We Need More Nova Scotians

Posted March 16, 2010

Nova Scotia’s population at the end of 2009 is the same as it was five years ago. Some might feel that a stable population is not a big worry but the total numbers conceal two big problems.

First, our population is getting older. Secondly, the population is increasingly urban. Neither of these trends is unique to Nova Scotia, or Canada. China’s rapid economic growth has been accompanied by vast migrations from the countryside to the cities. With few exceptions birth rates have been dropping all over the world.

An aging and declining population will be less and less able to support itself economically and socially. It is a most unattractive direction. There are only three ways it can be mitigated – higher birth rates, higher immigration, or lower emigration. A number of jurisdictions have invested heavily in promoting greater family size; none has achieved more than minor improvements. So this paper is about on attracting and retaining, where policy initiatives can make a dramatic difference.

Join the Conversation on…

I am convinced that this topic is of extraordinary importance but also that I may be missing some important aspects. Please contribute your thoughts:

  1. Do you agree that it is important to keep our province’s population stable or growing?
  2. Are there other good strategies to attract and retain Nova Scotians?
  3. A recent Statistics Canada release suggested that Atlantic Canada is much less diverse than the rest of the country. Would you welcome greater diversity in your community? Would others?
  4. Where does the leadership have to come from?
  5. Do you agree that a bigger Halifax is good for the rest of the province, and likewise that Halifax is better off if the rest of the province is growing rather than shrinking?

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Most Recent Comments

  • Hi Bill,
    It is a mistake to think that increasing population causes an improvement in standard of living. Cause and effect work the other way around. People go where they can earn a better living.

    There is an optimal population for any given set of: resources, technology, and organizational culture. Population must rise to an optimal value for full potential to be achieved. But when population goes too high, inequity and poverty become inevitable.

    It is no longer possible to think about this issue in provincial terms. The world as a whole is grossly overpopulated… poverty is extreme… and desperate people compete for jobs that the rich and powerful are only too happy to send offshore if it puts an extra buck in their pocket.

    Paul Colinvaux published pioneering studies in 1978-81 — but the science has been buried because the logic and evidence do not lead to politically correct conclusions. Anyway, you have my email, so contact me if you are serious.
    Cheers,
    Brian Sanderson

    Brian Sanderson | July 15, 2012

  • Dave thanks for this valuable contribution. We need to examine every possible way to grow numbers, especially in rural Nova Scotia.

    Bill

    Bill | December 12, 2011

  • Bill,

    I am a young Nova Scotian who has recently moved back from 6+ years in Alberta and am now living in a small rural town. I was born and raised in rural Nova Scotia and have pride in the area.
    I find your conversation about needing more Nova Scotian’s interesting because of my recent migration back to the province. In my younger years I remember a health community that had industry and viable economy. It was a place where people could start a family and settle down. The situation now is much different. Although it is still a great community, people are moving away and there isn’t a strong industry like in years past.
    As a young person moving back to Nova Scotia I have noticed some reasons why young people are leaving or not moving back. I’ll use my experience of moving to Alberta to compare.
    When moving out west there were tax incentives to help me get established. I had no money or goods but I had a generous income tax rebate for student loans and the provincial tax was only 5%. This means I could quickly get some money back to pay off my student loan and it was cheaper to buy things to get established.

    What are some solutions? The biggest incentive to get people to move back would be a job but secondly would be start up/moving costs. For example, why can’t the government allow a one year grace period for taxable income. I am going to get taxed on my high Alberta income for 2011, while getting a Nova Scotia salary. Is it possible to have a year grace period where I continue to pay tax at the rate I paid in Alberta? This way we have a smoother transition and we’re not penalized for moving.

    I’d be happy to discuss rural economic activity or nova scotia migration options at any time.

    Thanks!

    Dave | December 12, 2011

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