Atlantic Canada can lose workers under Carney’s immigration target, says restaurant group [Video]

A restaurant industry group is sounding the alarm about how immigration cuts are affecting its members on P.E.I. and across Atlantic Canada.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, at his first press conference following the April 28 federal election, pledged to cap the total number of temporary workers and international students to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027. Carney is sticking to the targets set by the Justin Trudeau government late last year.

P.E.I.’s immigration targets were already slashed earlier this year, with the federal government reducing the Island’s 2025 allocation under both the Provincial Nominee Program and the Atlantic Immigration Program by half.

That would cut the number of newcomers the province can nominate for permanent residency in Canada by half, down to 1,025. That decision came after the province voluntarily reduced its own nominations last year, issuing just 1,590 out of its allocation of 2,050.