Page 64 - IJPS-11-6

International Journal of
Population Studies Migration to non-metropolitan Canada

Table 1. Characteristics of immigrant participants
Country of origin Years living in Did this participant move directly to Gender Age (years)
the municipality Brooks upon arrival in Canada?
Ethiopia 21 No Female 52
Cambodia 18 Yes Female 56
Ethiopia 6 Yes Female 20
Philippines 9 No Male 20
Philippines 11 Yes Female 20
Philippines 11 Yes Female 20
Philippines 10 Yes Female 19
Ecuador 10 Yes Female 19
Kenya 13 No Male 20
Eritrea 16 Yes Female 18

Table 2. Participant profile of key informants and municipal city. Interviewee G, the daughter of a meat-processing
officials plant employee, mentioned that her immigration to
Canada was directly related to family sponsorship. Their
Category Municipality Organization
migration to Canada originated from a family member
Key informant Brooks Immigrant Settlement and whom the employer initially sponsored. Interviews with
Integration Agency
municipal officials affirmed that the employment sector
Municipal official Brooks Municipal government played a role in pulling immigrants into their municipality
Municipal official Brooks Municipal government for settlement.

3.2. Presence of ethnic communities fosters a sense
3. Results of belonging
3.1. Employment and family: Catalyzing Interviewees were asked to reflect on their experience as
immigration to a non-metropolitan community immigrants living in a smaller city. When being asked,

Interviews with immigrants in Brooks revealed that (re) “What made Brooks an attractive place for you to migrate
location decisions toward a smaller city were based on here as an immigrant?,” one interviewee (Interviewee D)
economic and personal decisions related to employment who had initially landed in a smaller, remote city in New
prospects and family reunification. For example, Brunswick and moved to Brooks due to family in search
Interviewee B mentioned that the location of a meat- for better employment opportunities, mentioned that the
processing plant was the reason for moving to Brooks. existence of a compatriot community was a considerable
Interviewee B had immigrated to Canada through factor for settlement in Brooks (Figure 1) as described:
family sponsorship and had directly settled in Brooks “I can relate more to people. There are more (of the same
since their arrival in Canada in 2003. This interviewee ethnic people) here. There are more ethnic and cultural
described that a “job opportunity and place to work” events where you can gather with each other and celebrate
was an important consideration for settlement in a small your culture. In New Brunswick, you are pretty much
city, as they perceived that larger cities tend to have a isolated from other people.”
more competitive labor market with newcomers with Beyond ethnocultural similarities and the presence
limited English proficiency. Similarly, another interviewee of compatriots, the existence of an ethnically diverse
(Interviewee A) had also based their settlement decision community in Brooks was an important reason for
on employment considerations. Initially, the interviewee immigrants to feel that they belonged. People from various
resided in Medicine Hat, a city 100 kilometers away from ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds could collectively
Brooks. The interviewee’s spouse, who worked at the meat- resonate with newcomers, sharing similar settlement and
processing plant, had a daily round-trip commute of 2 h. integration experiences in a smaller city. The role of a
Due to the closer proximity to the workplace, they decided multicultural population in Brooks was described by an
to relocate to Brooks. Other interviewees discussed the role interviewee (Interviewee C) as: “Brooks is well-diverse.
of the employer as a catalyst for immigration as a factor It is multicultural. There are many people from…like
for migration to Canada, particularly settlement in a small your home, back in your home country, but different,

Volume 11 Issue 6 (2025) 58 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.6309