One of B.C.’s most prominent real estate marketers is calling on Premier David Eby to cash in a little of his political capital to promote the kind of immigration that could boost the provincial economy and housing sector.

Bob Rennie, who recently grilled Eby on stage at an Urban Development Institute luncheon, said he’s been trying to convince the premier to deal with immigration holistically, in a long-term way, to avoid what could become a financial catastrophe.

“We will have to get to a healthy conversation around immigration or Canada's in trouble,” Rennie said in an interview.

“And I just like seeing someone like me from my industry trying to bring up the conversation more in a balanced way and holistically, rather than we’ve just got to make more money.”

Rennie said Canada is on track to have only 2.6 workers per retiree within 10 years, down from 6.6 in 1971, emphasizing the need for immigration to help cover the costs of providing health-care services to seniors without relying on massive tax cuts for the remaining population.

At the same time, the current working-class cohort is facing skyrocketing costs of homeownership and cost of living compared to the previous generation. While average incomes have risen more than 100 per cent for........

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