http://www.chroniclejournal.com/news/indigenous-people-could-help-save-declining-city-report/article_5ba92028-1b9f-11e7-ae16-7778d9677735.html

Indigenous people could help save declining city: report

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Posted: Friday, April 7, 2017 10:34 am

BY CARL CLUTCHEY THE CHRONICLE-JOURNAL | 0 comments

Thunder Bay’s declining population is also aging at a fast rate, presenting long-term challenges such as a shortage of skilled labour, according to a new market and labour analysis of the city.

But the report also suggests there are opportunities to stop the trend, such as integrating the city’s growing indigenous population into the workforce.

“One of the most important opportunities lies in (the city’s) indigenous labour force, which faces a higher rate of unemployment than the non-indigenous labour force,” says the report, co-produced by three labour-market analysts, including the Northern Policy Institute.

“Such untapped work potential might help the city mitigate some of the challenges associated with an aging workforce.”

Put simply, the report says “more people (in the city) are retiring than starting new careers.”

Thunder Bay’s population has declined by 3.4 per cent in the past 15 years, while the rest of the province’s population went up by nearly 16 per cent over the same period, the report said.

“This situation is exacerbated by the fact that Thunder Bay’s population is aging faster than that of Ontario,” the report warns.

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs said he’s trying to remain positive, noting that the city’s population has fared better “compared to other municipalities in the North.”

But Hobbs acknowledged that a disproportionate amount of seniors, “one of the highest in Ontario, is a concern for our tax base.”

According to the report, the average yearly income in Thunder Bay came in around $39,000 - about $3,000 less than the provincial average.

About 19 per cent of the jobs were found in the health and social assistance sector. The next largest employment sector, about 15 per cent, is wholesale and retail trade.

More than 75 per cent of the city’s employers are small businesses with less than five employees.

On the education front, more than 87 per cent of city residents finished high school or better over a 10-year period the report looked at, just slightly less than the rest of the province.

Hobbs said Thunder Bay and the region could “boom” if the Ring of Fire mineral belt about 500 kilometres northeast of the city is ever developed, adding the federal and provincial governments could be doing more to make that a reality.

“I still maintain that the Ring of Fire and other resource based industries could be a lifeline for us,” he said.