b'COMMUNITY NEEDIn Ontario, the Simcoe Muskoka Workforce Development Board works to bring newcomers into a catchment area that includes both Simcoe County (with its cities of Barrie and Orillia) and the District of Muskoka. Simcoe in particular is growing rapidly, while Muskoka has unique needs, says the Boards executive director Susan Laycock.It has a significant housing and trans-portation shortage, and very few non-Canadian-born residents. The thing that has impacted Muskoka the most is that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program was curtailed, Laycock says. Muskoka is primarily a tourism community, and that has had a devastating effectand Im not using that word lightlyon the ability of businesses to do business. Resorts are turning guests away because they dontThe City of Morden is an example of a smaller municipality taking active measures to attract new immigrantshave people to flip the rooms. Restaurants are closing on certain days because they dont have people to cook for them.PILOT PROGRAM The National Connector Program, which In 2012, Simcoe launched a CommunityImmigration Canada has also recentlystarted in Halifax, matches newcomers Settlement Strategy to be used as alaunched its Rural and Northernwith local people to help keep them in blueprint for community action. TheImmigration Pilot, which will work tothe community. County attracts several hundreds of directbring newcomers into 11 communities immigrants each year, but a far greateracross the country. Madge Richardson,Among the regions assets are the number through the Greater Torontoexecutive director of the North SuperiorThunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Area, where most newcomers to OntarioWorkforce Planning Board (NSWPB),Centre, which is an important teaching settle first. The County of Simcoe has ais excited about what it will mean to herand research centre, as well as Lakehead Local Immigration Partnership, and wearea, which comprises the Thunder BayUniversity and Confederation College. have been very focused here on attractionSuperior North electoral district, includingBoth the college and the university are pieces, says Laycock. Weve been veryThunder Bay, Ontario (one of the targetreally increasing their outreach to inter-successful. In the last few years, weve verycommunities), as well as the five remotenational students, says Laycock.much increased the newcomer populationRing of Fire First Nations communities, in our region. accessible only by air and winter ice roads.We hear from our graduating inter-national students that the majority would Among other initiatives, says Laycock,In 2015, the NSWPB identified that itslike to stay in Thunder Bay if they have were creating a summit much like oneaging population and shrinking birthemployment. One of the biggest obstacles that was done in Toronto a few years ago,figures were causing an imbalance in theis being connected to employers. bringing in all the constituents who haveregions Demographic Dependency Ratio an interest in this, and we are attempting(DDR), a measure of the proportion ofTo that end, the Northern Policy Institute to look at this in a holistic manner. Wellemployed workers to dependent childrenruns International and Community be looking for things that could be doneand seniors. The higher that ratio, theMatchmaker, a program that connects relatively quickly, but also looking at theharder it is to sustain the economy, saysstudents with potential employers. In addi-long term. For instance, well be looking atRichardson. To sustain our economytion, we have to do a great deal of promo-the housing issues with the builders. over the next 20 years, we would needtion, says Laycock. I think were getting to have 1,000 to 2,000 people per monthbetter at it.Simcoe has the advantage of a large inter- move to this area.national student population at GeorgianWhile Canadas larger urban environ-College, especially from India. TheirThe NSWPB has initiated discus- ments have a built-in advantage when it education base is becoming [one of] inter- sions about addressing the DDR withcomes to attracting a qualified immigrant national students, partly because with ancommunity stakeholders and is workingworkforce, communities elsewhere in the aging population, theyre outreaching.with various organizations to attract andcountry need to work harder and more Also, some of the Toronto institutions havekeep international workers to the mining,creatively to achieve the same end. They become saturated so students are lookingforestry, health and service sectors.also tend to be the communities that have at Barrie as a way to come to Canada andthe biggest need for incoming talent to get experience. With competitive salariesThe Thunder Bay Community Economickeep their economy afloat. and a relatively low cost of living, TheDevelopment Commission works with city and the district are seen as desirableToronto agencies to attract newcomersWith so much at stake, these commun-places to live, so all of our employment- to the North while other agencies areities are pulling out all the stops to entice services organizations work closely withworking to bring in international French- immigrants directly to their region. the Local Immigration Partnership,speakers to fill positions requiringAnd as the examples above show, many Laycock says. bilingual or francophone candidates.are succeeding.Fall 2019PERSPECTIVES29'