Building belonging for newcomers in smaller cities

As Canada continues to rely heavily on immigration to meet its labour demands and to sustain vital services, the question of where newcomers choose to settle is more important than ever. 

While large urban centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary remain the top choices, this trend is putting increasing pressure on housing, infrastructure and social services in the big cities, while leaving smaller and mid-sized cities struggling with labour shortages and population decline.

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh, a doctoral candidate at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Social Work, is digging into this issue with a human-focused lens, looking at newcomer settlement in Red Deer and Medicine Hat, two of Alberta’s mid-sized cities that are often overlooked in national immigration conversations.

“This research is about how to attract and retain newcomers in small and mid-sized cities in Canada,” says Ekoh, who was supervised for this project by Dr. Julie Drolet, PhD.

“We spoke with newcomers, community leaders, service providers and employers to better understand what motivates people to stay, or to leave.”

It's not just about job opportunities

Ekoh’s research highlights what many urban planners and policymakers have already suspected: the cost of living and job opportunities matter, but they aren’t the whole story. While newcomers are drawn to bigger cities for work, they’re also drawn by education, cultural familiarity and the perception of more-robust support networks. 

At the same time, those who stay in smaller centres like Red Deer and Medicine Hat often do so for reasons that go beyond practical considerations.

“What we’re finding is that emotional and social connection — a sense of belonging — plays a huge role in whether people choose to stay,” says Ekoh. 

“It’s about more than just having a job or affordable rent. It’s about whether someone feels accepted, seen and supported in their new community.”

How to create welcoming communities

Ekoh’s research reveals that creating welcoming communities requires more than just policy change or financial incentives; it requires intentional relationship-building. 

Initiatives that help newcomers connect with long-term residents, participate in community life, or do something as simple as finding a hiking buddy, can significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

“You can live in Tokyo, one of the most populated cities in the world, and still feel lonely,” Ekoh notes. 

“And, in a small city, that feeling can be even more intense if you’re not connected. But, if that small city shows that it cares — if it helps newcomers build meaningful relationships — then people stay. They start to see it as home.”

This emotional insight is central to Ekoh’s broader academic work, which focuses on the social networks and support experiences of older African refugees in Calgary. 

Recognized, important work

His doctoral research, under the supervision of Dr. Christine Walsh, PhD, has been recognized with Canada’s top graduate scholarships, including being named a 2023-2026 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholar, and being awarded a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2023, consistently demonstrates the importance of relational infrastructure — the unseen, often-undervalued web of support that sustains people’s well-being.

The Red Deer and Medicine Hat study is intended to serve as a blueprint for other mid-sized communities across Canada. Ekoh hopes that by understanding what truly makes newcomers feel at home, these cities can become more sustainable, inclusive and vibrant.

“This isn’t just about attracting immigrants, it’s about helping them thrive,” says Ekoh. 

“And that means designing communities that value connection, not just capacity.”