The prospect of finding fulfilling work amid a supportive community prompted Dennis and Suzette Delica to leave the Philippines with their young son and settle in Calgary.

Data from the 2011 National Household Survey released Wednesday shows the Delicas are among a growing number of immigrants choosing to settle in the Prairies when they come to Canada.

The big centres in Ontario and British Columbia remain home to the vast majority of immigrants, but their share of newcomers to Canada has fallen since 2006, while Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have all recorded gains.

“We heard there are lots of opportunities here, specifically in Alberta, especially because of oil and gas,” said Dennis.

The Delicas immigrated to Canada under the federal skilled workers program and are beginning their lives as permanent residents since arriving in Calgary two weeks ago.

Dennis and Suzette, both 34, were trained as engineers in the Philippines, but aren’t licensed to practise here.

“Most likely, we’d have to upgrade,” Dennis said.

Even though entering the profession in Alberta will be a long-term goal, Dennis and Suzette said the benefits of moving to Calgary were immediately apparent.

Dennis spent the past five years as a guest worker in the Middle East, returning home usually only one month out of the year.

With Alberta’s low unemployment rate, the Delicas believe they can both find adequate work — even if not in engineering — that will allow them to live under the same roof, in a neighbourhood where their one-year-old son, Dion, will be able to attend a good school when the time comes.

“For (Dion), it’s a better future. We thought Calgary could provide a better balance,” Suzette said.

In coming here, the Delicas are not only part of an ongoing trend, they’re also the product of one: a reason they chose the city was because of the burgeoning Filipino community.

Between 2006 and 2011, Filipinos were the largest single group of immigrants arriving in the Calgary area, making up 12,740 of 68,400 recent arrivals.

More than 47,000 respondents to the National Household Survey in the Calgary area identified themselves as Filipino, making the community the third-largest visible minority group in the city, next to South Asians and Chinese.

The Delicas found a foothold with Suzette’s second cousin, who is providing them with somewhere to live and is helping them get their bearings as they look for jobs and their own place.

The quest for work is ongoing, but the Delicas are already realizing their desire to feel at home, even while so far away from the Philippines.

On just their second day in Calgary, they asked two Filipino strangers for directions to the Harry Hays Building, where they needed to get their social insurance numbers.

“We didn’t expect them to go with us, but they spent the whole day with us,” Dennis said.

“It’s a great feeling — you don’t feel so new to a place.”

With industries such as Alberta’s oil and gas sector clamouring for skilled workers, immigration continues to contribute to the country’s economy and social fabric.