Sponsored content: Canadore College is ready to innovate and revitalize the North’s economy

As the only college of applied arts and technology located in the Nipissing and Parry Sound region, Canadore College is driving growth in Northern Ontario. 

How are we doing it? Simply put, we believe that by developing the workforce of tomorrow, we are able to build up our region today. 

By The Numbers: Canadore’s Economic Value 

Measuring a college’s impact is so much more than facilities or programs—it starts with the people who form our community. Most of the 408 full-time equivalent employees at Canadore College live in the area, and almost half of all students attending Canadore come from outside of the region, relocating with the sole purpose of attending the College. At the same time, many of our local students would have left the region if not for Canadore.

According to Canadore’s Economic Impact Report compiled by Economic Modelling Specialists International (EMSI), student’s spending impact (e.g., housing, groceries, etc.) added $15.4 million to the area’s economy in 2021, with $5.4 million generated by international students. 

Approximately 1,000 students graduate from Canadore each year, and they join more than 60,000 alumni working across Northern Ontario, Canada, and around the world. Closer to campus, Canadore’s alumni generate over $369 million for the economies of Nipissing and Parry Sound.

Canadore also attracts international students—injecting millions of dollars into the economy. Most stay in Ontario after graduating, bolstering the regional economy, and filling labour shortages in the region. These critical contributions are why we’re advocating for the elimination of international student ratios, instead favouring a formula based on total enrollment, which will ultimately allow more students to study, work, and live in the North.

Canadore’s Aspirational Vision

Canadore is redefining post-secondary education in the North. Our unique programs play a critical role in developing the region by tapping into innovation, human potential, and economic revitalization. 

1. 1. The Village, Canadore’s health and wellness training facility, is providing students with hands-on learning in many health disciplines. Student-led clinics for general health, dental hygiene, and safe mobility provide experiential learning opportunities for those in our health and social sciences, sport and recreation, early childhood education, and Indigenous and Eastern medicine programs. 
   2. To meet the growing demand for entrepreneurs, Canadore has launched the Entrepreneurship Academy, the first of its kind in Canada, teaching students to become their own boss. 
   3. The genomics lab at Canadore is state-of-the-art, with DNA sequencers and a vast array of equipment to enhance the College’s applied research capacity in areas such as cannabinoid pharmacology. 
   4. Canadore’s Innovation Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Prototyping (ICAMP) helps companies develop new products by providing direct and cost-effective access to the latest in advanced manufacturing technology, expertise, and practices.
   5. Canadore is even part of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network-Northern Site. A partnership with communities, agencies, and institutions across the region in the development of electric vehicles, growing Ontario’s green economy, and producing future job opportunities for graduates.

Canadore Can Deliver Even More with the Right Provincial Support

As the Government of Ontario is looking to tailor specific policy solutions for Northern Ontario’s economy, we know that Canadore can be the driving force to ensure the North is not left behind. 

The College is making significant infrastructure investments to expand and modernize its campuses, equipment, and research capabilities. 

Our Recommended Strategies

The College’s Economic Recovery Report outlines strategies that with provincial leadership can deliver on these initiatives faster and attract more people, business, and investment to the North. Ontario policymakers should see this report as a roadmap with specific solutions for elevating Northern Ontario:

• Increase provincial funding through the Local Poverty Education Fund for the Nipissing Poverty Reduction through Education Program (NPREP) and Indigenous Poverty Reduction through Education Program (IPREP). These programs help to break the cycle of poverty by training people to join the workforce. 
• Design a pilot project giving colleges full autonomy to create new programs by removing the requirement for ministerial consent. Canadore could then leverage their knowledge and expertise in determining what new programs would be most viable in our markets. 
• Consolidate and provide predictable multi-year funding to support long-term financial sustainability for colleges and ensure a more level playing field between small and larger colleges. Colleges could also move to more strategic, long-term planning, rather than waiting and hoping the necessary funding comes through year after year.

Ontario’s government, when looking at its priorities for the next four years and beyond, should feel confident it can lean on Canadore, a strong public institution, to meet our shared goals and revitalize the North. Our message is clear: Canadore is ready to deliver.