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November 6, 2025
News
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It’s a debate heating up across the country and the globe.
But it’s not getting the cold shoulder in Canada’s North.
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Instead, many in the Northwest Territories support, even encourage, the idea of increased immigration.
“Immigration for us is vital. The NWT cannot do without immigration,” François Afane says. “If we don’t have immigrants coming with their skill sets there are some basic services that cannot operate.”
Afane, an immigrant himself, heads CDETNO (Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du NordOuest), a Francophone economic development group in the NWT.
“We have a critical shortage of nurses. Teachers. Some businesses are closing. We don’t have truck drivers. We have shortages in critical areas that without immigration there is no way.”
Newton Grey, NWT Chamber of Commerce President and also an immigrant to Canada, agrees — labour shortages are affecting the entire area.
“I connect with 33 communities in my role, and there’s not one community that I connect with that doesn’t have a labour challenge.”
It’s these first-hand experiences that TIES (The Immigrant Education Society) is in the NWT to hear and understand.
TIES Centre for Immigrant Research Centre (TCIR) has been meeting face-to-face with communities to help find ways to attract, integrate, and retain newcomers to the North as part of its TAIGA RISE Project.
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“We have been talking to government officials, community stakeholders, businesses, newcomers, local residents,” TCIR Manager Kreisha Hilario explains.
“We are collecting information from them in order to ensure that whatever we are coming up with is a reflection of what they really want.”
Not only want, but also need, TIES Director of Research & Immigrant Wellbeing Katerina Palova points out.
“Be it support services for people who come to Yellowknife or Inuvik. Be it enough education capacity, enough capacity of the town infrastructure.”
“It has been very rich, to be honest. A lot of conversations have been very fruitful. Very valuable.”
The team has heard varying opinions on increased immigration — some good, some not so good.
Shane Thompson, MLA and Speaker of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly, says more immigration can be a “double-edged” sword.
While filling jobs is obviously a pro, he says a con could be supporting those extra workers.
“We just don’t have the infrastructure required. Like housing is the biggest, biggest issue.”
“Trying to find homes, we don’t even have that for our population,” Thompson points out.
“So, if we’re bringing immigration in — where are we going to put them? And is that taking away from our residents?”
“Our solution to the labour challenge cannot be immigration full stop,” Newton Grey also adds.
"We must provide training for the local people. You cannot successfully grow the economy without the involvement of the local people.”
“We have to be smart about immigration.”
Not being smart, some say, could lead to worsening racial tensions in the area.
“There’s both ingrained racism and discrimination against Indigenous People here,” MLA for Yellowknife North Shauna Morgan says.
“There are also some pockets of fear and discrimination against visible minorities.”
As part of the trip, team members also travelled even further north to Inuvik, where they heard many of the same concerns.
“Housing was a major issue, especially in Inuvik, where the distance and high cost of housing made things even more difficult,” TCIR Senior Researcher Fatemeh Kazemi says.
Kazemi adds that support services are even in shorter supply and local markets and businesses are sparce.
“People really saw the need for immigrants in the community and appreciated the contributions newcomers were making and how important they are for the local economy.”
But again, the team also saw growing tensions there — that need to be addressed.
“There is room to strengthen mutual understanding and relationship-building between newcomers and local residents.”
Although the team has only visited the North twice since the project began, the takeaways have been clear.
“We learned that, overall, immigration is welcome and important,” Palova points out.
“But we also learned that it has to be done in the right way.”
Something TIES President and CEO Sally Zhao says her organization is committed to doing.
“This research, this project will play a critical role in identifying the challenges, the best practices common with other parts of the country but also unique for the NWT,” she says.
“I think it’s vital and critical.”
As for some of those challenges, such as supports and housing — she’s optimistic they can be overcome.
“Although a lot of people emphasize about the housing challenges, with resources — houses can be built.”
Our coverage of TIES voyage to the North will continue with personal stories from some of the immigrants who are calling these areas home.
We’ll hear how many of them are not only surviving — but thriving.
TAIGA RISE (Tailored Attraction, Integration and Retention Strategies for Northern Ecosystem) started in the Spring of 2025 and is expected to continue until the Spring of 2028.
It is funded by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
Learn more about our project:
Media RSVP, Interviews & Inquiries:
Tomasia DaSilva
Media and Relationship Strategist
Email: tomasiadasilva@immigrant-education.ca
Phone: 403-291-0002
Get involved with TIES on our social media platforms.
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