B.C. premier wants to bring in more U.S. immigrants, denounces talk of western separatism

Andrew Kurjata · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 03, 2025 4:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

B.C. Premier David Eby says helium wants to beryllium capable to bring successful much immigrants from the United States to assistance bolster the section economy.

He made the remark portion speaking to reporters Thursday, erstwhile helium was asked a question about S&P and Moody's downgrading British Columbia's recognition rating on April 2, citing the province's ballooning deficit.

Eby said the province's fiscal growth is being hampered by cuts to the provincial nominee program, which allows provinces and territories to nominate individuals with circumstantial skills, education, and enactment acquisition to beryllium offered a way to imperishable residency.

In January, the national authorities chopped B.C.'s programme by astir half as portion of a broader effort to stabilize colonisation maturation amidst a lodging crisis.

Eby said this chopped comes astatine a clip erstwhile American entrepreneurs, aesculapian professionals, researchers and workers are expressing higher levels of involvement successful coming to Canada, and helium would invited their contributions to British Columbia.

Earlier this week, a doc recruiter told CBC News that since Trump was elected, there has been a "floodgate" of aesculapian professionals enquiring astir relocating to Canada.

Other migration agencies person reported akin upticks successful interest.

Premier gathering with Carney adjacent week

Eby told reporters helium is speaking to Mark Carney erstwhile helium comes to British Columbia adjacent week, and had earlier congratulated him connected seemingly changing the code coming retired of the White House erstwhile it comes to Canada.

He said helium hopes the evident displacement means "some stableness and yet grounds to beryllium down similar adults and travel to an statement astir however our 2 countries tin travel together."

However, helium cautioned that each of that could beryllium upended astatine anytime based connected Donald Trump's mood, and said that a station to Truth Social could wholly alteration the equation.

Of peculiar interest to the premier is the continued imposition of duties connected softwood lumber exports sent to the United States, utilized successful the operation industry.

He said he'll beryllium successful Prince George connected Friday for the B.C. Council of Forest Industries conference, wherever Canada-U.S. relations volition beryllium a apical topic.

Premier 'deeply disappointed' successful Preston Manning's telephone for occidental separation

The premier was besides asked astir a caller op-ed written by Preston Manning, erstwhile person of the now-defunct Reform Party which took connected the relation of authoritative absorption federally successful the 1990s earlier merging into the modern-day Conservatives.

In the piece, published successful the Globe and Mail, Manning argued that Carney is simply a menace to nationalist unity and said Western Canadians "simply volition not basal for different 4 years of Liberal government," and that that sentiment extends into British Columbia.

WATCH | B.C. premier weighs successful connected Manning op-ed:

Eby disagreed, saying he'd ne'er seen patriotism astatine the level it is close now.

"To person an op-ed astatine this infinitesimal that the way guardant is to interruption up the state is bizarre," Eby said.

"I anticipation that Mr. Manning reconsiders his reintroduction into Canadian beingness with this peculiar proposal... I conscionable can't fathom that mindset."