Researchers aim to make Sudbury a welcoming city
Research is underway in Sudbury about how the city can be a welcoming community.
Several newcomers recently took part in workshops hosted by the Sudbury Local Immigration Partnership and the Northern Policy Institute.
"The goal of this research is to use these experiences to help inform either current ongoing initiatives or to inform new programs and projects," said Mercedes Labelle, lead analyst at NPI.
Participants were asked about the advantages and barriers they faced when settling and living in the community.
"Sudbury is the only city in northern Ontario showing population growth in the last census which is wonderful news but as we all know workforce is a huge issue for us," said Meredith Armstrong, the director of economic development at the City of Greater Sudbury.
"We want to attract the best of the best, we want to attract new talent and new residents and grow our population."
Newcomers to the city from diverse cultures were asked about the advantages and barriers they faced when settling and living in the community.
"Some of the benefits have to do with Sudbury being less crowded than other communities, being a great place to raise a family," said Labelle.
"The cost of living is a little bit lower in Sudbury compared to Toronto, Ottawa. And then also entrepreneurship opportunities for immigrants."
Researchers say barriers that were identified include finding meaningful employment opportunities and the limited availability of cultural activities and ethnic foods.
Big picture, NPI said immigration is needed in northern Ontario to sustain our workforce.
"Northern Ontario on average is aging at a faster rate than the rest of the province and we have high levels of youth outmigration and low birth rates meaning that once these people age out of the labour force there is not enough people to backfill them," said Labelle.
"That means we are going to be experiencing a lot of labour shortages and a lot of (employers) are already."
The goal of NPI is to provide the information needed to make data-based decisions to foster and grow sustainable northern communities.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.