Scrutiny for P.E.I. immigration program: ‘The rules, apparently, don’t apply’
CHARLOTTETOWN — From her Charlottetown fitness studio, Wendy Chappell has watched a parade of new, immigrant-owned businesses open in nearby storefronts.
She was excited to have newcomers open up shop around her, but watched in disappointment as their companies — including a Chinese children’s book store, a porcelain shop, a store that sold reproductions of art, and a baked goods store — closed over the last two-and-a-half years.
She started wondering about the province’s business immigration system — and whether it really keeps immigrants or creates lasting jobs.
“How do we have a system that encourages this? Where’s the oversight to our provincial (immigration) nominee program?” she asks, standing at her second-floor window overlooking University Avenue, near the city’s downtown.