A lot has changed since February 2020, when the first Come North conference was launched. We face ever-changing demographic challenges in our communities. This creates a growing need to retain and fully embrace the existing populations. Strategies, priorities, and next steps must be revised and adapted regularly. Magnetic North is that opportunity to regroup and refocus.
Magnetic North 2023 is our 4th annual Population Growth Forum. Attendees can join the discussion online about topics including reconciliation and anti-racism, attraction, and settlement of domestic and international migrants, and retention of the existing populations.
Magnetic North will build off priorities established and lessons learned from previous years’ conferences. A hybrid approach will not only address any lingering results of COVID-19, but will also maximize the diversity of participants and ensure that the findings reflect the needs of our communities.
2023 SPEAKERS AND PANELISTS
AGENDA
Day 1: Monday, June 12th, 2023
9:00am
Welcome and Land Acknowledgement Mercedes Labelle, Senior Policy Analyst, Northern Policy Institute
Traditional Greetings, Métis Senator Steven Callaghan
Welcoming Remarks, Mayor Paul Lefebvre, City of Greater Sudbury
9:30am
Stéphane Paquette, Médiateur culturel en éducation autochtone
10:00am
10:15am
Keynote #1: Q&A Session
30-minute break
10:45am
10:50 AM – 11:05 AM – Aliki Economides, McEwen School of Architecture
11:05 AM – 11:20 AM – Charles Bekai, Northern Ontario Black Economic Empowerment Program (NOBEEP)
11:20 AM – 11:40 AM – Bela Ravi, Sudbury Multicultural and Folk Arts Association
11:40am
12:00pm
Plenary Q&A Session
Lunch break
1:05pm
Presented by Mercedes Labelle, Senior Policy Analyst, Northern Policy Institute
2:00pm
Concurrent Priority Setting Roundtables: Actions for the Next Year
Facilitated by Pierre Riopel
About: Northern Ontario’s landmass is over 800,000km2. It’s impossible to know everything happening in our regions. But there are ways to highlight efficiencies to increase capacity and service delivery, by knowing, sharing, and connecting. What are some best practices related to service delivery and partnerships? How can we work to remove silos and highlight efficiencies? Are there efficiencies that can be highlighted, or is there broader, systemic change that needs to be undertaken?
Facilitated by Jasmine Morin, Service Canada
About: Federal, provincial, and municipal programs are claimed to be ever prevalent in our regions – though, that might not reflect the reality end-users are facing. What programs related to population growth currently exist in Northern Ontario? Are these programs being utilized? Can they be made more effective?
Facilitated by Dania Kuzbari, Employment Advisor, Sault Community Career Centre
About: With an aging labour force, it is now more important than ever to both attract talent to our regions, while also ensuring the existing population is fully participating in the labour market. What are some best practices to improve EDI efforts in workplaces? What supports do employers need to help with this process? What are the new challenges these institutions/companies/organizations are facing? What are some of the strategies that are being employed to keep things moving forward?
Facilitated by Gisèle Regimbal
About: The past three years have shown unprecedented amounts of change: people out-migrating en masse from large cities, remote work becoming the new norm, and people wanting more for their money. Northern Ontario is perfectly posed to capitalize on these changes, are we ready?
3:00pm
30-minute break
3:30pm
Panelist: Regina Mandamin
Panelist: Beverley Roy
Panelist: Connor Lafortune
Moderator: Jennifer Johnson
4:20pm
4:35pm
4:40pm
Panel #1 Q&A Session
Closing Remarks
End of day
Day 2: Tuesday, June 13th, 2023
9:00am
Daphnée Traoré-King, Magnetic North Program Officer, Northern Policy Institute
Remarks, MPP Jamie West (Sudbury)
Remarks (Recorded), MP Viviane Lapointe (Sudbury)
9:20am
Cameron Moser, Senior Director, ACCES
9:50am
Keynote #2: Q&A Session
10:05am
30-minute break
10:35am
Panelist: Thomas Mercier, Executive Director, Réseau du Nord
Panelist: El Hadji Diop, Student, Laurentian University
Panelist: Susan Sinclair, Oshki-Pimache-O-Win (L’Institut d’éducation Wenjack)
Moderator: Kalyn Banks, ACFO-Témiskaming
11:20am
11:35am
Panel #2: Q&A Session
Lunch break
1:15pm
Concurrent Paper/Project Presentations – Breakout Rooms
2:05pm
30-minute break
2:35pm
Panelist: Sally Dunton
Panelist: Jean-Paul Kalwahali
Panelist: Joanne Gervais
Panelist: Julie Léger
Moderator: Martin Lajeunesse
3:25pm
3:55pm
Panel #3: Q&A Session
Daphnée Traoré-King, Magnetic North Program Officer, Northern Policy Institute
4:15pm End of Conference
LOOKING BACK AT PAST CONFERENCES
Two conferences in February 2020 explored the challenges related to achieving population retention and growth. The resulting discussions provided the foundation for a community driven action plan to attack racism, further reconciliation, and attract newcomers to our regions.
Click below to read the Come North 2020 Conference Report, Proceedings, and Immediate Action Plan.
