more refugees than the federal government does, he said. The provincial government is also working hard to attract and retain more people, he said.
"The province is doing a great job with the provincial nominee program, but all the other (provincial) departments have to look at the impact of this."
More children are entering the school system and more people need mental and physical health services, said Dolin. At the same time, the federal government hasn't increased funding for settlement services in eight years, he said.
"We need enough staff," said Dolin. "I've got people who are burning out They're underpaid and overworked."
With the population growing again, education and housing can be a problem, Starmer said.
"Clearly this is going to be a challenge for all of us in child welfare," said Patrick Harrison, program manager for intake and early prevention with Winnipeg Child and Family Services. "It's hard to tell what the impact will be."
Starmer said immigration round tables with communities to help deal with the influx of people, as well as prepare to attract new ones, have helped.
He also said he's encouraged the numbers will continue to grow as progress is made on recognizing more foreign credentials for various professionals, such as nurses and engineers. The province needs more people, and newcomers are worth the investment, said Raj Pandey, owner of APR Industries in Winnipeg. He immigrated from India more than 30 years ago to study at the University of Manitoba, then started his own business that now employs 40 workers. He is now prepared to expand and hire more employees.
"There are people coming from another country with lots of talents -- you just have to tap into them. If you help them to adjust, and do good to them, they will return it to you."
This past year, Manitoba had a net loss of 822 people to other provinces -- mainly to B.C. and Alberta, StatsCan said. Rondeau noted, however, that that was the lowest net interprovincial loss since 1983.
"I think we're actually offering opportunities," Rondeau said. "We actually are having more jobs to offer, and not just low-end jobs, but good jobs too."
Tory Leader Stuart Murray said losing people to the booming western provinces should say to the NDP this province still isn't competitive. He said Manitoba needs a longterm economic strategy that offers tax cuts and economic competitiveness.
For the first time in 22 years, Manitoba had a net gain of people from Ontario, with 397 more people moving to Manitoba from Ontario than going the reverse direction. Last year Manitoba had a net loss of 580 people to Canada's largest province.
mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca