Ottawa may need to rethink its centralized approach to immigration policy after a new national poll revealed that most Canadians, well beyond Alberta, support giving provinces greater say over who settles in their communities.
The survey, conducted amid ongoing debate sparked by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's push for provincial immigration reform, found that support for regional control cuts across party lines and geographic boundaries. While Smith has been the most vocal proponent of the idea, the data suggests the sentiment resonates far beyond her conservative base.
For Ottawa, which has traditionally treated immigration as a federal jurisdiction with limited provincial input, the poll presents a significant political signal. The capital is already grappling with the effects of rapid population growth, housing costs, transit pressures, and school crowding, and many local residents believe the pace of newcomer arrivals outstrips the city's ability to integrate and house them.
The current system does allow for some provincial flexibility, notably through the Provincial Nominee Program, but critics argue it doesn't give provinces enough tools to direct newcomers toward communities with genuine labour shortages or housing capacity.
"Cities like Ottawa absorb a disproportionate share of newcomers without getting the resources to match," said one municipal policy analyst. "Giving provinces and municipalities a stronger voice isn't anti-immigration. It's about making settlement work better for everyone."
Immigration advocates warn, however, that greater provincial control risks creating a patchwork system that could entrench regional inequality or, in the worst case, be used to exclude newcomers from certain provinces on discriminatory grounds.
The federal government has signalled it is reviewing immigration targets following public concern about housing and infrastructure. Whether that review extends to structural changes in how provinces participate in immigration decisions remains to be seen, but Thursday's poll suggests Canadians are open to a bigger conversation.
