Immigrants add millions to Moncton economy, council says

New Brunswick's Multicultural Council says 1,000 immigrant families can contribute up to $20million in local, provincial and federal taxes.

• Moncton sets new targets for attracting immigrants
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Mike Timani, themulticultural council's chair, saidthe average size immigrant family puts back even more money into the provincial economy.

"[Immigrant families] generate over $65million in household expenditures, and $3.2 million in recreation spending," said Timani.

"So how can you beat that?"

Monctonannounced a plan to welcome1,000 immigrants to the southeastern city each year by 2017, up from the 750 newcomers that come now. The city has hired its first immigration strategy officer to help meet the new objectives.

Timani saidmany immigrants come to New Brunswick as entrepreneurs.

"They create other jobs," said Timani.

"I'm myself an immigrant, right now I have 60employees working for me, so just imagine how much I'm contributing to the community and the economy."

Timani immigrated to Toronto from Lebanon in the 1980sand started working as a hotel busboy.

He eventually moved to Moncton, where he started a handmade pita bread business that is now Fancy Pokket, a successful multi-million-dollar enterprise.

Timani saidhe's thankful for the opportunities he was given, and wants to help other newcomers succeed.

People are nice here, they welcome the immigrants. So that's why more and more immigrants are coming here.-Ganesh Kommisetti

He is a board member and past president of the Multicultural Association of the Greater Moncton Area and has volunteered for the Business Immigrant Mentorship Program run by 3+ Greater Moncton Economic Development.

Ganesh Kommisettitook the 12-week training program with 3+ and opened Spice Shop, a grocery storespecializingin ethnic foods in Dieppe. Since opening last August, he saidhis business has expanded quickly.

"We started with two countries, the Philippines and India. Later we added Bangladesh, Pakistan, Korea and Mexico now," said Kommisetti.

The software engineer who moved to Moncton from Hyderabad, India 10years ago, had limited knowledge about running a store until he took the mentorship program.

"Basically they hold your hand and walk you all the way," said Kommisetti.

"How to get the loan, how you have to look... what is the best bank. That's really very important information for somebody who doesn't know," he said.

Kommisetti saidhis success has a lot to do with the help he got from the economic development agency, and he saidthrough his shop he can now contribute back to the economy.

"People are nice here, they welcome the immigrants. So that's why more and more immigrants are coming here. This is a nice place, that's why we want to stick here and grow," he said.