People & Places
A tale of two provinces
Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) have many things in common, writes Paul Beasley
Both are separated from mainland Canada (Labrador excepted); both share a maritime climate of high precipitation and pleasant summer temperatures; both are a world away from big-city Canada; and both have Provincial Nominee Programmes (PNP) which operate along similar lines and admit a similar number of immigrants per annum. In 2004, NL admitted 168 and PEI 143 though its PNPs, in addition to those entering via the federal immigration system. Throw into the mix broadly similar maritime and built environments and, for those attracted to the wilds of Eastern Canada, choosing between the two can become a little tricky.
PEI: A brief introduction
At just 5,660 square kilometres, Prince Edward Island is the smallest of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories, but that by no means results in it fostering a sense of dependency on its bigger neighbours. Separated from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and the rest of mainland Canada by Northumberland Strait, PEI's close-knit sense of identity led to many of its population opposing a bridge being built to link it to the mainland. But, ultimately, the resistance proved futile, and the Confederation Bridge was completed in 1997, providing easier access for all those mainlanders who want to enjoy PEI's shoreline of sandy beaches and secluded coves, its rolling agricultural land plunging to the sea and the literary sights of its Anne of Green Gables fame.
The capital, Charlottetown, is 40 kilometres east of the bridge. Here, a population of 60,000 (the PEI population totals 138,000) live in a pleasant, leafy environment surrounded on three sides by water. Economically, partly due to its size, PEI is by no means the financial powerhouse of Canada (unemployment is currently 11.1 per cent; the national average is 6.6 per cent) , and is therefore seeking a wide range of skilled individuals through its PNP to secure and maintain its economic progress. In particular, PEI's labour market is hungry for not just those with the cash to set up farms but mechanics, medical professionals and professors as well (see PEI Skill Shortage List, below), along with those who have the money and experience to invest businesses.
NL: A brief introduction
Newfoundland's physical separation from mainland Canada – it sits to the east of the Gulf of St Lawrence and is separated from Quebec and Labrador by the Strait of Belle Isle – has lent it a distinctive character. At 405,000 square kilometres in area, it is still dwarfed by the bigger provinces and yet, itself, dwarfs nearby PEI and indeed the 241,000 square kilometres of Great Britain.
Newfoundland's unyielding, rocky landscape is pocked, creased and truncated by seemingly countless lakes, rivers and fjords. The island's main settlements sit with one leg on dry land and one leg in the sea, much like its huge seasonal colonies of puffins.
St John's, the liveliest of NL's ports and with its 100,000 population the biggest settlement in the province (total population: 550,000), is the closest point in Canada to the UK. North of the island is Labrador, which is even more sparsely populated than Newfoundland and largely dominated by a sub-arctic wilderness. The province is traditionally dependent upon hardy fisherfolk for the staples of its economic survival, and an unemployment rate of 15.2 per cent reveals the struggles it faces in this respect, but the discovery of oil and gas in the late 1990s gave the economy the shot in the arm it so desperately needed. But it's not just natural resources workers that Newfoundland and Labrador seeks, or the skills to ensure its fisheries survive: those in knowledge-based industries, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, and creative and cultural industries are also sought (see Strategic Sector List, below), as are investors in businesses.
Read another article about Newfoundland:
At play in Newfoundland
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