Is a City Built By Immigrants Still Open to Them?The Immigrant Experience In Saint John

Historic images of Saint John immigration courtesy of the National Archives of Canada

“The Immigrant Experience in Saint John: A look at how different cultures have adapted to a

mid-sized Maritime city”• This study was led by Dr. Greg Marquis of UNBSJ and Kurt

Peacock of UNBSJ/Enterprise Saint John

• The study consists of 2 parts: a historical examination of the 20th century immigrant experience in Saint John, and a survey of how recent immigrants are being welcomed by the Saint John community

• The study is funded by the Atlantic Metropolis Centre, and is the first major academic study on the immigrant experience in Saint

John • The study wanted to examine why some immigrants stay in the

community, while others leave for larger centres

A key question: Why Saint John?• Saint John is one of close to 30 large urban centres in Canada, and while its

immigrant community is much smaller than that found in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, it is the largest immigrant community in New Brunswick

• Roughly 1 in 20 Saint John residents were born outside of Canada• This study sought to better understand what has attracted immigrants to

Saint John, and what challenges they have faced as they seek to succeed in their new community

• As part of the study, UNBSJ partnered with Enterprise Saint John to explore the immigrant experience under NB’s provincial nominee program

• In future years, we hope to examine other aspects of the immigrant experience

Some historical perspective on immigration to Saint John

Pre-Confederation: the first immigrant waves

• 1783: arrival of over 10,000 Loyalist refugees lead to the establishment of city

• 1815: beginning of post-Napoleonic immigration from British Isles

• 1820s, 1830s, early 40s: skilled and semi-skilled British immigrants

• late 1840s: Irish Famine immigrants• 1850s: Saint John is an Irish city, by Confederation over

1/3 of population born outside Canada

Immigration after Confederation

• 1873-96: the ‘great depression’causes outmigration from Saint John and NB

• 1890s: winter port begins, and SJ harbour becomes seasonal adjunct of Montreal

• ICR/CPR rail links to central Canada/USA

• 1897-1913: SJ as disembarkation point for American and Western Canadian settlers– ex, the Doukhobors

The Second Mass Migration: 1901-1931

• greater ethnic diversity• the city’s Jewish community peaks at 100

families• growing Lebanese community• small Chinese, Italian and Greek

communities develop• churches, synagogues, small businesses,

voluntary organizations are all formed

A number of Saint John immigrant families opened small businesses along Union Street

and Main Street

The early Chinese community in Saint

John was quite active, opening businesses and

organizing parades. Restrictive

immigration laws led to its demise in

the 1920s

The Immigrant Experience Post-1945• fewer British

immigrants, European immigrants arrive by steamship

• transatlantic air travel makes passenger liners outmoded

• only recently have the number of immigrants in Saint John community increased

The last mass migration into Saint John occurred in 1957, as a boat filled with Hungarian refugees arrived in the harbour.

Few stayed in the community - although a reunion of sorts was held

in 2007

The Present-Day Immigrant Experience in Saint John: What s does the study seek to answer?

• The survey is broken down into specific themes: Life at Home and School, Your Saint John Experience, Jobs and Labour Market, Demographic Information, and Your Ideas

• The Demographic information has been asked to see if certain immigrant communities have found some aspect of the immigrant experience easier than other immigrant communities

• The survey ends by asking new immigrants a straightforward question: if you were in charge of New Brunswick, what 3 ideas would you develop to ensure that new immigrants can stay in the province and prosper?

Currently, roughly 30% of NB immigrants settle in Saint John.

Unfortunately, NB forms less than 1% of Canada’s immigration totals

  2009 2010

  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Q1

   

Moncton 93 106 166 114 479 117

Saint John 109 193 206 77 585 115

Fredericton 116 176 136 65 493 105Other New Brunswick 59 113 94 90 356 85New Brunswick 377 588 602 346 1,913 422

What are the survey’s key findings?N.B. needs more support for immigrants: groupTuesday, August 11, 2009 | 11:38 AM ATCBC News New Brunswick’s goal of attracting 5,000 new immigrants a year by 2016 is

unrealistic because the province doesn’t have enough support services to offer them

• Although the survey is only a partial snapshot (100+ responses tabulated), trends have already emerged

• Close to ½ of survey respondents have lived in city for less than two years• A note of caution: The statistical variance in the analysis is still roughly +/- 10

%• The early conclusion? If NB truly wants to grow through immigration, much

more work needs to be done

How welcoming is Saint John?

• Roughly 30% of new immigrants to the city have been exposed to some form of racism

• When asked, “there are lots of employment opportunities for residents new to Saint John”, most respondents disagreed (3.9 out of a 1-5 scale)

• When asked, “Saint John is a welcoming place for New Canadians”, most residents agreed (2.63 out of a1-5 scale)

• When asked, “would you recommend Saint John to other immigrants as a good place to live?”, 57% said yes, while 9 % would recommend another NB city (Moncton, Fredericton), and 22% would recommend a large Canadian city (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver)

Do you ever get a second chance to make a first impression?

• When asked, “what was your first impression,” 55% liked Saint John, while 45% of survey respondents did not like Saint John

• Among the city’s strengths were: friendly people, lots of nature and fresh air

• Among its weaknesses: small population, fog, and air pollution

• The vast majority (85%) of respondents grew more positive about the city as they stayed in the community

• 53% of respondents unsure if they will be in Saint John in a couple of years, while 28% plan on staying in the community

The Good and Bad about Saint John(actual responses)

• Fresh air• People welcoming• Bay of Fundy• Inexpensive• Low crime rate• Peaceful community• Tranquility• Natural environment

• Weather• Slow development• Lack of job

opportunities• Air quality• Limited shopping• Limited transportation• Boring

The #1 Issue? Jobs and Economic Opportunity

• When asked what were the key hurdles facing newcomers, “employment’ and “economic/financial issues” have emerged as the most significant responses to date

• 73% of respondents suggested that job placement services would be useful for new immigrants, while 59% called for more/better language training

• The vast majority of respondents disagreed with the statements ‘there are meaningful employment opportunities for newcomers’ (3.9 out of a 1-5 scale), ‘there are opportunities for starting a new business in the community’ (3.5 out of a 1-5 scale), and ‘local employers are interested in hiring immigrants’ (3.6 out of a 1-5 scale)

• The economic barriers facing SJ immigrants are arguably the biggest reason why community is unsure of its future

The role of the PNP: Is it a positive experience?

• Close to ½ of survey respondents have participated in the provincial nominee program, in which the province facilitates immigration for new Canadians who have found employment or are ready to go into business

• Most respondents felt it took too long to process, and wasn’t like it was described

• Those who attempted to enter into business almost universally felt it was less successful than they hoped, because of limited language skills and lack of knowledge of Canadian business customs

• Even with these challenges, roughly 80% of PNP participants would recommend the program as a good way to migrate to Canada

If Saint John immigrants were in charge of the NB government, what

would they do to bring more immigrants into the Province?

• The vast majority of respondents called for the creation of more/better job opportunities, as well as job placements and credential recognition

• Stronger language programs were desired• More opportunities to socialize between cultures

were called for

What the community has done since the survey was taken

• A newcomers’ resource centre has been established and is well-staffed, offering a myriad of services

• Enterprise Saint John has placed as much focus on retaining immigrants as it does attracting them

• Neighbourhoods near the Uptown, Millidgeville and Quispamsis have been pro-active in welcoming diversity

• The Labour Market is more responsive, but much more needs to be done

Thank you!

• For more information on the Saint John Metropolis project, please contact

Kurt Peacock kpeacock@enterprisesj.com

Dr. Greg Marquis gmarquis@unbsj.ca