The field of immigration policy offers a unique opportunity to study change in Canadian federalism. In the last decade or so, provinces have challenged the traditional dominance of the federal government over immigrant selection and integration. Provincial governments have developed new programs in the immigration field, which have been facilitated by bilateral agreements with the federal government. Mireille Paquet calls this change the “federalization of immigration.” At the broadest level, this study of federalism and immigration policy in Canada provides insight into how decentralization can occur in Canada. In developing the explanation for her case study of immigration policy, Paquet focuses on provinces as key actors of change. She argues that transformations in fiscal federalism, intergovernmental relations and the Canadian economy during the 1990s led to a new period of province building where immigration was a central focus.

A great strength of this work is that it considers how and why all provincial governments in the country sought greater control over immigrant selection and integration in the context of this province-building process. At the same time, the author distinguishes between four different approaches in terms of provinces developing an immigration policy.

In the case of Quebec and Manitoba, she finds a holistic (holiste) approach where the ultimate objective is to develop the provincial community and its labour force through a significant government role in both the selection and integration of immigrants. It is an interesting finding that, despite some differences, Quebec and Manitoba have the most similar immigration policies in Canada (102). In Alberta and Saskatchewan, the development of an immigration policy stems from labour market needs. Accordingly, provincial immigration policies involve close co-operation with private sector actors, and immigrants are selected based on economic criteria. In Ontario and British Columbia, two provinces that receive an important number of immigrants without substantial recruiting efforts, provincial policy is essentially reactive insofar as it consists in addressing the needs of the newcomers. In the Atlantic provinces, the development of provincial policies of immigration represents a tool for achieving demographic stability and stimulating economic development.

La fédéralisation de l'immigration au Canada makes a four-pronged contribution to the literature on Canadian politics. First, and most obviously, the book is a significant contribution to our understanding of immigration policy in the Canada. At the broadest level, it shows that an exclusive focus on federal immigration policy means getting only a partial picture of immigration policy in the country. As the author suggests, immigration is now a policy field that is in practice shared between federal and provincial governments (243). Second, the book tells us a lot about provincial politics. Indeed, the development of immigration policies by provincial governments finds its origins in various issues quite specific to individual provinces, which means these policies serve as a window into provincial societies. Third, Mireille Paquet picks up on the literature on province building and adds to it in a significant way by specifying its key mechanisms: activation, consensus building and institutionalisation. Fourth, this is also a study about change, and more specifically decentralization, in Canadian federalism. The research shows that provinces are key actors of change in the federation, and that bilateral agreements with the federal government can become instruments for such change. In highlighting provincial agency, the book shows that while Quebec is often a trailblazer for decentralization as a result of its nation-building efforts and concerns for the perennity of the French language (it was the first province to seek more power in the field of immigration), other provincial governments have their own rationale for carving out a role in the selection and integration of immigrants.

The product of a dissertation written at the Université de Montréal, La fédéralisation de l'immigration au Canada combines the thoroughness of doctoral research with the polish of a finely honed monograph. Its depth and breadth should make it an impactful book in Canadian politics.