Collision, North America's fastest growing tech conference, held for five years in the United States, is moving to Toronto, Canada in 2019. Since its launch in 2014, Collision’s attendance grew from 5,000 to an expected 25,000 attendees in New Orleans this year. Some big tech conferences, including Collision, Creative Commons and RightsCon, will be held in Canada instead of the U.S. this year due to Trump administration policies.
Canada has been recruiting top tech talent recently. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "I have to say, I’m not completely surprised. Toronto is a key global tech hub and an example of the diversity that is our strength.” Trudeau told e-tailer Shopify's conference that he has seen a lot of funding flowing to Canada from Silicon Valley, where major American technology companies have built their businesses, and that Canada needs "to do a better job of generating that capital here."
Canada is an ‘attractive place’ for tech, says entrepreneur Erin Bury. “I think you’ll see more and more U.S. investment firms putting money into Canadian startups, more U.S. startups and entrepreneurs moving here to launch their companies and build them,” she said, attributing the trend to relatively stricter immigration in the United States.
Calgary immigration lawyer Evelyn Ackah says Canada is a desirable destination for tech immigrants:
Canada's quality of life and values are very appealing to highly skilled immigrants and entrepreneurs who want to move to Canada. Our cost of living, education system and healthcare are excellent. Ackah Law helps skilled tech immigrants from around the globe who want to move to Canada to work or build their business and help build a stronger Canada.
Canada's Global Talent Stream provides innovative firms in Canada with a faster way to hire highly skilled foreign talent when Canadians or permanent residents are not available and helps approved companies recruit and hire the highly specialized and skilled global talent they need to expand by providing faster and more predictable application processing.
