AGAR: Canada’s emigration crisis 

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Canadian politicians and businesses have to deal with the real threat of Donald Trump’s tariffs against our country and whatever other hopefully fantastical rumination occupies the mind of the president.

It is a legitimate issue and time and energy need to be devoted to it, but the good news for the political class is that the whole Trump issue papers over the fact that we have a raft of homegrown problems they created, and too many Canadians have said, “enough.”

Narcity.com reported, “In 2024, emigration from Canada hit a level not seen in years, with thousands of residents deciding to start fresh somewhere else in search of a cheaper cost of living or an improved quality of life. The trend has been building for a while, but last year’s numbers set a new high, and one province played a massive role in the exodus.

According to a new report from rental platform liv.rent, which drew from recent Statistics Canada data, emigration from Canada last year reached its highest level since 2017, with 81,601 people packing their bags and heading for the exits in 2024.”

Out of 40 million people, it could be tempting to say it is small potatoes, but it is a trend in the wrong direction. It is people voting with their feet and their future by betting on greener grass elsewhere.

The province leading the way out of Canada is Ontario. Yes, Ontario is the country’s largest province, but with 39% of the population, the province accounted for 48% of those leaving.

B.C., Alberta and Quebec made up the next highest percentage of outflow.

Premiers and especially the federal government need to ask themselves what they have done wrong such that our standard of living – statistically backed up by StatsCan research – is worsening.

The Sun’s Lorrie Goldstein put the blame in Ottawa. “It is unsurprising given outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s focus on redistributing income as opposed to growing the economy during his decade in office.”

Inflation has been propelled by a massive 42% growth in the size of the federal government under Trudeau and too much of our employment growth happening in the public sector, as opposed to the private sector, which pays all of the county’s bills.

While many Canadians will respond to those choosing to leave by saying, “Don’t let the door hit you in the butt,” those people are ignoring our own internal issues.

It is too easy to do that with Trump taking up so much of the conversation, but as Goldstein also reported, “Jake Fuss, director of fiscal studies for the Fraser Institute writing in The Hub last year, noted that real GDP per capita in Canada during the Trudeau years rose by 1.9%. In the U.S. during the same period, it increased by 14.7%.”

That is stunning and should be an alarming difference. Interestingly, those numbers do not necessarily attract emigrating Canadians to the USA as a new home.

Nomad Capitalist lists Ireland, Panama, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Portugal and Mexico, among others, as great places to go.

If you want an improved economy, lower taxes, inflation-beating economic growth and therefore more opportunity here at home, then you want a Canada with an immediate course correction.

Otherwise in 2025, more of your fellow citizens will say, “Fine then, we’ll leave you to it.”