Marten(48)

As a fisheries biologist at Wageningen University & Research I specialized in freshwater ecosystems. Dutch inland waters are well-researched but small. When I saw a vacancy at Lakehead University's Centre for Freshwater Ecosystems in Thunder Bay, on the shore of Lake Superior, I knew this was my chance. Lake Superior alone is larger than all of the Netherlands.

Thunder Bay participates in the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) — a federal program helping smaller communities attract skilled immigrants. The process is unique: the municipality itself recommends you to IRCC. I first had to find a job with a local employer, then get a community recommendation from the Thunder Bay RNIP committee. They assess not only your skills but also your intention to stay in the community.

Thunder Bay is the largest city on Lake Superior's north shore, with 110,000 residents. It's a former logging and mining town reinventing itself as a centre for nature research, outdoor tourism and healthcare. The city has its own university (Lakehead) and a thriving arts scene. It's not Toronto — but that's exactly the point.

My work at the Centre involves monitoring fish stocks in Lake Superior, researching invasive species (particularly sea lamprey and round goby) and collaborating with Ojibwe First Nations who hold traditional fishing rights. It's fieldwork in the purest sense: boats on the lake, setting nets, taking samples. In winter we work on the ice — ice fishing for research at minus 25 degrees.

The Finnish and Italian communities in Thunder Bay give the city a unique character. Finnish-style saunas are everywhere, the Italian district has excellent restaurants and the persasuppa recipe (Finnish fish soup) is a local specialty. As a Frisian I immediately felt at home — the mentality of hardworking people in a cold climate is universal. Housing is extremely cheap: my three-bedroom house cost CAD 220,000.

After two years I have my PR status through the RNIP, a permanent contract at the university and a research project that could last another ten years. Thunder Bay is for people who prefer nature and outdoor life over urban luxury. The RNIP is ideal for those willing to live in smaller Canadian communities — processing is faster, the community is warmer and competition is lower than in big cities.