Settling beyond big cities: a scoping review of the Canadian literature on immigration to rural and smaller communities

Abstract

Newcomers are living and working across rural and smaller communities in Canada. However, immigration research and policy are overwhelmingly focused on large, urban centres. Responding to this knowledge gap, this article presents the results from a scoping review of the Canadian literature on immigration outside of Canada's largest cities. An analysis of 90 studies reveals several key trends in the literature related to the geographic focus and themes addressed. The results of the review demonstrate that the majority of studies focus on regions with a high population density that are in close proximity to major urban centres, thus revealing a gap in knowledge regarding settlement across more rural and northern parts of the country. Issues related to settlement services, employment opportunities, welcoming communities, public policy, infrastructure, and retention and secondary migration were the most addressed themes across the literature and represent the diversity of rural Canada. In response to these findings, we conclude with a discussion of the potential opportunities for future research and policy change.