Welcome Home: Immigrations trends in Northern Ontario's census divisions
Welcome Home: Immigrations trends in Northern Ontario's census divisions
September 2022 | Karly Mabee and Mercedes Labelle
Population trends in many of Ontario's northern, western, and central regions are characterized by high levels of youth out-migration and low fertility rates. Additionally, a significant portion of the population is about to age out of the core working-age population, meaning labour shortages will emerge as there is not an adequate supply of young workers to fill these gaps.
Without an influx of immigrants, coupled with integration of the current domestic population into the labour market, shortages will continue to emerge. To combat this, there must be a baseline understanding of current and future immigration demographic characteristics to engage in evidence-based decision-making that will positively impact Northern Ontario communities. Using the available data, actors—such as workforce planning boards, chambers, municipalities, employers, and immigration partners—can strategically plan for, and fill, labour shortages that will emerge.
The purpose of this series is to establish a baseline assessment of immigration trends in each of the 11 Census Divisions in Northern Ontario – Nipissing, Parry Sound, Sudbury, Greater Sudbury, Manitoulin, Temiskaming, Cochrane, Algoma, Thunder Bay, Rainy River, and Kenora. This assessment builds off previous analysis conducted for the five largest cities in Northern Ontario—North Bay, Greater Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, and Thunder Bay. The baseline trends can then be used to evaluate immigration programs, such as the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot and potential future newcomer programs. The additional reports for Census Divisions provide comparable communities for analysis which can be used when providing policy recommendations.
Parry Sound District
The Parry Sound District has experienced a decrease in immigration since 2010 with a decrease of approximately 46 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Parry Sound District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of administrative assistants, accommodation service managers, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, secondary school teachers, and food service supervisors. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for managers in customer and personal services, administrative service managers, and health care managers to name a few. Given that the Parry Sound District does not have a community participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no intended NOCs that the district was trying to attract.
Nipissing District
The Nipissing District has experienced a decline in immigration since 2010 with a decrease of approximately three per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the Family Sponsorship pathway. The limited number of economic immigrants that did settle in Nipissing District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of home childcare providers, retail and wholesale trade managers, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for corporate sales managers, managers in customer and personal, administrative services managers, and other installers, repairers and servicers, to name a few. Nipissing District has also targeted NOCs which they hope to attract, however, none of the 35 NOCs are consistent with occupation vacancy.
Sudbury District
The Sudbury District has experienced an increase in immigration since 2010 with an increase of approximately 140 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Sudbury District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of retail and wholesale trade managers and financial auditors and accountants. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for administrative services managers, pharmacists, dietitians and nutritionists, and physicians, dentists and veterinarians to name a few. Given that the Sudbury District does not have a community participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no intended NOCs that the district was trying to attract.
Greater Sudbury District
The Greater Sudbury District has experienced a growth in immigration since 2001, with an approximate increase of 57 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the economic class, with the most frequently intended National Occupation Codes (NOC) being mining engineers, university professors and lecturers, and cooks. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for corporate sales managers, managers in customer and personal services, managers in public protection services, and administrative service managers, to name a few. The Greater Sudbury District has also targeted NOCs which they hope to attract, however, none of the NOCs are consistent with occupation vacancy.
Manitoulin District
The Manitoulin District has experienced an increase in immigration since 2010 with an increase of approximately 100 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Manitoulin District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of elementary school and kindergarten teachers, and home childcare providers. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for optometrists, chiropractors, and other health diagnosing and treating professionals, managers in health care, and physicians, dentists, and veterinarians to name a few. Given that the Manitoulin District does not have a community participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no intended NOCs that the district was trying to attract.
Timiskaming District
The Timiskaming District has experienced a growth in immigration since 2010, with an approximate increase of 54 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class, with the most frequently intended National Occupation Codes (NOC) being retail and wholesale trade managers, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, general practitioners and family physicians, and retail sales supervisors. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for occupations in travel and accommodation, legislators and senior management, administrative service managers, and train crew operating occupations to name a few. Given that the Timiskaming District does not have a community participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no NOCs that the district was trying to attract.
Cochrane District
The Cochrane District has experienced an increase in immigration since 2010 with an increase of approximately 24 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the economic class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Cochrane District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of food service supervisors, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, and mining engineers. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for corporate sales manager, managers in customer and personal, administrative services managers, and other assembly and related occupations, to name a few. The Cochrane District has also targeted NOCs which they hope to attract, however, only three of the 35 NOCs were consistent with occupation vacancy.
Algoma District
The Algoma District has experienced a slight increase in immigration since 2010 with an increase of approximately eight per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the Resettled Refugees and Protected Persons pathway. The limited number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Algoma District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of university professors and lecturers, pharmacists, and specialist physicians. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for managers in customer and personal services, corporate sales managers, administrative services managers, and managers in art, culture, recreation, and sport, to name a few. The Algoma District has also targeted NOCs which they hope to attract, with only two of the 21 NOCs being consistent with occupation vacancy.
Thunder Bay District
The Thunder Bay District has experienced a growth in immigration since 2001, with an approximate increase of 30 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the economic class, with the most frequently intended National Occupation Codes (NOC) being university professors and lecturers, specialist physicians, home child care providers and pharmacists. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for administrative services managers, managers in customer and personal services, other installers, repairers, and services, and optometrists, chiropractors, and other health diagnosing and treating professionals, to name a few. The District of Thunder Bay has also targeted NOCs which they hope to attract, with only one of the 41 NOCs being consistent with occupation vacancy.
Rainy River District
The Rainy River District has experienced a decrease in immigration since 2010 with a decrease of approximately 17 per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Rainy River District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, managers in agriculture, and carpenters. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for administrative services managers, managers in health care, legislators and senior management, and security guards and related security service occupations to name a few. Given that the Rainy River District does not have a community participating in Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no intended NOCs that the district was trying to attract.
Kenora District
The Kenora District has experienced a slight decrease in immigration since 2010 with a decrease of approximately two per cent. Most immigrants have been accepted under the sponsored family class. The number of economic immigrants that did settle in the Kenora District most frequently intended the National Occupation Codes (NOC) of home childcare providers, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, and accommodation service managers. Although these are the occupations immigrants were most frequently qualified for, the occupation vacancy rates suggest that there is the greatest need for managers in health care, administrative services managers, pharmacists, dieticians and nutritionists, and customer services information representatives to name a few. Given that the Kenora District does not have a community participating in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, there are no intended NOCs that the district was trying to attract.