As Canada's immigration policy shifts to address urban affordability challenges, a different approach is needed to address labour shortages in rural and Northern regions. NPI President and CEO, Charles Cirtwill, visited Kenora on 8 July 2025 to advocate for increasing immigration to Northwestern Ontario.

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The Rural Coordinating Centre for British Columbia (RCCbc) has made a huge difference in the attraction, retention, and support of physicians in rural and northern BC. Would this approach work in Northern Ontario? 

In our latest commentary, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) Associate Dean Sarah Newbery and a team of researchers explore the views of local physicians about the need for a RCCno. 

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Assumptions about immigration hold rural and Northern regions back from sustainable growth. NPI President and CEO, Charles Cirtwill, recently presented demographic data that challenges these assumptions—encouraging Northern leaders to advocate for immigration policy that addresses regional labour shortages.

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At present, only nine rural hospital sites supported by fewer than 35 rural generalist family physicians are available to provide labour and delivery services to approximately 50,000 rural Northern Ontarians of childbearing age. Twenty years ago, there were twenty rural hospital sites  providing labour and delivery services. Twenty years before that, every hospital in Northern Ontario had these services. To align with Ontario's health care vision, strategic investments and concerted efforts are necessary to maintain and enhance rural labour and delivery services in Northern Ontario.

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