Roy Ratnavel has spent a lifetime defying expectations.
You might think that such a successful businessman would emphasize his own accomplishments. Instead, he talks only of gratitude to his father, to his family, and to his adopted homeland of Canada, which he chose long ago and continues to choose every day.
“Canada gave me a second chance at life. I owe this country everything,” Roy says. “Every immigrant has rights but also responsibilities: to obey the law, contribute to the economy, and build stronger communities.”
Roy’s best-selling memoir, Prisoner #1056, recounts his improbable journey from military dungeons to the highest heights of Bay Street. He was imprisoned and tortured as a teenager in his native Sri Lanka during that country’s civil war for the crime of being born Tamil. Recognizing the limited future for a Tamil boy during the ongoing Sri Lankan Civil War, Roy’s father told him to leave as soon as he got out of prison, thinking, “Canada might be the land of opportunity.”
“I landed here on April 19, 1988,” he says. “Eighteen years old, alone, with little money and big dreams, and I committed right away to make this country home.”
The early years in Canada were tough: trudging through deep snow to the bus stop, long factory shifts, and ever-present survivor’s guilt for having escaped the death and suffering that so many of his family and friends could not. Just days after arriving in Canada, Roy learned his father had been shot in an act of pointless sectarian violence.
Roy resolved to make the very most of his precious life and was grateful to be in Canada, where he could follow his father’s advice to not just survive, but live.
An act of heroic perseverance landed him a job in the mailroom at CI Asset Management. He retired as Vice Chairman. Yet despite his success, Roy is never triumphal. His memoir catalogues the many generous Canadians who helped him immensely along the way, people who admired and rewarded his hard work but also taught him that there’s more to life than money—that helping others is the greatest of joys. “Canada gave me freedom. It gave me an opportunity. Where I came from, you had neither.”
Today, he’s paying it forward through philanthropy and any other form of giving he can do. “There are three phases in life,” he says, “learn, earn, and return. I’m in the return phase now.”
Roy and his wife, Sue, just made a $1 million gift to the Scarborough Health Network, where he now sits on the board and leads efforts to improve mental health services for immigrant communities, particularly those affected by the trauma of war, which he knows all too well.
You don’t need millions to be generous. Even those in their learning and earning phases of life can still make a difference. “Give fifty dollars. Give time. Share your expertise. The joy you get from giving is worth so much more.”
He’s even taken on the challenge of helping other successful immigrants find their way to philanthropy. “It’s about showing others in your community that giving back is possible. When people see someone like them step up, they feel inspired to do the same.”
To those who think immigrants are a drain on Canada, Roy has a plain message: “Immigrants are here to build.” Again, it’s all about gratitude. “People born into freedom often don’t appreciate it. But those of us who choose freedom never take it for granted. I give to say thank you to this nation, which has given me everything,” he says.
Roy’s love of Canada is a calling that cannot be silenced. “Until the day I die, I will continue to contribute in any way I can to give back to a nation that opened the doors to people like me,” he says. “Canada gave me a life. I’ll spend the rest of it giving back.”
And to new immigrants just starting out on their journey, Roy has just one request: “Leave this place better than you found it.” It’s a simple maxim that says a lot about expectations —not the ones others have of us, but the ones we hold for ourselves.
TORONTO, ON — Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship made the following statement following the conclusion of the three-day Council of the Federation gathering in Huntsville:
The Premiers’ insistence on increasing immigration levels to meet local economic needs simply demonstrates how unhelpful it is to set arbitrary immigration caps for mostly political reasons that in many respects operate independently from economic reality. A better system would do a better job of quickly understanding real needs in the economy and setting targets to meet them. A better system would also do a better job of ensuring skilled immigrants find work addressing the needs they were selected to address, and reverse declining retention rates for skilled immigrants, so they stay to build our economy instead of a competitor’s.
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About ICC
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting.
Canoo’s growing network of welcome partners ensures that newcomers and their families can experience Canada’s most sought-after experiences as well as the tools they need to help call Canada home. Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 890,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading the app for free.
For more about the app and the growing list of benefits for Canoo members, please visit https://canoo.ca/.
Canada is grappling with its most severe housing crisis in generations, requiring an unprecedented 47% increase in construction output to meet demand. We are also facing a stark reality: we cannot build our way out of this crisis without the skilled hands to do the work. While public sentiment toward immigration has grown increasingly skeptical, and federal immigration targets have been reduced, the construction sector tells a different story – one where immigrant workers are not just beneficial, but essential.
The Canadian Construction Association estimates a shortage of 85,500 workers over the next decade, yet immigrants with construction skills represented just 2.4% of new arrivals between 2016 and 2021 – down dramatically from 9.6% in the 1980s. As Mark Carney’s Liberal government pursues ambitious housing plans reminiscent of post-World War II reconstruction efforts, the question for Canadians isn’t whether we need immigrant construction workers, but whether we can afford to turn them away.
The Carney government has released the most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War. The plan aims to double the rate of housing construction in Canada over the next 10 years, reaching 500,000 homes built per year – a big ask considering the coming workforce crisis in the construction industry.
As Baby Boomers age out of the workforce, many sectors in Canada are facing labour shortages. By 2033, an estimated 134,000 residential construction workers will retire. This leaves a massive gap to fill to achieve the rates of construction set out in the Liberal plan. Currently, only 117,000 workers are projected to join the field, resulting in a net loss of 17,000 workers. These numbers don’t account for the additional workers needed to double our construction rate. Certain regions are dealing with especially acute shortages; Nova Scotia alone will face a shortage of 15,000 skilled workers in the next 10 years. Construction companies are already feeling the pressure: the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions found that concerns over finding skilled employees increased in the first quarter of 2025, while in 2023 the construction sector had one of the highest vacancy rates in Canada.
Beyond just increasing our construction capacity, there are numerous other reasons to prioritize immigrants with a background in skilled trades.
There are multiple ways to fill this gap in skilled workers. Targeted investments in apprenticeship training are critical given recent rates of uptake: from 2016-2021, the number of working-age people with construction-focused apprenticeship certificates rose by just 0.6%, while the number of working-age people with a bachelor’s degree or higher increased by almost 20%. While training more youth for careers in the skilled trades through programs like the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program is crucial, there simply aren’t enough interested young people to fill current labour gaps. Unless Baby Boomers are willing to work well beyond retirement age, skilled immigrants are the most effective way – and likely the only way – to rapidly scale up Canada’s construction potential.
Yet current immigration policies are falling short of the country’s construction needs. The proportion of immigrants with an apprenticeship or trades certificate dropped from 9.6% in the 1980s to 2.4% in recent years. Canada’s immigration system prioritizes university education over practical skills, and skilled tradespeople who come through the Express Entry system require a Canadian certification in their intended trade, automatically disqualifying many foreign construction workers. Through the Foreign Credentials Recognition Program, the Canadian government is funding programs like the UBC Bridge to Red Seal project, intended to streamline these processes for newcomers. More of these projects are needed on a large scale to integrate newcomers into the construction sector. Currently, most newcomers are left to navigate the complex recertification process on their own.
The path forward is clear. If we want to rapidly scale up our construction capacity, we need to harness skilled immigrant talent. Targeted immigration streams that prioritize construction-specific trades at scale will allow us to bring in the talent we need. Other key steps include increasing the frequency of Express Entry trades draws and aligning our immigration policy with future construction workforce projections. For those already in Canada, governments and national organizations should streamline the recognition of foreign credentials so we can get more skilled employees on jobsites quickly. Ultimately, immigrants are a key partner in solving our housing crisis and building affordable housing for all Canadians. Either we leverage the contributions of skilled immigrant construction workers, or we fall short of housing Canadians and immigrants alike.
Keywords: immigration, skilled trades, Canadian labour market, construction, Canadian housing market, labour shortages, newcomers, housing, Canadian workforce
Immigrants don’t just consume Canadian kindness, they also produce it in great quantities. Even those who may require support at first can become generous, devoted Canadians.
In this series, we’re highlighting the stories of Canadian immigrants who contribute to Canada with their philanthropy.
For this first installment, we sat down with Dr. Kabir Jivraj to reflect on his journey to Canada and his journey to philanthropy and what it means to choose Canada not just as a home but as a responsibility. Full disclosure: Dr. Jivraj and his wife, Munira, are generous donors to the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC).
A trained anaesthetist and critical care specialist, Dr. Jivraj, came to Edmonton from the UK in 1981 for a one-year visit with just a single suitcase and a squash racket. “I came for a North American experience,” he said, reflecting on the early days. “But the rest,” he smiled, “is history.”
“What kept me here was the way medicine was practiced,” he explained. “I felt like I was making a real difference, caring for the sick, the elderly, and the vulnerable. In Canada, I could live my values.”
That deeply rooted sense of purpose has shaped his life’s work. In 1998, Dr. Jivraj co-founded Age Care Ltd. to help address an acute shortage in elder care capacity. Dr. Munira Jivraj is a respected dentist and entrepreneur in her own right and has started and led dental practices in Calgary for over 30 years.
“If you’re not trying to make a difference in the world, don’t do the business,” Kabir says. “Be purpose-driven. Focus on doing the right thing. If you deliver quality and great outcomes, the success will follow.”
The Jivraj family has made giving a priority, including generous support to the ICC. They don’t just believe that immigrants bring value to this country – they prove it.
“When you choose Canada, you have a responsibility to contribute to it. Our children are proud to be Canadian. We are too.”
Dr. Kabir Jivraj
The Jivrajs are now among Canada’s most thoughtful philanthropists. Their giving focuses on health, education, and supporting vulnerable people – in Canada and globally.
It’s not about recognition. In fact, they shy away from naming opportunities. “With blessings come responsibility,” Kabir said. “And giving, quietly or publicly, brings joy. It gives us fulfillment.”
For those who question the value of immigration or who see immigrants as a burden rather than a benefit, Dr. Jivraj offers this gentle correction: “People who’ve gone through crisis come with a kind of resilience and work ethic you don’t get growing up with a silver spoon. They’re here with conviction. They want to build something better because they’ve chosen Canada.”
I walked away from this conversation feeling exactly how you hope to feel when you speak to someone like Dr. Jivraj: grateful, inspired, and reminded of the power of purpose. It’s not just about what you build. It’s about why you build it and who benefits along the way.
Thank you, Kabir, for choosing Canada and, through your support of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, showing us what giving back truly looks like.
TORONTO, ON — The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is pleased to announce the winners of its second annual Canoo Awards, which recognize institutions that open their doors to newcomers via the ICC’s award-winning Canoo app with exceptional effect.
The 2024 Canoo Award winners are: The Manitoba Children’s Museum (Kids’ Choice Award), the National Arts Centre (Breakthrough Award), Cisco Networking Academy (Innovation Award), Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Community Award), Parks Canada (Founders’ Award), and The Toronto Zoo (Partner of the Year Award).
“As Canada stares down an existential threat to our existence, it is even more important to retain talented newcomers, build their belief in Canada, and set them up to contribute their unique talents to our success over the long-term,” says Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC. “Canoo is Canada’s largest immigrant integration service, but it is only possible because of our exceptional partners, whose contributions via Canoo make Canada so much stronger in this hour of need.”
This year’s Canoo Awards go to six exceptional organizations that have collectively welcomed over 107,641 newcomers with free admission and heavily discounted experiences in 2024 via Canoo. By offering one-of-a-kind experiences for newcomers, these organizations do a great service to all of Canada, supporting a strong and resilient society where people from around the world contribute to our shared future and success.
These second annual Canoo Awards are proudly presented to the following organizations in the following categories:
The Kids’ Choice Award recognizes a Canoo partner attraction with the highest proportion of child admissions via Canoo over the last year. In 2024, the Manitoba Children’s Museum welcomed the largest proportion of children relative to overall admissions.
Breakthrough Award:National Arts Centre, Ottawa
The Breakthrough Award recognizes the most visited Canoo partner attraction that joined the program within the last year, quickly becoming a new favourite among newcomers. In 2024, the National Arts Centre welcomed 350 Canoo members to its performances in Ottawa.
Innovation Award: Cisco Networking Academy
The Innovation Award recognizes the Canoo partner which demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in designing programs, services, or initiatives that provide unique value to newcomers. In 2024, 965 Canoo members enrolled in 2,036 free upskilling classes through the Cisco Networking Academy, developing skills in economically critical subjects like AI and cybersecurity.
Community Award: Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Community Award recognizes the Canoo partner which has shown extraordinary dedication to fostering connections and creating a sense of belonging for newcomers through active community engagement, on and beyond Canoo. In 2024, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra offered a standing 25% discount, welcoming 1,800 Canoo members to experience its Masterworks concert series.
Founders’ Award, presented by TELUS: Parks Canada
The Founders’ Award recognizes the Canoo partner that has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to advancing the ICC’s co-Founders’ vision of an inclusive Canada that embraces newcomers and all they contribute to our society. A Canoo partner since 2012, Parks Canada is dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment within its organization and across Canadian society by offering free admission for one year to Parks Canada administered places to eligible newcomers to Canada.
Canoo Partner of the Year Award, presented by CIBC: Toronto Zoo
The Partner of the Year Award recognizes the Canoo partner attraction that welcomed the most newcomers in 2024: the stand-out favourite among Canoo members. For the second year in a row, this Award goes to the Toronto Zoo, which welcomed 57,311 newcomers to its site via Canoo.
These awards will be presented at the ICC’s 2025 Canada’s Difference Makers Gala, which will be held at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto on April 29th.
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Quotes from our Canoo Award winners:
“The Manitoba Children’s Museum is thrilled to be selected as the 2024 Canoo Kids’ Choice Award winner by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC). This recognition spotlights the dedication to our vision of providing an educational experience filled with excitement, wonder, and curiosity that all children can access. The Manitoba Children’s Museum cares deeply about our community and is extremely pleased to offer this wonderful safe space in which to warmly welcome newcomers, so they can explore, create, connect, interact, and enjoy learning. It is an honour to be part of the newcomer journey and to play a role in helping them feel at home in Canada.”
Sara Hancheruk, Executive Director, Manitoba Children’s Museum
“We are proud to be the winners of the 2024 Canoo Breakthrough Award and of our successful partnership with Canoo, which, in such a short time, has proved essential in helping us create a more inclusive and welcoming space for newcomers at their National Arts Centre. The NAC believes that the performing arts are vital to the human experience, and we work every day to ensure that we are an open and safe space where everyone knows they belong.”
Kondwani Mwase, Executive Director of Audience Engagement at the National Arts Centre.
“Cisco Networking Academy is committed to providing educational opportunities that foster an inclusive future for all. We’re honoured to receive the 2024 Canoo Innovation Award from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. This award underscores the importance of designing education programs that supports and empowers newcomers to Canada.”
Raj Juneja, President of Cisco Canada
“At the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, we believe music is best experienced when it’s shared. Receiving this recognition from Canoo is truly meaningful for us, as it reflects the heart of what we strive for: a place where newcomers and all Torontonians feel at home. We’re honoured to be part of so many newcomer journeys and grateful for the opportunity to connect through music. Our partnership with Canoo has allowed us to welcome thousands of new Canadians, and we look forward to continuing to create moments of belonging and shared joy in our city.”
Mark Williams, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Beck Family CEO
“At your Toronto Zoo, we believe that everyone should feel a deep sense of belonging—both in our community and in nature. As we move forward with our new Guardians of Wild Strategic Plan, we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming space where all guests, staff, volunteers and partners see themselves reflected and valued. By embracing diversity and strengthening connections, we ensure that your Toronto Zoo is a place where people of all backgrounds can come together to learn, explore, and be inspired to protect wildlife and wild spaces.”
Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo
About the ICC
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting. Via its award-winning Canoo app, the ICC has helped over 800,000 newcomers integrate into Canada with free and discounted culture, nature and sport experiences.
TORONTO, ON — The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is proud to launch a bold new public awareness campaign: “New Canadians Make All the Difference.” At a time when newcomers are too often blamed for our country’s self-inflicted challenges, this campaign reminds Canadians that immigrants have historically alleviated Canada’s biggest problems and seldom caused them.
For centuries, immigrants have helped Canada overcome its greatest challenges. Before casting blame, we’d do well to reflect on the history of how immigrants have helped this country thrive. That story continues today.
Whether building homes, powering our healthcare system, growing our economy, or improving Canada’s culinary range newcomers have always made — and continue to make — lasting contributions that make Canada a richer, stronger, and more interesting place to live.
This campaign invokes historical anti-immigrant tropes that seem absurd today. Viewers are challenged to interrogate whether contemporary anti-immigration rhetoric are equally absurd.
This campaign has launched coast to coast, with bold visual storytelling featured through very large wild postings in Ottawa, Toronto, and Calgary, and digital banners at 40 Cineplex locations across Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia. It’s a national reminder that the contributions of newcomers aren’t just part of Canada’s past — they’re building our future every day.
Highlights of the campaign include a focus on:
Irish immigrants, who faced fierce discrimination—even as British subjects— but persevered to build a better future. Today, Canadians of Irish descent include Prime Ministers St. Laurent, Mulroney, Martin, and Carney, and icons like Ryan Reynolds, Shania Twain, and Stompin’ Tom Connors.
Ukrainian immigrants, once marginalized for their religious and cultural differences, who still transformed the Prairies into one of the world’s most productive breadbaskets. In 2024 alone, non-animal agriculture was a $48 billion industry, employing over 115,000 Canadians.
Italian immigrants, many of whom arrived after 1945 and faced discrimination rooted in anti-Catholic bias, built the homes that millions of Canadians still live in today. By 1960, one in three Toronto construction workers was Italian. They also helped bring about one of Canada’s favourite pastimes: patio season.
Newcomers in healthcare, now and in the future, are essential to solving our extreme labour shortages that will only get worse as Canada ages further. Contrary to popular belief, rising immigration is not straining our system. In fact, the number of ER patients hasn’t changed in two decades—it just takes longer to treat them. Immigrants with international credentials could help, if only Canada would let them.
This campaign is more than a history lesson—it’s a contemporary call to action.
“Immigration isn’t just about filling jobs or getting bigger. It’s about talented people dedicating their lives to making Canada ever more extraordinary.,” said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC. “Just as yesterday’s prejudices seem ridiculous today, our current rhetoric will strike future generations as absurd. Immigrants leave Canada stronger – yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”
For more about the ICC’s campaign, educational resources, and opportunities for Canadians to learn, share, and support the cause, visit www.thedifferencemakers.ca.
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About
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting.
Canoo’s growing network of welcome partners ensures that newcomers and their families can experience Canada’s most sought-after experiences as well as the tools they need to help call Canada home. Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 830,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading the app for free.
For more about the app and the growing list of benefits for Canoo members, please visit https://canoo.ca/.
TORONTO, ON — A new national poll of new Canadians by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) shows that new Canadians’ votes are up for grabs this election, with double the national average undecided rate and a significant number open to changing their minds before polling day. Affordability, healthcare, and housing rank among the top issues driving voter priorities in the lead-up to the 2025 federal election, with Canada-US relations the eighth most important issue.
According to the survey of 2,397 Canoo members, 80% identified the cost of living as one of their top five concerns. Healthcare was next at 62%, followed by housing at 54%. Jobs, taxes, and economic growth also ranked highly, reflecting widespread concern over financial pressures and economic security. Unlike most polls of the general population, where Canada-US relations registers as a top priority, it was the eighth most important issue for new Canadians in this poll, with just 27% putting it in the top-five.
“This poll gives voice to the concerns of Canada’s newest citizens and shows a high level of democratic engagement among them, with 92% intending to cast a ballot”, said Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC. “Immigrants are clearly focused on making ends meet and building a stable future. And unlike many Canadians who have become attached to a specific party as a matter of personal identity, new Canadians are much more open to persuasion.”
The survey of adult Canoo members was conducted online through the Qualtrics platform between April 1 and April 4, 2025. Online surveys do not have margins of error but a comparable survey with 2,397 respondents would have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.0%, 19 times out of 20.
When asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 36% of decided respondents said the Liberal Party under Mark Carney, while 29% supported the Conservative Party led by Pierre Poilievre. Support for the NDP stood at 4%, with other parties polling at 1% or less. 17% of respondents were undecided – more than double the general population average.
Voter commitment has swung significantly, with one in three new Canadians having changed their voting preference in the past six months and 29% open to changing their minds before polling day.
Survey participants were highly educated, with more than 80% holding a university degree. Most (over 70%) are employed full-time, and household incomes vary widely, with the largest group earning between $75,000 and $100,000 per year.
“These data are a snapshot of a highly-engaged and talented voting bloc,” continued Bernhard. “Parties that want to connect with this growing demographic of committed Canadians need to speak credibly on affordability, access to healthcare, and housing if they plan to retain this talent in Canada long term.”
The full ICC 2025 Federal Election Survey results are available here.
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About
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting.
Canoo’s growing network of welcome partners ensures that newcomers and their families can experience Canada’s most sought-after experiences as well as the tools they need to help call Canada home. Since 2010, Canoo has welcomed over 830,000 newcomer members. All recent permanent residents and new citizens can join Canoo by downloading the app for free.
For more about the app and the growing list of benefits for Canoo members, please visit https://canoo.ca/.
At the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) we champion immigration that mutually benefits newcomers and Canada. Effective immigration streams are critical to addressing Canada’s economic and labour challenges, supporting both immigrant integration and national prosperity. But the deteriorating Canada-US relationship casts a long shadow over our current approach to immigration and economic growth. Canada is failing to deliver for newcomers, and for its future prosperity. As Canada faces US tariffs, business and policy leaders need to embrace immigrant talent to help tackle these challenges.
Throughout 2024, as housing, infrastructure and construction labour shortages made headlines daily, Canada admitted only 35 permanent residents (PRs) through its Federal Skilled Trades program. This program encompasses workers categorized as technical trades and transportation; general trades; natural resources and related production; and processing, manufacturing, and utilities. Over the same period, roughly 23,000 temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in the same categories were admitted under the temporary foreign worker program. This uneven distribution of tradespeople across temporary and permanent immigration streams suggests that Canada is not taking the long view on its current challenges.
Throughout 2024, as housing, infrastructure and construction labour shortages made headlines daily, Canada admitted only 35 permanent residents (PRs) through its Federal Skilled Trades program.
Business leaders also need to step up to better integrate newcomers already in Canada into the labour force. Although Canada’s immigration policies claim to work towards addressing talent shortages in critical sectors, the 2024 Talent to Win report from the ICC and Deloitte demonstrates that immigrant talent remains “vastly underutilized”. Labour shortages “reduced Canada’s GDP potential by $54 billion in 2022.” Several key factors contribute to the underuse of immigrant talent, including poor onboarding, training, and mentoring; DEI gaps; difficulty translating experience and skills; and administration and regulatory compliance.
RBC indicates that Canada is short 64,000 workers in construction alone, and by 2033, roughly 800,000 workers will retire from the manufacturing, utilities, business, finance and administration, and trades and transportation industries. Demand for labour in these sectors is only going to increase. No matter how you slice the 2024 immigrant admissions data, Canada appears to be falling well short of its current and future needs.
The first months of 2025 have brought additional challenges. Confronting President Trump’s tariff threats and economic aggression demands an increase in Canadian domestic production. Labour shortages in these critical sectors – or the inability to better integrate the talent that’s already here – will threaten our ability to do so.
The natural resource and energy sectors are especially vulnerable to the tariffs. Industry leaders in Canada’s resource sector are assessing the potential impact of the tariffs and exploring options to reduce their reliance on the United States. Business leaders are discussing the possibility of building more mines and pipelines to increase resource production in Canada and shipping it outside the US. In Quebec, there are plans for a significant expansion to Hydro-Québec, including thousands of new wind turbines, 5,000 km of transmission lines, and multi-billion-dollar yearly investments. All these expansion initiatives will require major injections of labour. The Hydro-Québec project alone is estimated to require 55,000 workers by 2033, and “it’s not clear where that staff will come from.”
The ICC recognizes the immense and often unharnessed potential of newcomers to help solve this problem. Immigrants already contribute to filling critical labour shortages in other sectors. Canada’s healthcare sector is poised to see over 400,000 workers retire in the next 10 years, with existing recruitment challenges making it difficult to fill those roles. Highly skilled immigrants are helping to address this shortage: in 2021, immigrants accounted for 1 in 4 healthcare workers in Canada – and the proportion has likely increased over time. In certain areas, like dental technology, immigrants make up more than 60% of workers. Just as immigrants have filled essential positions in the healthcare system, so too can they support increased domestic production to shield Canada from the threat of American tariffs. But only if Canadians will let them. Immigrants remain overqualified and underemployed, unable to contribute effectively to the Canadian economy. This is especially true for immigrants with degrees in trades, who “face higher overqualification risks than those with STEM qualifications.”
This is the perfect moment for Canadian business and policy leaders to address the factors preventing immigrants from contributing their full potential and to ensure our immigration policies are prioritizing labour market integration as a key outcome.
Immigration is a strategic tool that can be used to address urgent labour shortages in industries poised to see increased demand. By making better use of skilled immigrants already here and welcoming new talent equipped to strengthen domestic production capacity, business and policy leaders could transform this economic challenge into an opportunity for sustainable growth while reducing Canada’s dependency on our increasingly unpredictable neighbour to the South.
At the ICC, we know that future Canadians are Canada’s future. But Canadian employers and policy makers need to find ways to source and integrate talent that continues to sit on the sidelines – at significant cost to our global competitiveness and our future prosperity. In addition to making better use of immigrant talent already in the country, Canada’s immigration policies should be better tailored to encourage and accept the skilled tradespeople needed to work in critical industries. As the economic impacts of Trump’s policies begin to hit Canadian consumers, the need for domestic production and diversification away from the US will only intensify. This is the perfect moment for Canadian business and policy leaders to address the factors preventing immigrants from contributing their full potential and to ensure our immigration policies are prioritizing labour market integration as a key outcome. The country’s housing, infrastructure, healthcare and productivity challenges cannot be solved until we do.
Keywords: immigration, skilled trades, Canadian labour market, temporary foreign workers, domestic production, labour shortages, economic growth, U.S.-Canada relations, tariffs, Canadian economy, newcomers, Canadian workforce, natural resources
CAA Centre – Sports and Entertainment Complex, Brampton, Ontario
Theme
Black History Month
The Brampton Steelheads vs. Kingston Frontenacs game at the CAA Centre – Sports and Entertainment Complex on February 8, 2025, was more than just a thrilling hockey match—it became a historic celebration of new beginnings and national pride. For the second time in league history and the first time in franchise history, the team had the honor of welcoming 50 new Canadian citizens from 15 different countries. These individuals took their oath of citizenship right on the ice, marking a profound and symbolic moment that underscored Canada’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.
50
Number of New Citizens
15
Number of Countries
The ceremony in partnership with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), an organization dedicated to fostering a deep sense of belonging among newcomers. Through its enhanced citizenship ceremonies, ICC has continuously created impactful experiences that go beyond the formalities of legal status. These ceremonies are enriched with interactive elements such as world map activities—where participants pinpoint their places of origin—guest books filled with heartfelt messages, and storytelling circles that offer a space for new citizens to share their journeys and connect with others.
From coast to coast, ICC has remained at the forefront of initiatives that reinforce the idea that every newcomer belongs in Canada and that their stories matter. This particular event was made even more special by the presence of the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, co-founder of ICC and former Governor General of Canada. She shared her personal experiences, reflecting on what becoming a Canadian citizen means and emphasizing the significance of inclusion, identity, and shared history.
As the cheers of hockey fans filled the arena, the ceremony stood as a powerful reminder of Canada’s ever-evolving multicultural identity—one where the spirit of sports and citizenship converge to create unforgettable moments of unity and celebration. And a reminder that immigration matters.
Photos and More Information
To view photos of the Citizenship Ceremony, click here.
With ICC’s Enhanced Citizenship Ceremonies, established Canadians have the ability to connect with new citizens building stronger community relationships. If you are interested in volunteering as a roundtable host at one of our ceremonies, please contact ceremonies@forcitizenship.ca.
By Adiba Hasan
Based on the most recent data available from October 2024, Permanent Residence (PR) admissions have reached 85% of the 2024 immigration target. In contrast, PR admissions by October 2023 had reached 87% of the annual year’s target.
The graph below compares the number of new citizens between January and October across four different years (2020 – 2024). Overall, citizenship numbers in 2021 were low due to processing delays following the Covid-19 pandemic, but the numbers started to rise again and stabilize in late 2021. Between 2021 and 2022, citizenship numbers experienced a notable jump, an impressive 130% increase, indicating a turning point after significant pandemic-related disruptions.
As pandemic impacts started to fade and application backlogs decreased, the percentage change in the number of new citizens also became smaller with only a 0.88% increase between 2022-2023. Since then, there has been a slight increase of 3.64% between 2023-2024.
Table 1: % Change in Citizenship Acqusition
Citizenship Year
% Change
2023 – 2024
3.64
2022 – 2023
0.88
2021 – 2022
130.92
2020 – 2021
23.59
2019 – 2020
-55.69
Immigration Levels Plan Changes
In October 2024, the Government of Canada released the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, marking a significant shift in the country’s immigration strategy. The plan outlines a significant reduction in permanent resident admissions, with targets set at 395,000 for 2025, followed by further declines to 380,000 in 2026, and 365,000 in 2027.
The graph below illustrates sharp reductions in economic migration (-23%), raising concerns about labour shortages in industries like healthcare and technology. Family reunification (-25%) and refugee admissions (-23%) also face cuts, drawing criticism from advocates about undermining Canada’s values and global commitments.
Share your thoughts
The changes in admissions targets, particularly the reductions in all immigration streams, raise important questions about the values that shape our immigration policies. While the government cites infrastructure and service capacity as reasons for the reductions, the decision has prompted debate about its potential social and economic repercussions.
Should Canada introduce citizenship target levels to ensure that PR holders are supported and incentivized to obtain Canadian citizenship?
How much should public opinion influence the government’s immigration levels and policies?
Stay connected with the ICC Immigration Dashboard for ongoing updates and insights. Please share your thoughts and perspectives, and join us in an important discussion on the future of immigration in Canada
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