Migration Beyond the Metropolis

Migration is not a new phenomenon, nor is it unusual. Since the day life appeared on this planet, it’s been on the move. Plants, animals, and ultimately people followed needed resources as climate, geography and man-made borders evolved — a pattern that continues to this day. In our new inter-disciplinary series, we examine the impact on geopolitics, societies, public health, the environment and ourselves.

In this presentation, Melissa Kelly examines migration to smaller communities in Ontario.

Melissa Kelly’s research takes a comparative approach to understanding how migrants and refugees experience settlement, integration and belonging in different spatial contexts. Her work has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Canadian Geographer, Journal of International Migration and Integration, Population Space and Place, and Migration Letters. 

Melissa is Project Director and Principal Investigator on a SSHRC-funded Partnership Development Project focused on international migration to small and mid-sized cities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. She is leading a team of academics, NGOs and government organizations to understand the factors influencing immigrant attraction and retention in non-metropolitan communities.

Melissa was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the ‘Narrative Study of Lives Programme’ at the University of the Free State in South Africa and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University. Currently, she is affiliated with the Borders in Globalization (BIG) network based at the University of Victoria.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Melissa has contributed extensively to the development of labour market and immigration policies and programs for the Government of Canada. She is also on the Welcoming Standard Content Advisory Board for Welcoming America.