Manitoba

For the first time ever, the province of Manitoba welcomed the largest annual number of immigrants per capita in Canada.  The Manitoba population of 1,186,679 received 10,800 immigrants between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007.  Manitoba’s overall population growth over the one-year period was the second-largest it has been in 21 years.  Most newcomers came from the Philippines, Germany, India, China, and El Salvador.

This surge in immigration is largely due to a very effective Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which matches individuals with work in Manitoba.  A recent Statistics Canada report praised the program for Manitoba’s leading employment rates among recent immigrants.  The number of immigrants to Manitoba increased significantly once the program was implemented.  This past year, the province brought in over 60 per cent of its immigrants under the PNP. 

Until this year, Ontario was the front-runner in terms of immigration rates, followed by British Columbia and Quebec.  Though still the most populous province, Ontario’s overall population growth rate over the past year was the slowest it has been in 26 years.

These results come from Canada’s recent population estimates (from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007).  The national population is now at 32.98 million, a growth of one per cent over the one year period.  Overall population increases were strongest in Alberta, British Columbia, and Nunavut.