Welcoming Week in Canada helps to celebrate the country's strengths and differences.
By doing so, it helps to create a community where people feel included and valued.
"With the exception of Indigenous Peoples, all of us trace our stories back to immigration. Whether your family has been here for generations or you have recently arrived, we can all benefit from a welcoming community," stated the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller in a media release on September 13th.
As part of Welcoming Week, the Town of Okotoks, along with Foothills Community Immigrant Services and the Okotoks Public Library, will be hosting a social gathering and library tour for newcomers.
It is a free event on Tuesday, September 17th at the Okotoks Public Library, and will help newcomers learn more about the community, the resources available to them, and the library.
The Towns of High River and Diamond Valley have also proclaimed that this week is Welcoming Week, helping to recognize newcomers to the area and their contributions to the community.
While the federal government and municipalities are recognizing newcomers, Premier Smith released a statement on September 12th that her government is opposed to the federal government's plan to relocate asylum claimants to Alberta.
"Alberta has always welcomed newcomers who possess our shared values - and we will continue to do so," Smith said in her media release.
Later in her statement, Smith added, "We are informing the Government of Canada that until further notice, Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province."
Smith says that "excessive levels" of immigration to Alberta are increasing the cost of living and putting a strain on public services, and that Alberta "cannot afford it".
While there were over 200,000 newcomers to Alberta last year, there were only 1,000 asylum claimants processed and intercepted in Alberta last year, and in total there has been a total of over 57,000 Ukrainian evacuees that have come into the province since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to Stats Canada, 137,647 of those newcomers to Alberta last year were from other parts of the country.
Smith brought up that her government is opposed to the federal government's plan to "relocate tens of thousands of asylum claimants to Alberta, especially without any financial assistance to support the province in doing so."
According to a statement from the Minister Immigration Refugees, and Citizenship Canada Office on Monday, September 16th, though, the Federal Government had actually met with the Provincial governments to discuss Federal funding.
"Throughout the summer, officials and Minister Miller have met with their provincial counterparts to discuss roles, responsibilities, and Federal funding for those willing to support asylum seekers," the statement read. "The reality is that Quebec and Ontario are facing disproportionate pressures, compared to any other province in the country -- as they have been welcoming the majority of asylum seekers."
"We are willing to coordinate with our counterparts on transfers and supports, however any movement of asylum seekers will require both their consent and the consent of the provinces and territories. Through this working group, co-chaired by Nova Scotia, we have had productive conversations with provinces such as Manitoba. This coordination is intended to be equitable, and fair."
While the Federal Government works toward a sustainable and fair approach to managing the volume of asylum seekers coming to the country, they are expecting the full collaboration of all provinces and territories.
In the statement from Minister Miller's office, they did specify that there would be incentives for those who are willing to welcome asylum seekers.
"We will have proper incentives for those willing to welcome asylum seekers and will take a holistic view with regards to other immigration programs based on participation - as this is work we cannot do alone, nor unilaterally. All options remain on the table."
Minister Miller's office added that responding to the volume of asylum claimants in a way that distributes the challenges, as well as the skills and experiences that these asylum seekers bring, requires collaboration and engagement and that the Federal Government will continue to work with municipalities, provinces, territories, and key stakeholders when it comes to finding a home for the asylum seekers.
"The world is facing unprecedented flows of asylum seekers, and Canada is not immune to these trends."
While Premier Smith had stated on September 12th that "Alberta is not open to having these additional asylum seekers settled in our province," Minister Miller had taken to X to post a letter Smith had written to the Prime Minister on March 27th, 2024, asking for the Federal Government to increase the number of people eligible for Alberta's Provincial Nominee Program.
"With no prior notification, Minister Miller advised that Alberta will not receive any increases in 2024 allocations to nominate future newcomers and temporary workers to become permanent residents and stay in Alberta," the letter from Priemer Smith stated.
"I am very concerned with this decision given the adverse impacts it would have on our province's economy and ability to help Ukrainian evacuees find permanent jobs and futures in Alberta," Smith wrote.
She added that this decision about Alberta's 2024 allocations is a reversal of previous commitments made by the Federal Government, "and negatively impacts Alberta's ability to grow and diversify its economy."
"In light of Alberta's unique labour challenges, I am requesting that your government immediately increase Alberta's Provincial Nomination Program allocation to 20,000 annually in 2024, 2025, and 2026. This would support our efforts to address critical labour shortages and supports a collaborative federal-provincial-territorial relationship that respects Alberta's role in addressing its regional immigration needs," Smith stated in her letter.
While the rest of the country celebrates Welcoming Week, Smith said on September 12th that "the Trudeau government’s unrestrained open border policies permitting well over a million newcomers each year into Canada is causing significant challenges, and it’s simply not sustainable."