There’s still work to do after a last year’s online regional conference focused on several topics, including anti-racism, settling immigrants, retaining existing populations and more.
The Northern Policy Institute says while progress has been made, Indigenous populations continue to face worse economic outcomes than non-Indigenous populations and there is still work to be done around awareness of BIPOC peoples.
Officials say another persistent theme continues to be noticeable gaps in critical services in the north, including health services, public transportation, broadband and more.
“Actors in Northern Ontario have been working hard to develop welcoming communities and close existing gaps to allow for sustainable population growth,” states Charles Cirtwill, NPI’s President & CEO. “The Magnetic North Conference allowed us to highlight best practices and identify collective actions necessary to ensuring the responsible and continuous growth of our regions.”
Approximately 130 individuals representing 70 different organizations took part in the 2023 Magnetic North Conference last June.
The full report can be found online at: https://www.northernpolicy.ca/magnetic-north-report-2023
