Northern Policy Institute looks to find perception of newcomers in the northwest

Communities across northern Ontario have prioritized bringing new immigrants to the region. The question still remains though, if those same people will be accepted by the general public.

The Northern Policy Institute (NPI) will try to get a better understanding on the public's perception of newcomers, as it launched a new study on Thursday.

The institute, along with Environics Research will conduct a phone survey in the five largest cities in the north, to gain the public's perception. People living in other communities in the north can find the survey here.

The President of NPI, Charles Cirtwill, said in the past, the north has had a sustainable population, with at least two workers for every dependent. A dependent is classified as someone under the age of 15, or over the age of 65.

"Within the next ten years, we're going to see that reverse on its head, so we're doing to have one worker to every two dependents. And simply put, that's not sustainable. We're going to have jobs going unfulfilled, tax bases that are eroded away, municipalities that aren't going to be able to pay their bills," Cirtwill said.

Cirtwill said while the Indigenous population is growing, it will not make up for the pace of the current, aging population.

"This survey is intended to see if all of the resources that these communities are going to be putting into this effort actually have an impact on the ground if the people of northern Ontario are moving in the right direction, in the terms of being more open, more accommodating, more welcoming."

Next year, the survey will ask about the attitudes toward Indigenous people and reconciliation. The surveys will continue until 2026, alternating each year.

Cirtwill said there are stories of newcomers moving into the north, only to be turned away when looking to find a place to live, based on their race or their name.

"Certainly, there's a sense on the ground that this continues to be an issue."