The initiative would have flooded the job market with nearly 100,000 asylum seekers, hurting youth employment prospects

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

If Canada’s leaders will not put young Canadians first, they should not be surprised when those same people abandon a country that abandoned them first.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

After a meeting in Huntsville, Ont., on July 24, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and the rest of the premiers made it clear that they want greater powers over immigration.

Ford specifically mentioned that his government was examiningSection 95 of the Constitution Act to find a way to bypass Ottawa and unilaterally grant work permits for Ontario. Section 95 allows the provinces to make immigration decisions, “as long and as far only as it is not repugnant” to any federal law.

On Monday, however, Ford announced he was walking back that initiative, and this is a tiny spot of good news for young job seekers in the province.

This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Interested in more newsletters? Browse here.

There are nearly 100,000 unemployed asylum seekers currently housed in hotels in Etobicoke. Prior to his retreat on the policy, Ford wanted to put them to work, even though the unemployment rate of Ontario residents aged 15 to 24 stood at 16.4 per cent, higher than the national average of 14.2 per cent.

During the short time he considered the initiative, Ford’s elbows were up, displaying a willingness to throw them at his province’s youngest and most vulnerable adult citizens.

Trying to add another 100,000 people to the workforce would have been a cruel strategy when youth unemployment is rampant in the Greater Toronto Area. Between January and July of 2024, it