Page 67 - IJPS-11-6

International Journal of
Population Studies Migration to non-metropolitan Canada

Immigration will continue to be the facilitator of to, tolerance toward, and a desire to comprehend, the
population growth in Canada. As immigrants are (re) standpoints of others and their ways of being” (Wardle,
settling outside of metropolitan areas into smaller cities 2015, p. 41).
as non-metropolitan communities, residents and local This paper contributes to the emerging body of
actors will experience demographic change through literature on immigration to smaller cities by providing
social and cultural diversity as experiences of differences an exploratory perspective of place-based experiences
in the community. As immigration programs in Canada from migrants in a small and diverse city (Brooks), along
continue to seek to attract and retain immigrants toward with the key informant and municipal officials who have
smaller cities, the programs tend to prioritize labor-based professional experience and perspectives on decision-
implications of settlement and economic contribution making in smaller cities that are experiencing immigration
rather than focusing on the experience of immigrants in lesser studied contexts. This study intends to support the
in place. For example, the newly launched Rural and scholarly literature and policy approaches to demographic
Francophone Immigration Pilot, indicated that the change and population growth by highlighting the
program was designed to help rural and Francophone value of assessing the physical and social attributes of a
minority communities attract and retain newcomers locality to understand demographic change facilitated by
with the right skills to help their regions, where each immigration as population growth through the concept
selected community is represented by a local economic of a non-metropolitan community. Immigrants have
development organization, which will work with IRCC experiences that may shape their perspectives about a
to identify its critical labor gaps, designate trustworthy community. This study illuminates that place satisfaction
employers and recommend suitable candidates to IRCC is in part related to ethnic diversity in communities, as
for permanent residence (Statistics Canada, 2025). Hence, exemplified mainly by young adults who had migrated to
when immigration programs often bring newcomers to Canada due to following their families in life trajectories.
the community based on economic imperatives, they Although there are emerging studies of immigration and
pay less attention to the social implications of settlement immigrant experiences to smaller cities, which suggest the
– particularly how immigrants may experience smaller implications of family-based migration decisions (Kelly &
cities as a place of settlement; hence, they experience Nguyen, 2023), studies seldom incorporate the perspectives
place satisfaction (Erfani, 2022). This study sheds light of younger adult immigrants who may not necessarily have
on the importance of thinking about immigration and agency in migration decisions due to their age and life course
immigrant settlement in smaller cities as related to place.
The participants of this study mainly reflect migration factor of following family. Interviews with participants in
decisions that were associated with family-reunification this study highlighted that migration decisions are in large
part related to family settlement factors.
decisions, as eight of ten of the immigrant participants
have migrated alongside their family, as younger adults, Immigrants from diverse backgrounds moving into a
toward settlement in a smaller city. This study illuminates pluralistic society face challenges toward integration into
that the implications of settlement and integration are in not only a new country but also experience settlement
part influenced by community and a sense of belonging, in the context of the community. Sanchez-Flores (2018)
as well as place satisfaction. Interviews with immigrants in suggested that smaller cities may foster an environment
two non-metropolitan communities highlighted that there that is conducive to immigrant interaction with the host
were varying experiences of belonging, as immigrants population due to the smaller nature of the community.
in this study shared their perspectives that belonging Municipalities must ensure that some spaces and places
is, in part, shaped by the presence of ethnocultural are inclusive. Having spaces that foster connection with
diversity in a non-metropolitan community. The findings the community was recognized by immigrants as shaping
of this study further suggest that, beyond employment perspectives about belonging in a non-metropolitan
and family-related factors, a multicultural and ethnic community. Hence, a place for intercultural community
community dynamic was realized as a positive factor. The interaction should be considered when addressing
presence of compatriots and those sharing ethnocultural demographic change in non-metropolitan communities
similarities in language, culture, religion, and immigrant through the lens of place satisfaction (Erfani, 2022).
status enabled a more positive perspective of living in a We hope that the findings of this study contribute to an
non-metropolitan community. Hence, the acceptance of understanding of ethnic diversity and differences in
ethnic differences in a community should be considered smaller cities, as immigrants are settling into smaller cities
in alignment with Wardle’s (2015) second perspective of due to immigration programs or voluntary resettlement.
cosmopolitanism, which regards an “attitude of openness Further exploration and inquiry on lived experience in

Volume 11 Issue 6 (2025) 61 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.6309