October 9, 2018 | Christina Zefi
Northern Ontario is experiencing a demographic shift and a population decline. Fueled by natural aging, low fertility rates, a rising life expectancy and an increase of out-migration, the 11 northern districts require a comprehensive, coordinated and inclusive newcomer attraction and retention strategy. Given this need, Northern Policy Institute (NPI) is developing a Northern Newcomer Strategy, which will be the culmination of a series of commentaries that touch upon the legislative, regulatory, administrative, policy, and broader operating environment of newcomer attraction and settlement services in Northern Ontario
The purpose of this first commentary in the series is to demonstrate the need for a Northern Newcomer Strategy, beginning with an analysis of Northern Ontario’s population and migration trends, including the region’s dependency ratio and the implications of an aging and declining population, and illustrating the valuable benefits that the attraction of newcomers could bring.