The Vancouver-based vice president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is one of the most thoughtful and articulate voices for business in the West, advocating tax relief and propounding ways for businesses to cut through red tape. She can speak better English, French and German than Bengali. I have a responsibility to continue that tradition. The emphasis is on making a contribution or succeeding in a profession. Once adventuresome immigrants have arrived, Canada must persuade them to stay put.
Secondary migration is a serious problem.
The problem is likely to get worse. These days, a boomtown like Calgary is not only competing against Edmonton and Vancouver for skills and talent, but it increasingly has to fight against the lure of such places as Dallas, Geneva or Tokyo in the struggle to retain a competitive edge. James Frideres, an associate vice president at the University of Calgary, says Alberta's universities are reasonably competitive in medicine, thanks to long-standing programs that provide grants and awards for medical research and equipment. The province has created other funding agencies to support resources and teaching in the area of information, communication and technology. But Alberta universities have been less competitive in other areas, Frideres says, where they are having trouble matching the salaries and research funds that Ph.D.s are demanding and getting elsewhere.