Please forward this to ONE Canadian immigrant today and tell them to subscribe here.
Hi!
Welcome to today’s From the Editor.
In today’s newsletter: In 2022 alone, transportation labour shortages cost the Canadian economy over $1.3 billion directly, with total economic impacts exceeding $4.3 billion. The Newcomers worked with Toronto Business Development Centre on how newcomers to Canada can join an industry desperate for talent.
Also in the news: Canada’s immigration backlog falls to 941,000; IRCC updates Atlantic Immigration Program guidance for Nova Scotia-endorsed pharmacists; Ottawa rejects Manitoba's request for work-permit extensions and more nominee slots.
By: Dozie Anyaegbunam
See past issues here.
How do you break into Canada’s trucking industry
The bottomline is that in 2022 alone, transportation labour shortages cost the Canadian economy over $1.3 billion directly, with total economic impacts exceeding $4.3 billion. This is despite the fact that trucks move over 70% of all domestic freight in Canada.
Time for a story.
Hassan Qureshi came to Canada with a background in medicine and a dream to continue his healthcare journey. But like many newcomers before him, limited opportunities plus pressure to support his family back home meant he had to change tack.
Hassan joined the TBDC training program for truck drivers, and today he drives for one of the leading logistics companies in Ontario, earns a steady income, and is able to build a life in Canada while supporting his family back home.
Hassan’s story matters because it challenges the many assumptions that beset the trucking industry. Someone with a medical background switching to trucking sounds like a step backward if you don’t understand the economics. It’s worth calling out that this shouldn’t be the norm.
But back to it, across the Greater Toronto Area, newcomers and career changers are discovering what Hassan figured out; trucking is an accessible path to financial stability in Canada. Plus the industry needs, no, scratch that, is desperate for talent.
The numbers tell the story, and a rather stark one.
According to Trucking HR Canada, there were 11,575 job vacancies for transport truck drivers in Q3 2025, with a vacancy rate of 3.7%. The numbers have come down from a record 28,250 in 2022, but the shortage persists. Ontario alone accounts for 38% of all trucking and logistics employment nationally, with an average of 3,511 annual job vacancies for transport truck drivers in 2024.
The workforce is also aging out. In 2021, 33% of transport truck drivers were aged 55 or older. Trucking HR Canada's 2024-2030 labour market outlook estimates the industry could face up to 40,400 vacant positions by 2030 without targeted recruitment.
Read the full piece including the misconceptions keeping people out, how to get licensed, and the most accessible entry points for newcomers ⬇️
From our newsroom
Canada’s immigration backlog falls to 941,000. Canada's total immigration backlog fell by 48,900 applications in February to 941,400, its lowest point since July 2025, according to the latest data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. At the same time, the permanent residence inventory crossed one million for the first time on record. — Full article here
IRCC updates Atlantic Immigration Program guidance for Nova Scotia-endorsed pharmacists. The change affects how some internationally trained pharmacists must verify their foreign education when applying for permanent residence through the Atlantic Immigration Program, an employer-driven pathway that serves skilled workers and international graduates in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. — Full article here
Ottawa rejects Manitoba's request for work-permit extensions and more nominee slots. Manitoba's immigration minister, Malaya Marcelino, says federal officials refused both of her asks during this week's Ottawa trip, leaving about 6,000 workers facing permit expiry by year's end. — Full article here
Good finds
She owns four Shoppers Drug Mart Franchises. Now she’s opening doors for every Black pharmacist in Canada. This profile piece on Nneka Ezurike, co-founder of Black Pharmacy Professionals of Canada (BPPC) is all sorts of inspiring. Loved the part where she says “Representation matters because it expands what people believe is possible.”
Kristina McPherson’s upcoming Mom-versations storytelling series. There are loads of important stories that need to be told about building a life in Canada through the lens of immigrant mothers. Join the conversation.
The Newcomers resources & guides
Start Here is a directory to help you find your way around the publication
The Newcomers archetype quiz helps you discover their unique strengths and provides insights and actionable steps for settling into Canada and pitching in to make it a better place for yourself and everyone.
Want to work with us? Check out The Newcomers Media Kit.
Want more immigrant interviews? Listen to The Newcomers Podcast.
Looking to find out what Canadian immigration program you’re eligible for? Check out our Who’s Eligible For series.
Do you know anyone who would find this information useful? Please forward it.
Was this email forwarded to you? Join our mailing list.