Northerners were hit worse by the pandemic than rest of Ontario, study finds
Northern Ontario was disproportionately affected by the pandemic, according to the Northern Policy Institute (NPI).
The institute's latest report says while the region bounced back from the first wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, northerners were hit worse as the crisis progressed.
"What we found, though, is that throughout 2021, the economy in northern Ontario hadn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels, whereas Southern Ontario had," said Martin Lefebvre, a senior researcher at NPI.
"Basically the two regions acted as separate regions."
Even though the north has unique circumstances that affect how it experiences financial and public health emergencies, Queen's Park's early emergency measures were imposed province-wide.
Lefebvre said that put this region at a disadvantage, since many northern communities didn't see surges in COVID-19 cases until many months into the pandemic.
Unemployment also spiked later in the pandemic, with the financial impact hitting this region harder due to its lower income demographic, he said.
Given how different life is in the north, the Timmins Chamber of Commerce's senior policy analyst, Cameron Grant, echoed calls from the NPI for more regional and data-based approaches to these situations in future emergencies.
"It all goes back to the ways in which politicians and legislators are going to be looking at future pandemic-related shutdowns," Grant said.
"Are they regionally-based and are they supported and backed by health data numbers within those regions?"
The NPI's report assessed the impacts of the pandemic on Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. Timmins, however, wasn't included in the report, due to a lack of data.
Though Grant said the damage to local businesses has been clear to see.
He said the province's largest mistakes over the last two years were being too slow to offer relief money to offset the financial hit of lockdowns; not delivering it to them as soon as those lockdowns occurred-and having poor communication with businesses about its emergency plan.
It left people in unnecessary anxiety and uncertainty, he said
"Having those policies in place and templates that can help businesses understand what they need to do in times of lockdown and emergency pandemic preparedness, is going to be heavily supportive for their future and ongoing viability," Grant said.
The Northern Policy Institute said the provincial government also needs to put more power in the hands of those who understand the north and how these situations affect local residents and businesses.
It thinks letting the region make its own decisions would be the best way to manage a future crisis.
"It would be economically less damaging to tailor a policy for northern Ontario, compared to a blanket approach," said Lefebvre.
The full paper from the Northern Policy Institute can be found on their webstie.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
investigation Prominent Vancouver lawyer accused of moving criminal cash dies before hearing
Vancouver lawyer Michael Bolton likely defended thousands of people over 50 years of practice. But in the end, he would not get a chance to defend himself.
BREAKING LCBO confirms strike over, stores to reopen Tuesday
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) and the union representing 10,000 of its workers reached a tentative agreement Saturday, clearing the way for stores to open Tuesday.
Quebec woman's death warns of dangers of cosmetic surgery abroad
Brian McConnell's daughter, Florence McConnell, died after a liposuction surgery complication in Morocco. Now, he warns others against undergoing cosmetic surgeries abroad.
12 injuries reported from steam cleaners that spew hot water: Here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including steam cleaners, hedgehog pet food and kids' bike helmets.
Polar bear 'Baffin' dies at Calgary Zoo after not resurfacing from pool
A polar bear died in its enclosure at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo on Friday.
Democratic consensus solidifies around Harris, should Biden step aside
No one quite knows what the process of picking a new nominee would be if Joe Biden did step aside – but many Democrats say that any process is likelier than ever to quickly end with Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee.
Police say northern Ont. impaired driver stole a puppy and booze
A 29-year-old suspect has been charged after someone stole a puppy and several bottles of booze in Elliot Lake before speeding off in a pickup truck.
One dead following North York house fire: Toronto Police
One person has died after being pulled from a house fire in North York on Saturday morning.
opinion Trump's assassination attempt not a political winner
Danger and fear are so pervasive throughout the national political ethos it is now the norm, writes Washington political columnist Eric Ham.