Mayors from Northern Ontario Express Concern over Immigration Cuts Impacting Cities

As the federal government looks to drastically reduce its immigration targets over the next few years, the mayors of northern Ontario’s largest cities say they need more immigrants to sustain local economies and population.

The mayors of Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and Sudbury are calling on Ottawa to deliver on its promise to make permanent a pilot program that resettled skilled workers in their communities, saying a one-size-fits-all approach to immigration policy doesn’t benefit northern regions.

Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the now-closed rural and northern immigration pilot program allowed employers in the city to fill highly skilled positions in aircraft repair, engineering, and various trades.

“It has been an enormous success,” Shoemaker said, adding that without economic immigrants such jobs would disappear from the region.

The five-year program was aimed at attracting immigrants to smaller communities across Canada, including five cities in northern Ontario, and it provided thousands of newcomers with a path to permanent residence.

In March, the federal Liberal government promised to create a permanent rural immigration program while announcing plans to launch two other pilots this fall targeting rural and francophone communities.

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But months later, Ottawa said it would slash its immigration target for permanent residents and dramatically reduce the number of temporary residents in the country to ease the growing pressures on housing, health care, and other services.

The government had targeted bringing in 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026. Next year’s target will instead be 395,000 new permanent residents, falling to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027.

Ottawa is also aiming to reduce the number of temporary residents—which includes temporary foreign workers and international students—by 445,901 in 2025.

Shoemaker said those changes are designed to blunt the effects of high population growth in large cities. Still, immigration is vital to the growth of Sault Ste. Marie as its death rate outpaces new births, resulting in a shrinking population and municipal tax base.

Shoemaker emphasized the importance of recognizing the unique needs of northern Ontario cities compared to those in southern Ontario.

Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff expressed similar concerns about the federal government’s immigration policy pivot.

“We have lots of room and lots of jobs because the mining industry is really quite booming,” he said. “The community itself, both from an educational standpoint and as a regional center, is also doing very well.”

Boshcoff mentioned the city’s efforts to build more housing quickly and provide recreational activities to attract and retain immigrants.

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre stated that 1,400 skilled immigrants arrived in the city through the pilot program, with some bringing family members, totaling 2,700 new residents.

He highlighted the need for the federal government to reopen the program to fill job opportunities in various sectors, including mining, health care, and education.

Natalie Parent, human resource manager for Pioneer Construction Inc., praised the rural and northern immigration program for addressing critical job shortages and benefiting their organization.

Frédéric Boulanger, director of immigration programs and services at Collège Boréal, emphasized that immigrants are seeking areas with good employment prospects to build careers and maximize their potential.