‘Come from away’ attitude lingers in Nova Scotia, newcomers’ agency head says
HALIFAX — Nova Scotia must jettison its “come from away” attitude that views immigrants as outsiders if it wants to attract newcomers to grow the province’s population and economy, the head of a Halifax immigrant-settlement agency says.
“There are many in Nova Scotia for whom ‘come from away’ and ‘who’s your father’ is still a common and familiar part of the vernacular,” Gerry Mills, executive director of the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia, said Tuesday during a panel discussion in Halifax.
“There are still people here that are suspicious of immigrants and suspicious of immigration.”
The small-town slight — to call someone a “come from away,” or CFA — is a linguistic glimpse into the apprehensive attitude among some Atlantic Canadians toward newcomers.