History of Migration
Immigration to Canada was historically by boat across the Atlantic Ocean into areas on the east coast of Canada, like Halifax. From the Vikings who came from Scandinavia, to the French and British who came during the 1700's, Halifax has welcomed many immigrants to their shores. Pier 21 is an important land mark for the history of immigration in Canada because all of the immigrants who first landed in Halifax had to dock there and then proceed through customs.
Today, 30% of Halifax's inhabitants are of Scottish descent. In fact the name Nova Scotia in latin means "New Scotland". Other main heritages include Irish, French, Arab, German, Dutch and Chinese. Canada's oldest African-Canadian community is also found in Halifax. Although there are many jobs in Halifax, they are mostly resource based. When there is a crisis situation, for example when the fish were depleted, many Haligonians were forced to migrate out of Halifax and into other parts of Canada in search of a another job. It is very rare for Canadians to migrate to Halifax, with the exception of transitory migration to university.
Today, 30% of Halifax's inhabitants are of Scottish descent. In fact the name Nova Scotia in latin means "New Scotland". Other main heritages include Irish, French, Arab, German, Dutch and Chinese. Canada's oldest African-Canadian community is also found in Halifax. Although there are many jobs in Halifax, they are mostly resource based. When there is a crisis situation, for example when the fish were depleted, many Haligonians were forced to migrate out of Halifax and into other parts of Canada in search of a another job. It is very rare for Canadians to migrate to Halifax, with the exception of transitory migration to university.
The Ethnic Composition of Halifax
The Language Composition of HalifaxAccording to the census in 2011 most of the people in Halifax are speaking only English at home with 94.6% of the population. 0.9% is recorded as speaking French most often at home and 3.2% has recorded as other languages. |
Analysis of the Future
As immigration to Nova Scotia is essential for the province's population, the approximate number of 2500 immigrants coming to Nova Scotia each year is a number the province is aiming to increase. Nova Scotia has set up a program called the Nova Scotia Nominee Program, which speeds up the process of immigration for skill immigrants, as immigrants with knowledge are most wanted. The province has put efforts into encouraging international students to stay and work in Nova Scotia after they graduate. If the resources stay strong in Nova Scotia, then the people born in the province will not have to migrate across Canada to find other jobs.
For more information about immigrating to Halifax, click the following link:
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