A three-year program that hopes to attract and retain newcomers to Saint John has received funding from all three levels of government.
The Succeed and Stay Program, which the City of Saint John says aligns with their Population Growth Framework from 2018, will receive over $577,000 in the tri-government agreement.
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The city says the program has a number of new initiatives that will seek to attract new residents to live in Saint John, as well as research initiatives that will provide better data on the factors that contribute to integration and retention of newcomers to the port city.
“Population growth is one of the City of Saint John’s key priorities, and our city is committed to being the most welcoming community in Atlantic Canada,” Mayor Don Darling said in a statement.
“The Succeed and Stay project will allow us to become even more focused and aligned in growing our city.”
The project is also supported by Develop Saint John, the University of New Brunswick, Economic Development Greater Saint John, and the Saint John Local Immigration Partnership.
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Saint John’s plaguing population problem
The City of Saint John’s growth committee introduced its Population Growth Framework in February 2018, with a goal of addressing the rapidly declining number of residents.
The city says between 1971 and 2016, Saint John’s population fell from 89,000 to 67,000. The decline was in part due to suburban migration, but it was still a 25 per cent drop in 45 years.
One of the goals of the Population Growth Framework, when it was released, was to bring in more than 400 new residents between 2019 and 2020. It also hoped to enhance the newcomer experience in the city with the plan to have an immigration partnership strategy in place by the end of the year.
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Local MP Wayne Long says he’s pleased with the federal government for recognizing the problem the city is facing.
“Newcomers not only add to the skills we have available, but they also add to the richness and diversity of our communities,” Long said in a statement. “I am pleased that the Government of Canada … is supporting the City of Saint John.”
Further details on how the Succeed and Stay Program will assist the Population Growth Framework will be released in March.
— With files from Andrew Cromwell