The business community in Labrador says the drastic cuts in immigration allocations will result in a significant and swift slowing of the economy.

That sentiment is being echoed in many circles as the federal government slashes immigration by about 50 per cent. Newfoundland and Labrador had hoped to go in the other direction in the number of new Canadians entering the province, but that won’t happen without changes to current allocations.

The Labrador North Chamber of Commerce, based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, says immigration is vital for Labrador and will be its only major source of growth to the workforce in future.

The new Churchill Falls agreement includes the development of Gull Island, and chamber CEO Julianne Griffin says local employers are struggling to fill vacant positions. She says the cuts are making the challenge even more pronounced.

April Pike, the owner of Pike’s Home Hardware and Pike’s Home Furniture in Goose Bay, says the labour pool in the region is already strained, and the cuts will severely hamper their ability to grow.