Why is it so Hard to Immigrate to Canada? Part 3

Why is it so hard to immigrate to Canada?

Possibility #3:

It can be hard to move to a lesser known Canadian city or town because they might have less vibrant immigrant communities than Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver.

While in Jamaica on holiday, I heard a Jamaican woman explain that she would consider moving to Canada, but only if she could live in Toronto. She said that she knew she had cousins in Toronto, and that the city had a vibrant Jamaican community where she could find foods from home and other people who were familiar with her culture and language. She feared that other Canadian cities and towns had less incentive because they lacked such immigrant communities and had a reputation for having colder winters.

It is tough enough to adjust to a cold Canadian winter, a lack of recognizable brands, different road signs, different TV programs, different taxes etc… but imagine doing all of this adjusting without a community to help and support you through this journey. The Canadian cities with the most established immigrant communities are most often said to be: Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver. As a result, these cities attract more immigrants because they know it is likely that they will have communities of people from their home country to help them adjust to a new life in Canada.
However, these cities might not be where the jobs are. Immigrants with oil-field experience might end up in Fort McMurray, far from these three metropolitan centers. Then what?

Possible solutions:
Well, luckily Canada is full of immigrants. Chances are you can find someone from every major region of the world in any Canadian town who you could talk to about the immigrant experience.
There are government programs in place to help introduce new immigrants to Canadian society. Just google your city/town and community groups or government programs. You never know what will pop up!


Most Canadians are very proud of our country’s multicultural heritage and would be more than glad to answer any questions you have about Canada to the best of their knowledge. (This includes me, so ask away in the comments or on twitter @MBlogger2)

Bonus video: Canada is Really Big by the Arrogant Worms