tion is constituted by migrant workers and
these people make a full-time impact on
the community. “It’s unfortunate that we
have not recognized this until now, but
you will see a lot of community develop-
ment initiatives rise out of that as a result,”
Lassaline-Berglund said.
Another challenge lies with past economic
decisions that marketed Leamington as
an ideal retirement spot. This move has
influenced population demographics in a
less than positive way since many of the
residents in Leamington are elderly. The
present concern is the expected decrease
in population, but the municipality is com-
batting this through a youth engagement
strategy, which exposes young local peo-
ple to opportunities that exists in the mu-
nicipality.
One of the trends Mayor Paterson has
noted in the manufacturing sector is an
insufficiency of skilled workers. To fill this
gap, the municipality plans to draw new
residents with specialized skill sets, which
will effectively stabilize the population as
well. Leamington was the only small com-
munity in Ontario to privately sponsor 12
Syrian families in response to the civil war
in Syria.
“It’s easy being mayor because everything
is going in the right direction now,” Mayor
Paterson said.
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