This fall marked 20 years since I became a Canadian citizen, a milestone that has me reflecting on the Canada I arrived in and the Canada we risk becoming. My own path — from newcomer to civil servant and now entrepreneur — has been shaped by the opportunities this country offered. But those opportunities are not reaching enough of the people who come here.
If we don’t confront that reality, the Canada of my generation will not be the Canada we pass on.
A new report from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Conference Board of Canada, The Leaky Buket 2025, delivers a stark warning: Canada is losing a significant share of the very immigrants it works so hard to attract. One in five immigrants leave within 25 years of arrival and the departures peak in the first five years — precisely when people should be finding their footing, advancing in their careers and deciding that this country is worth committing to.
