Author of the article: Colleen Romaniuk • Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Publishing date: Jun 28, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 4 minute read • Article content Systemic racism and discrimination negatively impact Northern Ontario’s ability to attract and retain skilled workers and have far-reaching effects on the region’s economic prosperity. That was the sentiment expressed by a group of panelists at Northern Policy Institute’s second annual population growth conference. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser. Racism could hinder Northern Ontario's economy: Panel Back to video “Racism exists everywhere, but I think in Northern Ontario, it’s easier to see because it’s harder to hide. The diversity just isn’t here like it is in southern Ontario or elsewhere,” said Hediyeh Karimian, co-founder of ULU and developer of an e-learning platform called The Woke Age Project.