Newcomers settling in smaller Sask. communities

Not many articles about the increased diversification of settlement patterns, although the numbers are still small in an absolute sense:

Counterbalancing the drawbacks, though, are benefits of small towns and rural areas – outside of employment – that are keeping their immigrant retention rates high.

Largely, it comes down to the idea of small-town, friendly Saskatchewan, said McLean. She mentioned how church groups in Prince Albert have been overwhelmingly welcoming of newcomers.

Employers have also gone out of their way to encourage retention by helping their employees settle in and integrate, said Kapeller. She spoke of employers driving car-less workers to appointments, helping out with grocery shopping, and lending a hand in registering children for school.

Palmer added that in smaller areas, immigrants tend to get more immersed in the community as a whole instead of getting swallowed by the already established, nationality based newcomer communities in larger cities

The results of the two-day summit, the first of a series of provincial events across the country, will inform regional and national priorities for the CIC going forward.

Newcomers settling in smaller Sask. communities.