North by the Numbers
A visual take on Northern Ontario data
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Source: Statistics Canada, Table 051-0060
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  Over the last 10 years, immigration in Northern Ontario has been fluctuating around 560 immigrants per year, with Northeastern Ontario welcoming more immigrants than Northwestern Ontario.
--- Amandine Martel, presentation at the 2017 Northern Ontario Immigration Forum, March 21, 2017
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New In March
Your monthly update on the work of Northern Policy Institute
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Community Labour Market Report Series: Northern Policy Institute and the North Superior Workforce Planning Board – Your Local Employment Planning Council have teamed up to provide communities with greater access to labour market information at the very local level. The Community Labour Market series provides local labour market indicators to communities in the NSWPB region to assist leaders and organizations in the decision-making process.
This month, we featured 8 communities: Greenstone, Aroland First Nation, Conmee, Neebing, Gillies, O'Connor, Oliver Paipoonge, and Terrace Bay Read them now.
Human Capital Series - Northern Projections: highlights all 11 districts in Northern Ontario, and is part of an ongoing, collaborative effort between Northern Policy Institute and Northern Ontario Workforce Planning Board to provide evidenced based analysis for effective decision making in the region. Reports will examine past and present characteristics and trends in each district’s economy in order to forecast future challenges and opportunities. This month, we featured Parry Sound District. Visit www.northernpolicy.ca to read the full report.
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Northern Policy Institute's Blogspace
March 6, 2017 - How many school boards does one province need?
"How many school boards does one province need? How about none?" Read the full post here.
March 20, 2017 - The Adventures of Employment and Training
"Baakaakonaanan Ishkwaandemonan Project... is a positive reinforcement program that provides employers encouragement and tips towards hiring a diverse workforce and encourages employers to make use of existing services in the community to support in hiring and retaining newcomers and Indigenous employees..." Read the full post here.
March 27, 2017 - Amandine's Employment Story
"I concluded that I had to go back to school in order to find a job in Canada. I had to get a degree from a known Canadian university, to validate my existing business management knowledge and to help employers see what was already there." Read the full post here.
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News in the North
The latest headlines from communities across Northern Ontario
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Dozens of youths to gain skills for workforce: “Young people in Northern Ontario are facing employment barriers and want to build their own future in the workforce and contribute to their communities at the same time,” said Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister Patty Hajdu, who made the Skills Link program funding announcement at MTW Employment Services. Read the full story.
Pilot project could see drones deliver much-needed items to northern Ontario First Nations: A Toronto-based company wants to use its drones to deliver items to more than 40 First Nations communities in northern Ontario, many of which aren't easily accessible by road and can only be reached by plane or helicopter. Read the full story.
'At their fingertips' - Ontario school board unveils unique Indigenous language, culture app: The Kenora Catholic District School Board in northwestern Ontario unveiled its brand new Anishinaabemowin Omiinigoziin app during its winter powwow Tuesday, which utilizes graphics and voices of eith St. Thomas Aquinas High School students to educate people about the Anishinaabe language, traditions and culture.
Read the full story.
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Success Stories
Individuals and organizations helping to grow the North
The Silver Moccasin
When Connie Boyd opened The Silver Moccasin in 2007, she also opened Cobalt, Ontario’s only retail business at the time. The business’ name comes from the silver mines that were discovered in the area at the turn of the 20th century. It also represents the native culture and the products that the store carries.
The Silver Moccasin is a small space accompanied by an online store with worldwide shipping. Moccasins sold are made in Canada by either Indigenous-owned companies or local artisans. The same is true for items sold in the store such as birch bark moose calls, jewelry and clothing, Métis cultural products, and various forms of native artwork. In order to meet all the orders for their high demand products, Connie and her sister Lisa, who also works at The Silver Moccasin full-time, make regular trips to Cobalt's local Canada Post outlet with the occasional help of family and friends.
Just a few years after opening, Boyd won two awards for The Silver Moccasin in two consecutive years - Business Woman of the Year at the Nishnawbe Aski Nation Development Fund Business Awards and First Nations Business Award of Excellence at the Northern Ontario Business Awards. She also received the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Temiskaming Shores and Area Chamber of Commerce in 2015.
The Silver Moccasin is no longer the only retail business in Cobalt. Since its establishment, a handful of other businesses have opened up in the downtown core. Boyd says she is excited for the future of The Silver Moccasin as well as the development of Cobalt’s retail industry. The Silver Mocassin is a great example of a small business in Northern Ontario who has found a different way to do business in unique circumstances
For more information, visit The Silver Moccasin’s website or find them on Facebook.
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Northern Community Spotlight
This month's featured profiles of Northern Ontario communities
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Census District: Thunder Bay
Population: 981
Population Density: 16.8/km²
Number of Private Dwellings: 373
Median Age: 34.8
Employment Rate: 42.3%
Participation Rate: 49.6%
Major Employment Industries:
- Sales and service occupations - 27.9%
- Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations - 19.1%
Fort William First Nation is a modern community located adjacent to the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With many local events and development projects, the First Nation continues to be a place of economic diversity. Fort William First Nation is represented by the Nokiiwin Tribal Council. The community also has Facebook and Twitter accounts that provide up-to-date information regarding community affairs.
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Census District: Nipissing
Population: 161
Population Density: 0.8/km²
Number of Private Dwellings: 104
Median Age: 52
Employment Rate: 73.3%
Participation Rate: 73.3%
Major Employment Industries:
- Management occupations - 9.3%
Mattawan Township is a bilingual community that lies approximately 55 minutes east of North Bay. Situated along the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers, Mattawan provides back-door access to the Voyageur Multi-Use Trail System (VMUTS), which allows users to travel along more than 300km of trails by ATV, mountain bike, motorcycle, four-wheel drive vehicle, or horseback.
*Based on 2011 and 2016 Census and NHS data
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Jobs North
Employment and training opportunities in Northern Ontario
Unemployment-to-Job Vacancy Ratio
The changes of the job market were different between Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario in 2016. In the Northeast, the number of matches between employers and job seekers seems to have increased. Indeed, the number of unemployed people in Northeast Ontario went from 22,000 in the second quarter of 2016 to 19,000 in the third quarter. During this time period, unemployment also declined slower than the number of job vacancies. A steady vacancy ratio in Northwestern Ontario, combined with shrinking unemployment, has increases the relative availability of jobs in that region. In Northwestern Ontario, the number of unemployed people went from 8,000 in the second quarter of 2016 to 7,000 in the third.
Source: Calculations based on Statistics Canada, Job Vacancy and Wage Survey; and idem, Labour Force Survey |
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Monthly Polls
Your opinion can help direct Northern Policy Institute's research
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Last Month's Poll Results
Which of the following policy areas is a priority to you?
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This Month's Poll
Which new investment from the 2017 Federal Budget do you think will have the greatest impact on Northern Ontario?
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Sneak Peek
Get an exclusive preview of our upcoming projects and publications
An excerpt from an upcoming Northern Policy Institute paper:
[…] Communities do not always require lofty blueprints of growth plans; instead, they need a local governance infrastructure that enables them to mobilize ideas and resources to ensure a sustainable future for themselves, and the partnership of upper levels of government to help them make the necessary investment in realizing those ideas. This strategy points to the imperative of greater local control of the economy and new partnerships among constellations of municipalities bound together by geography, shared assets, and common challenges. Economic development does not need rigid governance structure, but fluid platforms to think strategically and act regionally with respect to sector-specific supply chains, agglomerations, shared opportunities, and needs. […]
Excerpt from the upcoming paper, Economic Zones of Northern Ontario, by Charles Conteh
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Get Involved
Our work depends on YOUR input. Find out how you can get involved.
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