Upcoming conference asks: how do we keep people in the North? – ElliotLakeToday.com
November 10, 2025
Fifth annual Magnetic North event will focus on supporting newcomers and connecting international students to careers
SUDBURY – The theme of the fifth annual Magnetic North Conference, “Retention is the New Reality,” was prompted by recent reductions to incoming permanent and temporary residents caused by the Government of Canada’s 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan.
“We’ve seen a massive cut in international students but also similar clawbacks in overall immigration levels, and in provincial nominee programs,” Charles Cirtwill, president and CEO of Northern Policy Institute, told Northern Ontario Business.
Cirtwill hopes this year’s conference will generate frank conversations about problems and gaps in retention for smaller northern communities, which have been more drastically affected by the reductions than larger, southern urban centres.
