Quote:
Originally Posted by Franco401
Is there any thought on increased immigration to Saint John? I know they could use it just as much, if not more, than Moncton. Boosting immigration to both cities paints a bright picture for the demographic and economic future of the province.
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My understanding is that Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton received equal shares of Syrian refugees when they were entering Canada (~900 each, don't quote me on it though).
Although Saint John probably does need the immigration more than Fredericton and Moncton the local market needs to be able to bare the brunt of newcomers as well. There's simply more growth in the other two cities and more working and living potential.
At the end of the day i'm only assuming the Chief Economist was analyzing Moncton as its the largest urban centre. I suppose you can look at growing NB in two ways:
1) Grow the Big 3 cities equally, incrementally, over time.
2) Put all your eggs in the Moncton basket and push its growth higher and higher.
We've gone over this idea on this forum ad nauseam on whether or not it's better to have one large urban centre or three medium-sized centres. There's arguments to be made both ways. It's becoming more and more clear with each passing year that the only way to resolve NB's significant demographic issues is with an influx of immigration similar in level to what other, larger Canadian provinces are permitted.