Ontario needs to attract immigrants to regions beyond the GTA, report says

Ontario's small communities could benefit from the influx of immigrants that are disproportionately settling in the Greater Toronto Area, a new report said Thursday as it urged all levels of government to address the imbalance.

The study from the Conference Board of Canada said the number ofnewcomers settling in Ontario last year starkly illustrates thedisparity between the GTA and the rest of the province, noting the current settlement levels have potential to strain the resources of the provincial capital while preventing other regions from reaping rich economic rewards.

This left the remaining 23 per cent of newcomers to spread out over the rest of the province, much of which the board argued is in need of new arrivals to fuel the local economy.

Board chief economist Pedro Antunes said Ontario's low unemployment rate suggests a particularly tight labour market, atrend that also applies to the country as a whole.

'Without immigration we'd actually see a flatline'

"We know as we go forward that without immigration we'd actually see a flatline on the total number of workers in Canada," Antunes said in a telephone interview.

"That would be a very dire picture in terms of being able to support economic growth."

Those market conditions are exacerbated by factors such as a lowbirth rate, an aging workforce and high levels of departures from some communities, the report found.

Antunes said economic growth is what will allow provinces to generate revenues, which in turn help pay for key services such ashealth care and education. Failure to sustain or grow thoserevenues, he said, should raise serious concerns for all residents.

The report also said a look at the province's projected dependency ratio, or proportion of people in the workforce to thoseoutside it, also emphasizes the need to ease pressure on the labourmarket.

GTA feeling benefits but also strain: report

Ontario's current ratio of 62 dependents to 100 workers isprojected to rise to 79 to 100 by 2040, the report said.

The GTA is feeling the economic benefits of the influx of immigrants, but the trend comes with risks as well, he
said.

The report said the steady stream of new arrivals has potential to tax the region's social supports and existing infrastructure, including everything from public transportation to appropriate housing.

You can imagine if we could just get one per cent of those people to move to North Bay we'd be successful.- Al McDonald, Mayor of North Bay

The board argued all levels of government have a role to play in evening out the distribution of Ontario's immigrants, but argued theprovince wields one of the most potentially powerful tools.

The report called for Ontario to refine its Immigrant Nominee Program, the official channel through which immigrants and international students can apply for permanent residency. Onsuggested tweak to the program involves setting a hard target forthe number of newcomers settling in communities outside the GTA.

North Baywould welcome new arrivals, says mayor

Ontario's Ministry of Economic Development says it's taken steps to improve the program, including expanding the list of eligibleoccupations and launching a pilot program with local communities.

"Over the term of the pilot the government would work closely with local stakeholders to support their efforts to retain andattract skilled labour to their communities," it said in astatement.

Antunes said changes to the nominee program should be part of abroader immigration strategy, another one of the five
recommendations laid out in the report.

Another involves encouraging smaller communities to be more proactive in marketing themselves as attractive destinations for newcomers, something Antunes said some municipalities have done in recent years with only limited success.

At least one small Ontario city saw immigrant recruitment become a factor in its most recent municipal election.

North Bay, Ont., Mayor Al McDonald said his 2018 campaignincluded a wish to attract 10,000 newcomers to the city over the next decade, citing an ongoing scarcity of local workers.

Report acknowledges rise in anti-immigrant sentiment

McDonald said the city averages a shortage of about 400 workers every month, adding North Bay would be delighted to welcome even asmall fraction of those who settled in the GTA.

"You can imagine if we could just get one per cent of those people to move to North Bay we'd be successful," he said.

Antunes said the board also recommends increased public education about the benefits of economic migration, acknowledging a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment in recent years that promises to surface during the pending federal election campaign.

"These are political questions, and I think that we as citizens need to make our own minds about this, but they should be informedabout what are the facts, about what are the numbers," he said.

"Certainly Canadians tend to be very accepting in general abouteconomic migrants. They understand the reality of our labour market and the needs for growth."