WARMINGTON: Massive influx of immigrant workers needed in Canada: Diplomat

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As almost 300 mostly unidentified Canadians attend a trade mission in Mumbai, the High Commissioner of India to Canada predicts that this country will need 15 million immigrants to meet the workforce needs of a growing economy in the next 10 years.

“This is a new Canada and we are anticipating that things will happen fast. And Prime Minister (Mark) Carney, given his background as the governor of two banks, Bank of Canada, Bank of England, as well as Brookfield, his experience with investment with the economy, there is a lot of trust that he will be able to deliver on a lot of the things,” Dinesh Patnaik said in an interview on CPAC.

Did India’s representative in Canada let the cat out of the bag regarding the country’s future? What else is in the bag?

Saying Canada is “on the go,” the High Commissioner told CPAC host Marc-André Cossette, “Canada is a country of 42 million people (and) your workforce is reducing every year” by “186,000 to 200,000” workers per year. “Prime Minister Carney is looking at an investment of $ 1 trillion into the economy over the next 10 years or so,” he said, adding that “$1trillion” means “you need to create 15 million jobs in this country in the next 10 years” to supplement a current “21 million workforce that is reducing every year by 186,000.”

Said Patnaik: “I don’t not have to do the math for you“

“Canada understands this, Prime Minister Carney’s team understands this, so we’re working together to work out a talented innovation” to “get the best of talent best of people to come study work and contribute,” he added.

No response from PMO

The prime minister’s office has not yet responded regarding Patnaik’s comments. But what was said on this program would fundamentally change Canada and potentially double the population by 2036.

Whatever you think of it, none of this is something Canadians have voted for, let alone have been consulted on. Most have never heard of the need for 15 million new workers, or that there is a trade trip in India where such discussions could be happening.

“From October 12 to 17, 2026, Minister Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade (and Brampton East MP), will lead nearly 300 delegates who will connect with Indian decision makers, key industry players and potential clients to expand commercial relations and build new partnerships that create good-paying jobs at home,” Global Affairs Canada said in a news release.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, the MP for Oakville East, posted to X, “I’m travelling to India and the United Arab Emirates to strengthen Canada’s relationships with two important partners at a time of global uncertainty, expanding trade, attracting investment and building closer security ties are essential to our future prosperity.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney also posted on X, saying “I spoke with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi to build on the renewed momentum of the Canada-India relationship” and the people-to-people ties.”

Modi posted to his 107 million X followers that he “had a warm and productive conversation with Prime Minister Mark Carney” and “together, India and Canada are contributing towards a more stable and prosperous world.”

‘Largest trade delegation’ of this kind in more than 30 years

Sidhu said in a statement that this was the “the largest trade delegation Canada has sent to India in over 30 years” to Mumbai and Bengaluru. He said the goal is to “secure new opportunities for our businesses and workers in one of the world’s fastest-growing markets” and “by matching Canadian expertise in sectors like aerospace, agri-food and clean technology with India’s growing demand, we will diversify our trade and attract new investment. This is how we will more than double our trade with India to $70 billion by 2030.”

Ontario has representation there as well.

“Nearly 60 Ontario businesses, organizations and institutions are participating in the Team Canada trade mission to India,” said Gianpiero Colangelo, Director of Policy for the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Ontario’s Senior Economic Officer based in India is also participating. Minister (Vic) Fedeli is currently on a trade mission in Ecuador and Peru but will be leading a trade mission to India in mid-November.”

I have asked both the federal and provincial government for a transparent list of Canadian individuals, business and government officials involved, but have not so far been forwarded this information.

“Participation in trade missions is generally something that each company decides whether to share publicly,” said Sidhu’s press secretary, Mujtaba Hussain.

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Private-sector participants responsible for travel costs

While it’s shrouded in some secrecy, I was able to determine, per Hussain, that the private-sector participants “are responsible for covering all related travel costs, including airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals”.

He added: “The Trade Commissioner Service organizes and delivers the business program on the ground, including market briefings, B2B meetings and networking events with local businesses and government decision-makers.”

While I take a skeptics’ perspective on trade delegations, and big talk about creating 15 million jobs, or the New World Order, that is partially because I have seen government previously bring in thousands on special visas to take minimum-wage fast food jobs or attend private colleges — none of which helps Indians enjoy the Canadian dream or fix Canada’s current economic woes as a result of the trade war with the United States, or solidify replacing that market.

But even if you are prepared to accept the narrative, if these largely anonymous participants are talking about the future of Canada and its resources in India, the average Canadian should be in on this conversation and get a vote on whether they want the country’s population to double.

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