Immigrant settlement in rural Nova Scotia: Impacting the location decisions of newcomers

Immigration attraction and retention efforts can be an important tool for economic development in small and rural centres. This paper argues the techniques used to directly target immigrants to the Colchester Region of Nova Scotia could be employed by similar centres throughout Canada to positively impact economic development by addressing labour market issues and skill shortages. Through interviews with recent immigrants to Colchester and a data comparison with immigration trends in Manitoba, the author demonstrates how social networking, effective marketing and communications and providing enhanced information on employment can significantly influence the perception and geographic dispersion of immigrants. Keywords: immigration, small and rural centres, geographic settlement