CEO of Northern Policy Institute calls for government action

THUNDER BAY -- The President and CEO of Northern Policy Institute says Ontario should take steps to encourage more immigration to northern parts of the province such as Thunder Bay.

Charles Cirtwill makes the call in a briefing he contributed to a project at the University of Toronto's School of Public Policy and Governance.

Northern Policy Institute is an independent social and economic think tank based in northern Ontario.

Cirtwill's paper states that over 355,000 immigrants made Toronto their new home between 2001 and 2016, whereas only 700 moved to Thunder Bay and about 1,000 to Sudbury.

"This immigration dichotomy is creating economic and social pressures in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area and represents a missed opportunity" for northern Ontario, he says.

Immigration is a joint responsibility between the federal and provincial governments. Provinces are able to target immigration based on their labour market needs and economic development priorities.

According to Cirtwill, Ontario currently only selects 3.6 per cent of its immigrants, while the other provinces collectively select 39 per cent.

He suggests that Ontario take more control over its immigration intake, and consider the provincial distribution of immigration.

With the Toronto area attracting the great majority of immigrants, Cirtwill says, it's not positive for Toronto which is struggling with unaffordable housing and other economic and social challenges, and not positive for immigrants who experience "poor employment outcomes."

Nor is it positive, he says, for rural and remote parts of the province "which are starving for the labour and dynamism that comes with immigration."

1,500 "well-paying" jobs posted in the Thunder Bay area

Cirtwill notes that there were more than 1,500 jobs posted in the Thunder Bay region the week of March 19, most of which were "full-time and well-paying."

"Helping immigrants land in a place where their skills are needed, homes are affordable, and the sense of community is strong would diversify the provincial economy," he says.

Cirtwill proposes a pilot program for northern Ontario, in cooperation with the federal government, involving 1,000 to 1,500 new immigrants each year, over a period of five years.

He says a successful pilot project in Atlantic Canada is one model that could be considered. It allows communities to match their skills needs with a potential immigrant's employment goals.