The changing demographics of northern Ontario are being looked at during a conference in Sault Ste. Marie.
The two-day conference is being hosted by the Northern Policy Institute, with almost 200 delegates coming together.
Rainy River Economic Development Officer Gajith Jinadasa was among those involved in an opening day panel discussion.
Originally from Sri Lanka, he moved to Rainy River two years ago from Toronto.
He admits it was a bit of a culture shock but has been able to adapt to his new surroundings, thanks in part to how he was welcomed early on.
“Now, do I miss my cricket league, or do I miss my curry food, or do I miss my community musical shows in Rainy River? I do, but when the whole Rainy River community rallied around me, ensuring I was looked up as one of them, that changed the feeling for me,” says Jinadasa.
He notes a former mayor was one of the first to take him around the community to meet with business and community leaders.
That led to other residents paying him a visit and welcoming him to their community.
Jinadasa says how communities welcome newcomers can be the deciding factor for others considering a move. He calls it a deal-breaker.
“It all comes down to earning the trust through that process. The biggest impact of that is that it has a cascading effect. You welcome someone new from a different culture in your community when he feels safe, when he feels like he’s part of that community, he goes out and invites other community members from his background and says you know what, it’s safe to come here. It’s great to be here. We can start all new and there’s more opportunities.”
Jinadasa would like to see cultural awareness be part of the school curriculum in northern Ontario schools as more visible minorities consider northern Ontario to live and work.
“So that the next generation we build are more culturally aware. They don’t miss out on the diversity impact that a kid in Toronto would get like.”