<p>Canada continues to accept historic numbers of highly educated and diverse economic immigrants to fill national labor shortages and stabilize population decline in communities across the country. More recently, however, government policies have aimed to settle newcomers outside of major gateway cities and into smaller communities that are desperate for population and economic growth. While there has been a growing body of literature that explores the place-based factors that support immigrant settlement in communities of all sizes, there is a paucity of research that explores how smaller communities use economic opportunities and amenities to attract and retain international migrants. Accordingly, this study aims to address this gap with three research questions: 1) what are the economic opportunities in smaller communities outside of the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada? 2) what are the benefits and obstacles for attracting immigrants to smaller communities? and 3) what strategies are being used by smaller communities to mitigate the challenges for retaining immigrants over time? Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods research design, this study draws insights from 176 online surveys and 28 interviews with key informants working in smaller communities in Ontario, Canada. The findings reveal smaller communities’ reliance on immigrants to fill job vacancies, provide skilled labor, and address demographic issues. Yet, there is an apparent mismatch between the jobs available in these smaller communities and the skills of Canada’s increasingly educated immigrant population. Further results suggest a potential lack of amenities in communities outside of large urban areas that disincentivize newcomers to stay over the long term. The paper concludes by underscoring the necessity of meaningful employment opportunities in smaller communities to attract diverse immigrants, and the importance of suitable amenities to retain newcomers over the long term.</p>