Background: A recent report indicated that the City of Greater Sudbury is the only large urban community in Northern Ontario expected to not shrink in population in the coming years. In addition, there continues to exist a skills mismatch in Northern. Mayor Brian Bigger released a joint statement with the mayors of Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, and Timmins calling on the government to prioritize immigration to Northern Ontario to combat these challenges by implementing an immigration program similar to the one currently being tested in the Atlantic provinces.
Position: The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce supports the Mayor’s position and believes prioritizing immigration to Northern Ontario is critical to the economic health of the region.
Actions: The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to the Mayor commending his joint statement and encouraged him to collaborate with our MPs and MPPs while advocating for an immigration program catered to Northern Ontario.