Certain working groups in British Columbia warn that a decision to drop interprorcalous obstacles to employment certification could end up aggravating the current staff shortages.
In the midst of the pricing threats of US President Donald Trump, the country’s prime ministers agreed to resume a process to ensure professionals with diplomas in a court such as nurses, paramedical paramedics and teachers can work “anywhere” in Canada.
But each province of Canada is currently faced with a work crisis in several key sectors, and some unions representing these workers say that the drop in obstacles could lead to an exodus of qualified professionals in search of a cheaper cost of living.
“I know that there have been paramedical paramedics who came from other provinces, took a job here, then returned because of the cost of living,” said the spokesperson for the paramedical ambulancers of British Columbia Ian Taint.
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“And they are able, very frankly, to have a better life and to allow themselves to buy a house or even a much more pleasant house for much less in other provinces.”
While the population of British Columbia continues to grow, the trend has been largely driven by international immigration.
The province’s budget revealed that during the first nine months of 2024, British Columbia has in fact lost 5,030 net residents with other provinces – especially for our neighbors on the other side of the Rockies.
“The province continued to feel an exit from interpropincial migrants in the last five quarters, largely due to migration to Alberta,” said the budget.
The Minister of British Columbia, economic development and innovation Diana Gibson said that British Columbia remained determined to remove interprorcal commercial obstacles as a key strategy to energize the economy.
But she conceded that the province is faced with cost of living challenges, which she said that the government remained concentrated in its quest to recruit and retain teachers and health workers.
She said that the province led Canada in the recruitment of nurses, suggesting “we are doing something good”.
“The cost of living is high everywhere in the country and we know that the housing crisis is a national crisis, but British Columbia has really worked to combat the affordable room of our living costs while we are making sure to offer services such as daycare and education,” said Gibson.
“We have just seen that it is starting to make a difference on vacuums and rental rates, so we go in the right direction on affordability.”
British Columbia should introduce legislation reducing obstacles to interprorvincial trade and work in the coming days.
The ministers’ agreement has committed to proposing plans for the recognition of diplomas across Canada by June 1.
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