Blog post | International Students in Montréal: The Impact of Covid-19 and the PEQ Reform

Written by Brant Moscovitch

For all their differences, the two leading parties in Montréal’s 2021 municipal election agreed on one thing: that the city would benefit from attracting and retaining more international students. While Ensemble Montréal promoted Montréal as a “student city” and proposed tax credits to encourage graduates to stay, Mayor Valérie Plante has emphasised ensuring affordability and a high quality of life. The cultural and economic benefits of international students have been well documented, and include a measurable impact on local businesses, not to mention university revenue and campus diversity. Montréal faces a need for skilled workers, a serious debate about inclusivity and the integration of new immigrants, as well as a struggle to revitalize a downtown core battered by the pandemic. International students offer solutions, while examining the challenges and opportunities they face can provide us with nuanced ways to understand and address the points of friction points in immigrant life.

(Read more on The Urbanologist)