C.B. immigration campaign targets foreign students

Cape Breton needs help turning international students into permanent residents who can kickstart the economy, an island investment group says.

Greg MacLeod, spokesman for BCA Holdings, said immigration is the way to offset the effects of a declining population on the island.

He said BCA is already helping a few foreign students who wish to stay in Cape Breton after they graduate, but doing more requires a co-ordinated effort.

"It doesn't happen automatically," he said. "If you want immigrants to come to Cape Breton and to build up businesses and to live and work here, the community has to help them.

"I say government agencies should be helping. I hope they're going to change their mind because I think now that CBRM have said that immigration is a priority, I think the federal and provincial governments will have to come onside."

MacLeod said federal and provincial immigration programs aren't specifically aimed at Cape Breton.

John Lill, a foreign student from China, applauds BCA's efforts. He graduated from Cape Breton University, focusing on electronics. After five years in Sydney, he wants to stay in a place where he's comfortable.

"I would like to stay in an environment that is … with a lot of nice people and an environment that I'm familiar with, because if I go to any of the big cities I will be lost for sure," Lill said.

MacLeod said Lill is exactly the type of young person he wants to keep in Cape Breton — educated, enthusiastic and enterprising.

MacLeod said BCA is pleased that Cape Breton regional council plans to focus on immigration as a way to boost the local economy. His group has approached the municipal sustainability committee to discuss ways they can co-operate.

Committee chair Ray Paruch said he's eager to get started.

"What we'd like is try to keep some of those students, match some of those students with our own students to get them involved in business and also to incorporate the families. Maybe they'll move their business here," he said.

Paruch said he has already contacted the Cape Breton County Economic Development Association for its help.

The majority of immigrants to Nova Scotia want to go to the Halifax area, according to statistics from the provincial Office of Immigration. Between 2002-06, only 146 immigrants chose Sydney, compared to 5,288 for Halifax, 980 for Dartmouth and 401 for Bedford.