Alberta is the same way. You may notice the same thing in TX, depending on US laws, but in Calgary, when you go to almost any Tim Horton’s (think ‘Dunkin’ Donuts’ or ‘Second Cup’), you will hardly find a Caucasian working there. Instead, there are many Indians and Orientals, all on special work visas, allowing them to be paid less than the going rate in Alberta. At one point, during the early part of the boom, Tim Horton’s was offering $14/hr and could not get employees, so they pushed Ottawa to allow immigrants under special visas.
In my neighbourhood, there is a van bearing the logo ‘CanMex Employment Services’. The house is apparently where a number of Mexican immigrants live and they perform the jobs Canadians won’t do. And Alberta still pays over $3 billion annually in ‘equalization payments’ to Quebec, so they can continue with their their profligate socialist governments.
They could not get locals at $14 an hour? What gives? Do all young people have wealthy families or something in Calgary? Incidentally, the wife and I spent three or four days in the Calgary area three years ago. In fact, across the street from our hotel was a Tim Horton’s. Can’t remember who was working inside.