Ads in Alberta urge workers to come home to Atlantic provinces

A magazine-style supplement inserted in several urban Alberta newspapers this week is aimed at homesick Atlantic Canadians whomigrated to the Prairie province to find jobs.

Advertisers in the 40-page supplement, Come Home to a Career in Atlantic Canada, include health authorities in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Atlantic Lottery Corp., Research in Motion in Halifax, and the governments of Nova Scotia and P.E.I.

"Are you feeling that coming home for vacation is not long enough to enjoy your family and friends? Do you miss the ocean views and the smell of New Brunswick forests and trails?" reads an ad from NB Power.

J.D. Irving, another advertiser, asks whether Atlantic-born Albertans are homesick, and advertises jobs back home as offering quality of life, closeness to family and friends, and affordable housing.

"Your current equity can go a long way," the advertisement reads.

Jean Nadeau, general manager of CareerBeacon.com, which published the insert,said the ads and related website will help anyone who is thinking of moving back.

"If you go to our website today, there are probably around 2,000 opportunities in the region, and it is clearly helpful to plan instead of coming back with [just] one or two opportunities, and not being sure if it's worth it. I think there is a lot of advantages."

Nadeau said there was a compelling reason to publish theinsertnow.

"Christmas is coming, and many Atlantic Canadians living in Alberta will visit their family, and they might have an opportunity to set up meetings with potential employers, and maybe start preparing their return if they ever want to do so,"

Nadeau said employers in the East need a wide variety of skilled workers, from medical and technical jobs to aerospace positions.