The Northern Policy Institute says a big reason why immigrants end up in the GTHA is because of federal job policies.
NPI’s President and CEO Charles Cirtwill says the policies are geared toward high-skilled workers and ignore middle-class jobs like Personal Support Workers.
Cirtwill says the result is many jobs go wonting because of these policies.
“So in North Bay, PSWs are an important category that needs to be filled,” Cirtwill said.
“But despite the fact PSWs require education, training and certification, they are not counted federally as high-skilled workers.”
Cirtwill says the result is an immigrant with these kinds of skills can find it tough to get into Canada.
From 2001 to 2016, about one million immigrants moved to Canada.
Of that, more than 30 per cent, (356,930) immigrants settled in the GTHA region.
Cirtwill says compare that to North Bay which attracted 210 immigrants over the same period.
He says Sudbury fared better bringing about 1,000 newcomers to the city while Thunder Bay saw 695 immigrants settle in the community.
Cirtwill says it’s possible to increase the northern numbers and it all has to do with cost of living.
“Every year 25,000 to 40,000 people leave Toronto,” he said.
“They’re looking for affordable housing and a safer more welcoming place to raise their families. I think this is the kind of pitch North Bay has to make.”
Cirtwill says if rural and Northern Ontario communities can succeed in attracting more economic immigrants, not only does the effort help the region grow, it also helps alleviate some of the pressures the GTHA now faces.
