The North is growing, in places.

• Author: Cirtwill, Charles
• Position: Think Tank - Column

The response to my April column about recent successes for young people here in our region was met with a mix of relief and skepticism. Relief that here at last we had some good news; skepticism that the news wasn't all that good since it reflected more hitting bottom than getting better. In fact, I think one commentator used the phrase "rock bottom." If this is "rock bottom" I will take it.

Over the last several weeks, Northern Policy Institute has released a series of reports looking at population, demographics and the workforce in Northern Ontario. The news is good, but mixed. In the northwest, starting around 1987, the total number of employed people ranged between 105,000 and a peak of just over 115,000. Over the last seven years we have seen those employment numbers essentially fixed at around 100,000. So, bad news: down some 15,000 jobs. Good news: very stable after a sharp downturn. That's a good place to start.

Yes, our total population across the entire North does continue to decline and the forecast of future population numbers is grim. Particularly for francophones, immigrants and more rural and remote communities, all of whom will see their total population fall if current trends continue. But from 2001 to 2013, five of the 11 districts in Northern Ontario grew in population. Kenora, Manitoulin, Parry Sound, Nipissing and Greater Sudbury grew on average by about 4 per cent over that 12-year period. Manitoulin grew by over 5 per cent. That growth seems to be matched with some very specific activities or changes in those districts: growth in the Aboriginal population, investment in major public infrastructure, ongoing economic diversification, and innovation in some of our more traditional industries.

Those linkages offer very good direction for policymakers. Direction that, in many instances, they are already acting on. Highway twinning continues in many areas across the North, better connecting us not only with the outside world but with each other. Private and public investment in port infrastructure is being made and more is being considered. Investments in telecommunications infrastructure are happening. Closing the cell phone gaps and bringing high-speed internet to more and more rural and remote regions makes sense and will deliver long-term benefits as it allows us to expand our homegrown information economy...