Deaths outweigh births in almost every region of Northern Ontario. Without the recent population increase driven by both immigration and an increase in temporary residents Northern Ontario would be demographically and economically unsustainable. The impact of federal and provincial efforts to move immigration beyond Canada's largest cities can be seen clearly in the period 2021 through 2025.

The message in this Briefing Note is clear – Don't Stop Now.

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As Canada's immigration policy shifts to address urban affordability challenges, a different approach is needed to address labour shortages in rural and Northern regions. NPI President and CEO, Charles Cirtwill, visited Kenora on 8 July 2025 to advocate for increasing immigration to Northwestern Ontario.

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The Rural Coordinating Centre for British Columbia (RCCbc) has made a huge difference in the attraction, retention, and support of physicians in rural and northern BC. Would this approach work in Northern Ontario? 

In our latest commentary, Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) Associate Dean Sarah Newbery and a team of researchers explore the views of local physicians about the need for a RCCno. 

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At present, only nine rural hospital sites supported by fewer than 35 rural generalist family physicians are available to provide labour and delivery services to approximately 50,000 rural Northern Ontarians of childbearing age. Twenty years ago, there were twenty rural hospital sites  providing labour and delivery services. Twenty years before that, every hospital in Northern Ontario had these services. To align with Ontario's health care vision, strategic investments and concerted efforts are necessary to maintain and enhance rural labour and delivery services in Northern Ontario.

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