Thunder Bay Chamber Urges Province to Allocate Immigration Seats for Northern Ontario.
Thunder Bay — Amid ongoing challenges in relocating skilled immigrant workers, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is advocating for the Ontario government to allocate a specific number of immigration seats for Northern Ontario. Currently, many skilled immigrants are settling in the Greater Toronto Area.
Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the difficulty in finding skilled workers.
“The province has the authority to decide how many immigrants are accepted each year and how they are distributed. We are requesting that 3,000 seats be reserved for Northern Ontario to address our critical skills shortages,” Robinson said.
Robinson emphasized that while the skills gap affects the entire province, Northern Ontario faces unique challenges.
“Up until 2041, we need to attract 100,000 people to Northern Ontario based on our current population trends. Allocating 3,000 spots annually for the next 20 years would significantly help, though the gap remains substantial,” she added.
As Northern Ontario’s population ages and people retire, there are insufficient individuals to fill these positions. Robinson described the situation as an “all hands on deck” effort.
“This initiative began with five northern chambers and was adopted as policy by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. We are now collaborating with the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities and the Northern Ontario Municipal Association to spread the message,” Robinson explained.
The Chamber has urged municipalities in Northern Ontario to pass council resolutions supporting this proposal and to engage with the government. Efforts are also being made to involve large employers, colleges, universities, and economic development agencies across Northern Ontario.
The Chamber has formally addressed the issue in a letter to David Piccini, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development.