Northern Ontario has lost one of our biggest boosters and Northern Policy Institute has lost a cherished friend and colleague. Michael Atkins, a fixture of the publishing business in Northern Ontario, passed away on 18 December 2024 after having lived an amazing and impactful life. Michael was a former Director, Advisory Council Member, founding member of SNOED, and a longtime supporter of the Institute.

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Rural and Northern Canada needs immigration to meet critical labour shortages. Meanwhile, major cities face housing and affordability challenges.

In his recent presentation to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) board of directors, NPI President and CEO, Charles Cirtwill explains that these problems share a solution: increasing immigration to rural and northern communities while decreasing immigration overall.

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Welcome to the newest member of our Policy Community – Agnico Eagle. Their contribution will help support NPI's efforts to attract and retain workers in Northeastern 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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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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Thunder Bay could become home to a lithium processing facility. For such a facility to locate in Thunder Bay, however, qualified workers are needed in a number of professions. Fortunately, Northwestern Ontario can provide the required workforce by 2026. While rising labour demand and high rates of retirement creates a risk of labour shortages in certain professions, new graduates from local education and training programs can fill these potential shortages.

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