The Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce is warning residents of a severe labour crisis. It attributes this to immigration challenges across the city and the NWT.
"The situation is critical: a recent survey of Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce members revealed that based on survey projections, 50 per cent of businesses have employees with work permits expiring in 2025 or 2026," reads a statement from the chamber's president, Matt Halliday.
That's an issue because the territory's nominee program, which allows immigrants into Canada and to work for an NWT employer in hopes of securing permanent residency, has taken serious cuts. Its nominee allotment this year is 150. Last year, it was 300.
In his statement, Halliday stated the territory's nominee program is undersized for existing labour market demands. He noted that hundreds of applications were submitted when only 90 spots were made available. That's because the GWNT received 60 more applications than the limit in 2024, which were processed and they came out of this year's allocation, according to the territorial government.
Because of this, businesses have been unable to secure placements and risk being short on staff, according to Halliday, who called for an extension of expiring work permits.
"Without immediate federal action to extend permits, businesses will be forced to cut services, reduce hours or shut down entirely," he said. "A labour crisis of this scale also undermines CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 Arctic sovereignty by destabilizing the very businesses that sustain Northern communities."
Yellowknife businesses that have employees with permits expiring either this year or next are projected to impact 717 workers, making up about five per cent of the city's workforce, according to Halliday.
He also noted that the city has an unemployment rate of four per cent, leaving businesses with no real replacement to any potential lost employees either. He said a sustainable immigration strategy for the NWT needs to be tailored to its economic and demographic challenges.
"The Atlantic Immigration Program has proven successful in attracting and retaining workers in the Maritime provinces. The federal government must commit to a similar targeted approach for the North, ensuring businesses can access the workforce they need to grow and sustain operations," said Halliday.
"If the federal government is serious about Arctic sovereignty, national security, and Northern economic development, immigration policy must reflect these priorities," said Halliday. "A regionally-tailored immigration strategy, developed in partnership with territorial and local stakeholders, is essential to attracting and retaining skilled workers in the NWT."
