Quote:
Originally Posted by Drybrain
That's true. But we still have to look at stemming outflow to other regions. With every passing generation, there are fewer and fewer young people in rural Nova Scotia, but they still remain the city's primary source of new residents. Once the median age of the rural NS has shot well past the child-bearing years, the city's growth will stall out, unless we become a legitimate draw for people in other regions, and some international immigration (which is already happening, to a small degree).
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You make an exellent point.
Nova Scotia is a limited pool of less than a million people from which Halifax may draw. Interprovincial and foreign immigration will become increasingly important; however, for now, I believe there is still a time before Nova Scotia's rural population 'dries up', in a manner of speaking
According to 2006 numbers from Statistics Canada:
Halifax: Migration of 47,730;
Intraprovincial migrants - 13,330 (27.9%);
Interprovincial migrants - 26,435 (55.4%);
International migrants - 7,965 (16.7%).
I suspect a significant portion of Halifax's interprovincial growth is coming from the other Maritime provinces, which is also concerning since they too are very limited population sources. To compare this city's intraprovincial migrant gain to the next largest municipality in the Maritimes:
Moncton: Migration of 23,105
Intraprovincial migrants - 14,600 (63.2%);
Interprovincial migrants - 7,115 (30.8%);
International migrants - 1,390 (6.0%).
If over 60% of Halifax's migration was intraprovincial, then I would share your concerns more immediately, Drybrain.
Our city still has time to grow its appeal internationally.