Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Economic Development Strategy Draft Final Report

Transcription

1 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy Draft Final Report October 2015

2 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... IV LIST OF ACRONYMS... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... I 1 INTRODUCTION WHY THIS NEEDS TO BE A LIVING DOCUMENT METHODOLOGY REPORT STRUCTURE 4 2 WHERE ARE WE NOW? PROVINCIAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AND LOCAL CONTEXT FOR DEVELOPMENT DEMOGRAPHICS LABOUR FORCE PROFILE BUSINESS COMPOSITION EMPLOYMENT LAND OVERVIEW AND COMPETITIVENESS 16 3 CONSULTATION SUMMARY PRIORITIZING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES SWOT MAJOR SWOT THEMES COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES INVESTMENT ATTRACTION OPPORTUNITIES LOCAL BUSINESS GROWTH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 56 5 FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE CRITICAL PATH CRITICAL PATH STEPS FOR BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY 61 6 ACTION PLANS INTERPRETING THE ACTION PLANS ACTION PLANS 72 i MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

3 APPENDIX MATERIALS...82 APPENDIX A: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY GROUP - TERMS OF REFERENCE 82 APPENDIX B: BACKGROUND REVIEW 86 APPENDIX C: DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 87 APPENDIX D: LABOUR FORCE PROFILE 93 APPENDIX E: INDUSTRY PROFILE 98 APPENDIX F: VICINITY JOBS HIRING DEMAND FINDINGS 102 APPENDIX G: INVESTMENT READINESS CHECKLIST 108 APPENDIX H: INVESTMENT READINESS TOOLKIT COMPENDIUM 115 List of Figures FIGURE 1: STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS... 3 FIGURE 2: POPULATION AGE PYRAMIDS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, FIGURE 3: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, FIGURE 4: TOTAL LABOUR FORCE BY OCCUPATIONAL COMPOSTIION (NOC) FOR BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, FIGURE 5: JOB STATISTICS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2010 AND FIGURE 6: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY TOP 10 JOB GROWTH SECTORS BY 3 DIGIT INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION, FIGURE 7: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS TOP 10 INDUSTRY BREAKDWON, JUNE FIGURE 8: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN, ABSOLUTE CHANGE JUNE 2010 TO JUNE FIGURE 9: INVENTORY OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE ARTESIAN INDUSTRIAL PARK FIGURE 10: LAND AREA AND VACANY IN THE ARTESIAN INDUSTRIAL PARK FIGURE 11: INVENTORY OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE REAGENS INDUSTRIAL PARK FIGURE 12: LAND AREA AND VACANY IN THE REAGENS INDUSTRIAL PARK FIGURE 13: MAP DELINEATING THE LOCATION, BOUNDARY OF AND SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN THE BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY STRATEGIC SETTLEMENT EMPLOYMENT AREA: FIGURE 14: HALTON, PEEL, YORK, DURHAM REGIONS AND SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY GROWTH 2011 TO FIGURE 15: SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY GROWTH 2011 TO FIGURE 16: HALTON, PEEL, YORK, DURHAM REGIONS AND SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY MANUFACTURING SUB-SECTOR GROWTH 2011 TO FIGURE 17: SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY MANUFACTURING SUB-SECTOR GROWTH 2011 TO FIGURE 18: EMPLOYMENT AREA CHARACTERISTICS FIGURE 19: TAX RATES, FIGURE 20: DEVELOPMENT CHARGES AND PERMIT FEES, FIGURE 21: WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICING COSTS, FIGURE 22: VACANT EMPLOYMENT LAND SUPPLY, ii MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

4 FIGURE 23: GENERAL AGRI-BUSINESS VALUE CHAIN WITH NAIC CODES FIGURE 24: NEW ROLES REQUIRED OF TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE-RELATED INDUSTRIES FIGURE 25: MATERIALS MANUFACTURING VALUE CHAIN WITH NAIC CODES FIGURE 26: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, AND WAREHOUSING SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN INDUSTRY VALUE CHAINS FIGURE 27: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, AND WAREHOUSING SECTOR COMPOSITION WITH NAIC CODES FIGURE 28: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS AND WAREHOUSING VALUE CHAIN FIGURE 29: POPULATION AGE PYRAMIDS FOR SELECTED ONTARTIO GEOGRAPHIES, FIGURE 30: POPULATION BY GENERATION STATUS FIGURE 31: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, FIGURE 32: PROPORTIONAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME LEVELS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, FIGURE 33: HOUSEHOLD MEDIAN INCOME LEVELS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, FIGURE 34: COMMUTER PATTERNS FOR BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, FIGURE 35: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY TOP 10 IN-FLOW CONTRIBUTORS AND OUT-FLOW DESTINATIONS FIGURE 36: OCCUPATIONAL COMPOSTIION FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, FIGURE 37: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY OCCUPATIONAL COMPOSITION BY NOC OCCUPATIONAL GROUPING AND SKILL LEVEL, FIGURE 38 JOB STATISTICS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2010 AND FIGURE 39: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY TOTAL JOBS BY INDUSTRY AND % CHANGE JOBS BY INDUSTRY FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES FIGURE 40 TOTAL JOB COUNT LQS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2015 (AGAINST CANADA) FIGURE 41: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS TOP 10 INDUSTRY BREAKDWON, JUNE FIGURE 42: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN, JUNE FIGURE 43: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN, ABSOLUTE CHANGE JUNE 2010 TO JUNE FIGURE 44: CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN, FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, PERCENTAGE CHANGE JUNE FIGURE 48 JOB POSTINGS BY INDUSTRY FIGURE 49: JOB POSTINGS BY EMPLOYER TOP 25 EMPLOYERS FIGURE 50: JOB POSTINGS BY OCCUPATION CATEGORY (1-DIGIT NOC) FIGURE 51: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY TOP 20 OCCUPATIONS, iii MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This report has been supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs by providing access to the EMSI Analyst tool. Nevertheless, the views expressed in this report are the views of MDB INSIGHT and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry. PHOTO CREDITS All photos contained in this report have been provided by the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. iv MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

6 List of Acronyms BWG Bradford West Gwillimbury CD Census Division CSD Census Subdivision EDAG Economic Development Advisory Group EMSI Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. GTA Greater Toronto Area LMI Labour Market Information NAICS North American Industry Classification System NHS National Household Survey NOC National Occupational Classification NOC-S - National Occupational Classification for Statistics PSTS - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services R&D Research and Development v MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

7 Executive Summary The goal of this Strategy is to optimize Bradford West Gwillimbury s economic development capacity over the next five years. To this end, this Strategy serves to prioritize the Town s economic development opportunities and support them with clear action plans. Each action item presented in this Strategy has specific timelines so they can be prioritized and resourced appropriately. The Strategy represents the culmination of several months of work by staff and an external Project Team from the consulting firm of MDB Insight. The methodology used to develop this Strategy combined research and analysis of the current context in Bradford West Gwillimbury, and the province, with a comprehensive consultation and engagement process. The voices of local and regional community and business leaders provided strong guidance during the planning process. There is a sense of optimism when considering the town s future. The town s financial position, community assets and demographics are favourable in the context of its municipal neighbours. The Holland Marsh provides for agricultural and food processing opportunities. The town s population growth continues to outpace the province and is benefiting from an influx of new Canadians. Moreover, the town s largest industrial sectors are poised to benefit from external macro-economic forces more than at any time in the past 10 years. The Province has also designated a new 500 hectare employment area in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Located along the Highway 400, this employment area is expected to accommodate a significant share of the Town s future employment growth. It will be supported by full municipal servicing and will have direct access to the Highway 400. This is Simcoe County s most significant goods movement corridor. By all accounts, this employment area is well positioned to attract significant private investment toward development. Over the long term this employment area is expected to re-shape the town s economic composition by adding a series of large scale employers. At present the Town s Economic Development Department is focused on retaining and expanding local businesses. This has been a central mandate of the Department since its inception. It is recommended that this mandate continue over the next five years. Although, as the Town shifts towards accommodating and facilitating a new wave of commercial and industrial development, there will be a need for increased economic development capacity. During the consultation process and community assessment, the Project Team identified a series of shortcomings related to the Town s economic development capacity and state of investment readiness. With its existing staff, the Town s Economic Development Department struggles to balance the demands of supporting the town s existing businesses with pro-active investment attraction activities. In the near term, with the guidance of a newly formed Economic Development Advisory Group, the Town s Economic Development Department will focus its efforts in those areas with the greatest return on investment. A full description and terms of reference for the Economic Development Advisory Group is outlined in the Strategy, but in short this Group will advise the Economic Development Department on strategic issues, programs, and policies from a local perspective. It will further assist in business outreach as members will leverage their contacts. The intent is for this Group to streamline the Economic Development Department s activities by prioritizing certain functions over others. Importantly, as the 400 Highway employment lands become marketable with servicing in place, it will be crucial for Bradford West Gwillimbury to move towards the Gold Standard of Investment Readiness. i MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

8 Maintaining this standard will require additional staff time and resources. This Strategy s action plans also identify the need for increased budgets associated with marketing and communications. With this in mind, investments in these areas should be carefully considered in the context of Simcoe County s economic development mandate, functions, and capacity. The County of Simcoe has a level of economic development capacity and sophistication not present in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Simcoe County s economic development function is regional in scope. It has a research, marketing, and technical services mandate. Accordingly, the pooling of resources for marketing and investment attraction offers efficiencies from economies of scale. In the context of its existing strengths and competitive value proposition Bradford West Gwillimbury should work with the County to attract investment in the following industries: Food processing Materials manufacturing Transportation, logistics and warehousing Besides supporting investment attraction, this Strategy emphasizes the importance of local business growth and entrepreneurship. At present, there is insufficient focus on promoting new and successful high growth firms. Importantly, these are the firms which offer the greatest potential for creating local jobs. Moving forward, Bradford West Gwillimbury needs to enhance its existing programs and coordinate their transition toward a more sophisticated structure for nurturing and expanding knowledge-based entrepreneurs. Moving forward, it will be important to survey the existing regional and provincial programs to understand what explicit role the Town has to play. One such role is the provision of local incubation facilities for entrepreneurs. In a similar vein, it is important to recognize the Town s most pressing aspirational objective. Recognizing the challenges with local youth out-migration and levels of education attainment, the Town would like to secure a local post-secondary bricks and mortar presence. Over the longer term, and beyond the scope of this Economic Development Strategy, this objective may be achieved. Over the next five years, however, this objective is considered unrealistic in light of the provincial government s move to scale back funding for new post-secondary developments and satellite campuses. While the Town waits for a new provincial mandate, it should continue to support the Bradford Learning Centre and explore partnership opportunities with local education service providers. As part of the Official Plan review, the Town may consider reserving a major parcel of land for the longer term development of a post-secondary institution. Finally, one source of frustration for local residents and business owners is the current state of the Downtown. Bradford West Gwillimbury s Downtown plays a central role in shaping the life of its residents and is a reflection of the town s traditions and aspirations. Bradford West Gwillimbury s Downtown, and associated quality of place, is the cornerstone of its value proposition to attract new residents and businesses alike. Accordingly, there must be a commitment to enhancing the standards of new developments and revitalizing those areas which have fallen behind. Over the next three years a series of critical actions will be taken to execute the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy. These activities are reflected as part of the Economic Development Strategy to reinforce their urgency and importance. To this end, the immediacy of these actions should be broadly conveyed to the business community as they may be unaware of the impending improvements to the community. To support effective engagement with these issues and a range of others raised during the research process the strategy provides a series of guiding contextual considerations for economic development in Bradford West Gwillimbury. It presents a series of critical steps required to advance a progressive and ii MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

9 effective economic development agenda, and outlines a detailed rationale for each step and supporting sequence of activities. This work culminates in a detailed Action Plan which will focus efforts to implement the Economic Development Strategy for Bradford West Gwillimbury. This Plan divides the recommended actions under the five steps along a critical path, as illustrated below. In total, the Strategy suggests 54 action items to be pursued by the Economic Development Office in collaboration with a series of partners, including other Town departments and regional organizations. From a technical perspective, this Strategy is also supported by a range of appendices. Of particular note is Appendix A, which provides a preliminary Terms of Reference for a new Economic Development Advisory Group. Appendix G and H outline specific avenues designed to improve the Town s state of investment readiness, including an Investment Readiness Checklist and Toolkit Compendium. Ultimately, the Strategy provides Bradford West Gwillimbury with a clear vision of economic development objectives, a strong rationale for activity that links objectives to outcomes, and a series of tools and resources that will assist the community in achieving its economic development goals. iii MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

10 1 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

11 1 Introduction Bradford West Gwillimbury is forecasted to grow from an estimated 22,500 people in 2011 to 50,500 people by By this time, the town is expected to support 18,000 local jobs. There are a number of considerations for the Town in managing this growth, not the least of which is how it will leverage an expanding regional economy for its growing population while also creating high-value, knowledge-intensive jobs and activities within the Town itself. The Town s Strategic Plan and forthcoming Official Plan will have been drafted to guide the trajectory of this growth. The Economic Development Strategy provides a necessary addition to this planning framework by addressing the challenge of achieving balanced growth, providing a roadmap for the Town to proactively shape an economy that effectively mixes residential growth with new job-creating investments in a range of industrial and commercial sectors. As such, the approach to economic development for Bradford West Gwillimbury is central to achieving the goal of a complete community that builds upon the Town s agricultural traditions, community heritage and industrial success. In this sense, this project is a means to optimizing Bradford West Gwillimbury s economic development capacity by prioritizing economic opportunities and supporting them with clear action plans. To maximize effectiveness, the Town must prioritize those with the greatest return on investment and marshal resources accordingly. Recognizing that the nature of economic development in North America is changing, this is not a straight forward exercise. Today, economic development has moved well beyond business attraction towards activities that build economies from within. Increasing emphasis is placed on innovation, knowledge, creativity, talent, and fostering entrepreneurial skills. This shift from the production of goods and commodities to less tangible knowledge and creative-based economies has contributed to a diversity of economic development practices which fall under the umbrella of economic gardening and business retention and expansion. In this light, this Economic Development Strategy gives due consideration to investment attraction, but also promotes a range of activities designed to bolster the town s economy and ensure long term economic prosperity. 1.1 Why this needs to be a Living Document This Economic Development Strategy is a foundation on which to continue to develop a prosperous local economy. The activities included in the action plans all have a time line so that they can be prioritized and resources allocated appropriately. That being said, it is important to recognize that the Strategy should not be treated as a static document. The findings in this report should continually be re-assessed as the context of Bradford West Gwillimbury changes, including changes in the economy, demographics, and provincial and regional developments. By treating the Strategy as a living document, the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and its Economic 2 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

12 Development Office can ensure that the findings remain relevant and contribute towards the overall objectives of supporting the continued economic prosperity of the town. 1.2 Methodology The methodology used to develop this Strategy combined research and analysis of the current context in Bradford West Gwillimbury, and the province, with a comprehensive consultation and engagement process with business and community leaders and regional organizations. These efforts provided a foundation for informed strategic directions for Bradford West Gwillimbury, and actions to implement those directions. The detailed components of the methodology include: Project Launch - Project initiation, work plan, outreach consultation plan and confirmed report outline Research and Engagement - Background review, economic base analysis, local asset inventory, visioning session with Town Council and Steering Committee, and key informant interviews Strategic Directions & Action Planning - SWOT analysis, competitive advantages and disadvantages, competitiveness assessment, selection of future directions and opportunities, action planning, and draft final report to the Town Project Conclusion - Finalizing the Economic Development Strategic Plan and final presentation to Town Council FIGURE 1: STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS Competitiveness Assessment Economic Base Analysis Stakeholder Consultation Background Review Economic Development Strategic Plan SWOT Assessment 3 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

13 1.3 Report Structure The Economic Development Strategy is organized into seven sections: Section 2 provides an overview of the local and regional economy and how Bradford West Gwillimbury is situated within that economy. The town s demographic, economic, and labour force profile is also presented. The complete base analysis is provided in the Appendix. Section 3 outlines the results of the consultation activities conducted as part of this study. Common themes among interviews and workshops are presented in summary form. Section 4 identifies the town s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The discussion details the town s competitive position and profiles investment attraction and community development opportunities. Section 5 introduces the guiding contextual considerations for economic development in Bradford West Gwillimbury. It then presents the critical path steps required to advance a progressive economic development agenda. Section 6 provides distinct actions plans to support each of the critical path steps outlined in section 5. A number of Appendices are also included with additional information that expands on the sections presented in the main body of the report 4 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

14 5 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

15 2 Where Are We Now? 2.1 Provincial Economic Outlook and Local Context for Development The provincial economy stands to benefit from external forces more than at any time in the past 10 years. Looking ahead, the combination of higher U.S. growth, the lower Canadian dollar, and cost savings by consumers and businesses, from lower oil prices, notably in transportation, is expected to drive Ontario s real GDP by nearly 3% in 2016 and This compares to an estimated 1.9% in 2014 and 1.3% in It is expected that cost savings from the drop in oil prices and the competitive advantage gained from the lower Canadian dollar, along with more demand from the U.S., will work in favour of southern Ontario manufacturers. Across the GTA, however, manufacturers are expected to face crosscurrents. On the positive side, automakers are continuing to invest in domestic operations which will support existing supply chains. On the negative side, the scheduled plant closures in Oakville and Brampton signals ongoing instability in the sector. Moreover, the oil price drop is less demand for machinery and equipment from energy companies in Alberta and other oil-producing provinces. Aside from manufacturing, business investment expenditures in GTA are forecast to remain on a strong growth trend over the next two years. Although government investment spending will remain low as the senior governments restrain expenditures to achieve balanced budgets. In the near term immigration in the GTA is expected to drive labour force growth, but it will be dampened by net out-migration to other places in Ontario and Canada. These gains will also be offset by a declining participation rate due to retiring baby boomers and range bound employment of younger people and those with obsolete skills. 2 Non-residential building permits in the Toronto economic region are forecast to increase 7.3% in 2015 and 5.3% in 2016 following a slight rise in The broader Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is expected to mirror these gains. 3 Across the GTA, the cost of land, lack of serviceable lots and land use policies have restricted the supply of single detached homes which has led to a tight resale market. This has focused new housing developments in communities like Bradford West Gwillimbury which have been open to such development. In this context, Bradford West Gwillimbury, like many communities across the GTA, is struggling to retain its traditions and small town charm in spite of tremendous residential growth. 1 Ontario Chamber of Commerce Toronto Regional Economic Outlook. 2 Ontario Chamber of Commerce Regional Economic Outlook Summary of Ontario. 3 Ontario Chamber of Commerce Toronto Regional Economic Outlook. 6 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

16 Downtown Bradford West Gwillimbury is subject to growing pains as traffic issues and the need for infrastructural upgrades currently limits its attractiveness. In response to these challenges Town Council has adopted a plan to spur the revitalization of the downtown core and restore it to its rightful place as the heart of Bradford West Gwillimbury. 4 To continue to support this revitalization, along with investments in community amenities and infrastructure, the Town will look to build on its traditional economic drivers. The local economy is inextricably linked to the manufacturing sector while also benefiting from local and regional agricultural strengths. With huge tracts of local employment lands scheduled to be serviced in the coming years, the Town has the potential to re-balance its tax assessment ratio and move towards a more complete community with quality jobs for local people. 2.2 Demographics As of 2011, the demographic structure of Bradford West Gwillimbury was considerably different from the overall structure of Ontario and its regional counterparts. The population pyramids in Figure 2 illustrate these differences. For this study, Bradford West Gwillimbury was consistently compared with New Tecumseth, Innisfil, Simcoe County and York Region. The complete results of these comparisons can be found in the Appendix. Several key indicators suggest: Bradford West Gwillimbury population is growing quickly and is projected to grow substantially over the next two decades. The pace of population growth has exceeded the provincial average for the last three census periods. Between 2006 and 2011 the population grew by 16.8%. The town has a relatively low number of elderly dependants, but still sizable in absolute terms. At the same time, Bradford West Gwillimbury s proportion of young dependants is consistent with regional and provincial trends (with the exception of the age cohort which is elevated). Bradford West Gwillimbury s working age population is concentrated in the 45 to 54 age cohort. The town s working age population is smallest for those age cohorts between 25 and 39 years of age. This may be a result of consistent youth out migration. The median age of Bradford West Gwillimbury s population is This is the youngest median age amongst the comparator communities and well below the provincial average of The town is attracting a relatively large proportion of new Canadians. As of 2011, over 20% of Bradford West Gwillimbury s population was composed of first generation Canadians. This is nearly double the rate in Simcoe County (12%), but well behind the levels in York Region (46%). 4 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

17 These population trends play a significant role in the public policy and infrastructure development needs of Bradford West Gwillimbury. With a growing population there will be an increased demand for a greater range of services and local employment opportunities. The impact of an ageing population will require consideration of the needs and demands that will allow them to age in place (e.g. housing, health care, personal services, etc.). Further, if the town is to attract or retain younger families, consideration will need to be given to the nature of the local housing stock, as well the availability of recreational facilities and amenities. FIGURE 2: POPULATION AGE PYRAMIDS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2011 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 Census of Population. Adapted by MDB Insight In terms of education, Bradford West Gwillimbury s population has low rates of university degrees in relation to York Region and Ontario. Figure 3 shows the relative educational attainment of the local population against neighbouring jurisdictions. When compared with Simcoe County communities, however, Bradford West Gwillimbury is on par with respect to post-secondary degrees. Bradford West Gwillimbury and neighbouring Simcoe County communities also tend to have higher rates of apprenticeship or trades than found across Ontario or within York Region. The town s levels of education have a direct influence on business perception of the quality of the local labour force, which affect investment opportunities. At present the town is well suited to support trades based industries such as construction, agriculture, and particular manufacturing subsectors, but it is not well equipped to compete for higher order knowledge based industries, often tied to professional scientific and technical services. With that said, the town s demonstrated capacity to attract new Canadians, who often carry advanced degrees and a range of technical skills, is a positive sign. If leveraged, these newcomers may drive local business growth in the increasingly pervasive knowledge based economy. 8 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

18 FIGURE 3: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2011 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 NHS Custom Data Table X Adapted by MDB Insight Labour Force Profile As of 2011, Bradford West Gwillimbury s employed labour force aged 15 and over totaled 15,150 people. Of that number, 13,475 were employed by a business while the remaining 1,670 were self-employed. In terms of age composition, over a quarter of the local workforce is in the 45 to 54 cohort which may present challenges long term if younger workers are not present to assume the jobs of retiring workers. In terms of commuting flows, Bradford West Gwillimbury is a net exporter of workers. On any given day, for those workers with a fixed place of employment, approximately 8,950 workers leave town. Their top destinations for work include: Newmarket, Toronto, Vaughan and Aurora. With the exception of Barrie, the town s commuter flows are generally tied to more southern communities in the GTA. Despite this outflow, Bradford West Gwillimbury is home to approximately 2,900 local commuters. These are people who live and work in town. In addition, on any given day, approximately 3,600 workers enter Bradford West Gwillimbury for work. These workers are primarily drawn from Barrie, Innisfil, Newmarket and New Tecumseth. In sum, Bradford West Gwillimbury is a net exporter of approximately 2,500 workers each day. Given the wellintegrated regional labour market across the GTA, these commuter patterns are to be expected. These patterns present challenges in the form of retail leakage as people tend to purchase goods and services where they work. As defined by the National Occupational Classification system or NOC, the figure below shows Bradford West Gwillimbury s employment base is concentrated in sales and service, trades and transport, and business, finance and administrative related 9 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

19 occupations. Collectively these occupational groupings account for nearly 60% of the town s resident labour force. Bradford West Gwillimbury s occupational composition generally mirrors the composition of Simcoe County and its neighbouring communities. In contrast, York Region tends to have higher concentrations of occupations in management, business, finance, and natural and applied sciences than found in Bradford West Gwillimbury. FIGURE 4: TOTAL LABOUR FORCE BY OCCUPATIONAL COMPOSTIION (NOC) FOR BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, 2011 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 NHS Custom Data Table X Adapted by MDB Insight In terms of absolute employment numbers, Bradford West Gwillimbury s top 20 occupations are closely tied to supporting the local population. Retail salespersons, cashiers, retail and wholesale trade managers, for example, account for the top three local job categories. It is worth noting that this is common for communities in southern Ontario. Also note the full table of these occupations is provided in the Appendix. Occupations and Skill Level This subsection describes the skill level requirements, for Bradford West Gwillimbury s 2011 labour force by occupation. This data is derived from the 2011 National Household Survey and speaks to Bradford West Gwillimbury s resident labour force. The town s top 20 occupations demand a range of skill sets and educational backgrounds. As per Human Resources and Skills Development Canada s definition where (pie chart): A = Occupations usually require university education B = Occupations usually require college education or apprenticeship training C = Occupations usually require secondary school and/or occupation specific training D = On-the-job training is usually provided for occupations 10 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

20 Labour Force by Industry As defined by the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), Bradford West Gwillimbury s employment by industry is concentrated in the following sectors: 1. Retail trade with 2,140 workers; 14% of total 2. Manufacturing with 2,045 workers; 13 % of total 3. Construction with 1,725 workers; 11% of total 4. Health care and social assistance with 1,315 workers; 9% of total 5. Educational services with 965 workers; 6% of total 6. Professional, scientific and technical services with 795 workers; 5% of total Amongst these sectors, there are notable concentrations of employment in: grocery stores, materials product manufacturing, utility system construction, offices of dentists, elementary and secondary schools, and legal services. With respect to relative concentrations of employment, Bradford West Gwillimbury is home to the greatest levels of construction and retail based employment in the area. Aside from New Tecumseth, Bradford West Gwillimbury is also home to the highest concentration of employment tied to manufacturing in the area. While professional scientific and technical service related employment is high in absolute terms, this sector is proportionally underrepresented in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Given the movement of Ontario s economy towards knowledge based employment, this may be cause for concern. At present Bradford West Gwillimbury is not competitively positioned to attract and retain these types of professionals. The lack of a major postsecondary presence serves to exacerbate and perpetuate this local short-coming. Local Employment Trends According to Ontario s economic modelling and projections tool developed by Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), as of 2015 Bradford West Gwillimbury is home to 8,341 jobs. This figure is distinct from the town s labour force which is over 15,000 people, because the EMSI statistic reports on those jobs actually in Bradford West Gwillimbury. In other words, the labour force information describes the type of work Bradford West Gwillimbury s residents are involved in while the EMSI statistic points to local job activity regardless of where who is filling those jobs and where they may be coming from. As shown in Figure 5 this job growth is well above the growth experienced by Simcoe County and Ontario. Amongst its regional counterparts, Bradford West Gwillimbury s rate of job growth is only behind East Gwillimbury. As shown in the figure below, since 2010 Bradford West Gwillimbury s number of local jobs has increased by 14%. 11 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

21 FIGURE 5: JOB STATISTICS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2010 AND 2015 Geography 2010 Jobs 2015 Jobs Change % Change 2014 Average Earnings Bradford West Gwillimbury 7,304 8,341 1,037 14% $40,117 Simcoe 157, ,338 10,631 7% $40,930 East Gwillimbury 5,220 6,384 1,164 22% $42,629 New Tecumseth 16,185 16, % $47,451 Innisfil 5,826 6, % $38,470 York 434, ,839 42,600 10% $49,448 Ontario 5,770,396 6,095, ,546 6% $48,516 Source: EMSI Q Data Set Employee Data Run. Adapted by MDB Insight During this five year period, those industrial sub sectors which exhibited the highest levels of absolute job growth as shown in the figure below. Bradford West Gwillimbury s manufacturing sector led job growth with the top two leading industrial subsectors. In fact Bradford West Gwillimbury s broader manufacturing sector grew by 19%, which with the exception of manufacturing growth in East Gwillimbury, was unmatched in Simcoe County and York Region. Population supporting industries are well represented in terms of job growth with educational services, food services, and repair and maintenance each on the top 10 list. In terms of job decline, over this period, farms experienced the most losses with an estimated 19 jobs. Taken together, Bradford West Gwillimbury is primarily in a growth mode. FIGURE 6: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY TOP 10 JOB GROWTH SECTORS BY 3 DIGIT INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION, NAICS Code Description Transportation equipment manufacturing Plastics and rubber products manufacturing 2010 Jobs 2015 Jobs Change % Change 2014 Avg. Earnings Per Job 887 1, % $57, % $42, Administrative and support services % $28, Educational services % $56, Specialty trade contractors % $45, Food services and drinking places % $13, Truck transportation % $47, Nursing and residential care facilities % $31, Repair and maintenance % $42, Heavy and civil engineering construction % $55,393 Source: EMSI Q Data Set Employee Data Run. Adapted by MDB Insight MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

22 2.4 Business Composition Business Patterns Assessment and Industry Breakdown Statistics Canada s Canadian Business Patterns Data provides a record of business establishments by industry and size. This data is collected from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The business data collected for Bradford West Gwillimbury includes all local businesses that meet at least one of the three following criteria: Have an employee workforce for which they submit payroll remittances to CRA Have a minimum of $30,000 in annual sales revenue Are incorporated under a federal or provincial act and have filed a federal corporate income tax form within the past three years. The Canadian Business Patterns Data records business counts by Total, Indeterminate and Subtotal categories. The establishments in the Indeterminate category include the self-employed (i.e. those who do not maintain an employee payroll, but may have a workforce consisting of contracted workers, family members or business owners). It should be noted that the Canadian Business Patterns Data uses the CRA as a primary resource in establishment counts; therefore, businesses without a business number or indicating annual sales less than $30,000 are not included. The population of these small, unincorporated businesses is thought to be in the range of 600,000 in all of Canada. Bradford West Gwillimbury s proportion of total business counts as defined by industrial sector are presented in the Figure 7 (next page). Bradford West Gwillimbury s top industrial categories based on total business location counts include: Construction Professional, scientific and technical services Real estate and rental and leasing Retail trade Transportation and warehousing With the exception of real estate and rental and leasing, these industries are supported by a high level of employer based operations (as identified by the Subtotal heading in Figure 8). Those industries with the highest number of business counts, with employers include: Construction Retail trade Other services (except public administration) Professional, scientific and technical services Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 13 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

23 FIGURE 7: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS TOP 10 INDUSTRY BREAKDWON, JUNE 2014 Source: Canadian Business Patterns, June Adapted by MDB Insight The manufacturing sector supports 73 total businesses, with 40 of those businesses supporting employees. The manufacturing sector accounts for Bradford West Gwillimbury s single largest employers with three operations employing over 100 people. In fact, one manufacturer employs over 500 workers. Professional, scientific, and technical services does not account for a large number of employees, but it does account for a large number of local businesses. Nearly 70% of these businesses have no employees. However, these businesses have the potential to grow and take on staff. The majority of those firms with employees in this space employ 1-4 staff. Typically, these firms also support quality jobs. In terms of business trends, between 2010 and 2014, Bradford West Gwillimbury added a total of 419 businesses. Approximately one third of these businesses have employees. During this period, the town s highest growth sectors as measured by absolute change include: Construction Transportation and warehousing 14 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

24 NAICS Code Real estate and rental and leasing Retail trade Professional, scientific and technical services In the same period, Bradford West Gwillimbury lost businesses in management of companies and within wholesale trade. The loss of the wholesale trade related firms is particularly notable, given the town s relative positioning as a growing logistics and transportation area. Refer to the Appendix for a description of which industrial subsectors experienced the greatest decline. FIGURE 8: BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY CANADIAN BUSINESS PATTERNS INDUSTRY BREAKDOWN, ABSOLUTE CHANGE JUNE 2010 TO JUNE 2014 Industry Description Total Ind Sub Total 23 Construction (1) Transportation and warehousing (2) Real estate (1) Retail trade (2) Professional, scientific and technical services Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services Accommodation and food services Health care and social assistance Other services (except public administration) Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (2) (1) (1) (2) 1 (1) (3) (10) (1) (3) 0 3 (2) 2 0 (1) Manufacturing 7 (4) (1) (1) (2) 5 (1) (1) 1 61 Educational services Arts, entertainment and recreation (1) Finance and insurance 5 6 (1) 0 0 (1) Information and cultural industries Utilities Public administration Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (1) (1) Wholesale trade (6) (2) (4) (2) (4) 5 (3) (1) Management of companies and enterprises (12) (12) 0 (1) Total (11) 12 3 (2) 1 Source: Canadian Business Patterns, June 2010 and June Adapted by MDB Insight MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

25 Between 2010 and 2014, the town s highest growth sectors as measured by percentage change include: Transportation and warehousing Real estate and rental and leasing Retail trade Public administration Educational services Each of these industries grew by over 40%. The residential population growth of the area accounts for the business growth in real estate, retail trade and educational services. More important for wealth creation, however, is the sustained presence of manufacturing and growth in professional service firms. This is a positive sign for Bradford West Gwillimbury as these export based activities serve to inject new (rather than recirculated) money into the local economy. 2.5 Employment Land Overview and Competitiveness With a strong existing employment base composed of manufacturing businesses, and access to Highways 400, 27, and 11, Bradford West Gwillimbury is expected to accommodate a notable share of the Simcoe area s employment growth over the longer term. Existing employment land in the municipality is largely contained within the fully-serviced Reagens Industrial Park, and the partially-serviced Artesian Industrial Park. Based on supply constraints and growth prospects, the Province also designated the Highway 400/88 Employment Area as a strategic employment area for the Simcoe Area. The 500 hectare employment area is expected to accommodate a significant share of the Town s future employment growth offering full municipal servicing and access to both Highway 400 and 404 (over the longer term) in a more prestige setting Employment Land Overview Artesian Industrial Park Artesian is a acre industrial park located in the north end of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Individual lots were originally developed on private servicing (i.e. private water well and septic systems) and later connected to full municipal services. Most of the Park s vacant land remains disconnected. Artesian s prime features include an adjacent railway line service and proximity to key transit gateways in the region. Construction, other services (auto shops, personal 16 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

26 services) and manufacturing comprise over 50% of all current activity in the park. Figure 9 illustrates an inventory of establishments within Artesian. FIGURE 9: INVENTORY OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE ARTESIAN INDUSTRIAL PARK Type of Establishment (NAIC) Number of Establishments % of Total Number of Establishments Construction % Other services (except public administration) % Manufacturing % Wholesale trade % Transportation and warehousing 5 8.6% Retail trade 3 5.2% Real estate and rental and leasing 2 3.4% Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services 2 3.4% Utilities 1 1.7% Educational services 1 1.7% Health care and social assistance 1 1.7% Arts, entertainment and recreation 1 1.7% Public Administration 1 1.7% Total Number of Establishments 58 Total Vacant Lots 23 Source: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Business Directory and Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office, August 2015 Noted in the development of the Community Improvement Plan and echoed in stakeholder consultation were challenges as they relate to site development and uptake within the Artesian Industrial Park. Accessibility and visibility of the park remains an ongoing challenge for the Town. While the recent construction of the Line 8/Dissette St. bypass has improved access for employees, poor signage continues to make it difficult for transportation providers to locate or access the park. Residential pressures have also added to road restrictions for transportation providers. School zones and weight restrictions for trucking have increased shipping times for establishments within the park. Secondly, the challenge with the size and price of vacant lots in Artesian has limited the uptake from potential developers. The Park has a total of 56 lots - with 46 lots (82%) smaller than 5 acres. The estimated rate of vacancy in the Park is 41% (23 vacant lots), with 4 vacant lots between 3-5 acres and 17 vacant lots less than 3 acres. Figure 10 illustrates a listing of all available industrial land in Artesian. 17 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

27 FIGURE 10: LAND AREA AND VACANY IN THE ARTESIAN INDUSTRIAL PARK Total Land Area Vacant Land % Acreage Acres Hectares Acres Hectares Vacant % Location Property Type Shape Area (m.sq) Acres 20 Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Artesian Ind Pky Vacant Industrial Land Industrial Rd Vacant Industrial Land Industrial Rd Vacant Industrial Land Dissette St Vacant Industrial Land Source: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office, August 2015 Reagens Industrial Park Total Reagens is a acre industrial park located in the west end of Bradford West Gwillimbury. The Park was originally created by a severance in 1989 and at that time was not on municipal services. The Park was later connected to full municipal services. Reagens is the younger of the Town s two industrial areas. The Park has several large land parcels with a total of 7 vacant lots with 4 lots smaller than 3 acres. The businesses located with Reagens are predominantly manufacturing based (Figure 11). 18 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

28 FIGURE 11: INVENTORY OF ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE REAGENS INDUSTRIAL PARK Type of Establishment (NAIC) Number of Establishments % of Total Number of Establishments Manufacturing % Wholesale trade % Transportation and warehousing % Retail trade 1 6.3% Real estate and rental and leasing 1 6.3% Arts, entertainment and recreation 1 6.3% Other services (except public administration) 1 6.3% Public administration 1 6.3% Total Number of Establishments 16 Total Vacant Lots 7 Source: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Business Directory and Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office, August 2015 Stakeholder consultation noted challenges as they relate to site development and uptake within the Reagens Industrial Park. Several business/property owners have noted that the growing pressures of residential development and its encroachment towards the industrial area have alerted potential developers from steering away from the park. While noise disturbance has been remedied by green buffer zones, businesses are preoccupied with the proximity of residential due to other factors including smells and safe transportation/disposal of hazardous material. While most of Reagens industrial lots are occupied, three large vacant lots to the north of the industrial area present significant opportunities for the Town. With access to full municipal services these large acre lots (Figure 11) provide prestige employment opportunities for the Town. FIGURE 12: LAND AREA AND VACANY IN THE REAGENS INDUSTRIAL PARK Total Land Area Vacant Land Acres Hectares Acres Hectares % Acreage Vacant % Location Property Type Shape Area (m.sq) Acres 70 Reagens Ind Crt Vacant Industrial Land Reagens Ind Crt Vacant Industrial Land Reagens Industrial Pky Vacant Industrial Land th Sideroad Farm th Sideroad Vacant Industrial Land Line 8 Farm Holland St W Vacant Industrial Land Total Source: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office, August MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

29 Highway 400 Strategic Settlement Employment Area Highway 400 is Simcoe County s most significant goods movement corridor and a key link in the Greater Golden Horseshoe s transportation network. Acknowledging this key link, Amendment 1 to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (for the Simcoe Sub-area) identified Bradford West Gwillimbury s Hwy 400 corridor as a strategic settlement employment area. The Bradford West Gwillimbury Strategic Settlement Employment Area offers high potential to support the creation of high quality jobs in the manufacturing and industrial sectors. Divided into four distinct areas, the Strategic Settlement Employment Area will permit uses for manufacturing, assembly, fabrication and processing of mechanical equipment, warehousing, distribution centre, food processing, agricultural uses, research and training, and office uses. FIGURE 13: MAP DELINEATING THE LOCATION, BOUNDARY OF AND SPECIFIC AREAS WITHIN THE BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY STRATEGIC SETTLEMENT EMPLOYMENT AREA: 20 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

30 2.5.2 Projected Employment Growth Trends The projections presented in this section were prepared by Strategic Projections Inc. in They were developed to inform employment growth by industry for Simcoe County and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). For the purposes of this report, the Greater Toronto Area consists of the Regions of Halton, Peel, York and Durham. Note the City of Toronto is not captured in these projections. The projections begin in 2011 and look out to Also note the projections concern full time staff equivalents (FTE) and are for employment by place-of-work (EPOW). GTA Employment Projections Figure 14 provides the expected number of new jobs to be created in each industry for the GTA and the County of Simcoe. Over this period job growth by industry in the GTA is expected to concentrate in professional, scientific and technical services, with 54,065 new positions. As shown by Figure 14, growth in this sector will drastically outpace the growth experienced by the education sector (31,265 new positions), the second fastest growing sector in the GTA. FIGURE 14: HALTON, PEEL, YORK, DURHAM REGIONS AND SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY GROWTH 2011 TO 2021 Source: Strategic Projections Inc.; based on Statistics Canada National Household Survey 2011; Adapted By MDB Insight MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

31 With the exception of manufacturing, those industries with a typically high-use of employment lands (i.e. employment land employment) are projected to grow, but at a slower rate than the GTA s population supporting industries. Transportation and warehousing, for example, is expected to add 15,832 jobs across the GTA. Wholesale trade will also account for considerable employment gains with 23,325 jobs. Manufacturing, on the other hand, will continue to shed employment across the GTA and is expected to lose 18,490 jobs by Simcoe County Employment Projections Figure 15 provides the expected number of new jobs to be created in each industry for the County of Simcoe. Looking to 2021, the county s employment growth will be primarily driven by population supporting industries. Health and social services along with retail trade account for the largest anticipated employment gains, with over 8,500 and 5,400 new jobs projected respectively. For employment land employment sectors, professional, scientific and technical services will account for the greatest job growth (3,010). In contrast to trends across the GTA, manufacturing is also expected to make notable gains with the addition of 1,650 jobs. Transportation and warehousing is expected add 850 jobs across the county, while wholesale trade will add an estimated 920 new jobs to FIGURE 15: SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY GROWTH 2011 TO 2021 Source: Strategic Projections Inc.; based on Statistics Canada National Household Survey 2011; Adapted By MDB Insight MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

32 Manufacturing Employment Projections Given the manufacturing sector s reliance on employment lands, it is prudent to examine its sub-sectors anticipated employment trends despite the general decline in manufacturing employment across the GTA. Figure 16 shows these trends for the GTA and Simcoe County, while Figure 17 focuses exclusively on Simcoe County. As shown in Figure 16, the GTA s manufacturing sector is expected to lose employment in most sub-sectors. The manufacturing sector is expected to lose 18,940 jobs between 2011 and The only three sub-sectors of expected growth include transportation equipment manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and miscellaneous manufacturing 5. Of these sub-sectors, transportation equipment will add the largest share of jobs with 2,931. FIGURE 16: HALTON, PEEL, YORK, DURHAM REGIONS AND SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY MANUFACTURING SUB-SECTOR GROWTH 2011 TO 2021 Source: Strategic Projections Inc.; based on Statistics Canada National Household Survey 2011; Adapted By MDB Insight Conversely, the outlook for the manufacturing sector in Simcoe County is relatively positive. Over the projection period, the county s manufacturing sector is expected to add 1,650 jobs. As shown in Figure 17, the county s strongest manufacturing subsectors, with respect to job growth prospects, include transportation equipment manufacturing, miscellaneous manufacturing, machinery manufacturing, and non- 5 Examples of miscellaneous manufacturing include medical equipment and supplies manufacturing or sporting and athletic goods manufacturing. 23 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

33 metallic mineral products manufacturing. As is the case in the GTA, the transportation equipment manufacturing sub-sector will be the leading driver for manufacturing related job growth. FIGURE 17: SIMCOE COUNTY PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT BY MANUFACTURING SUB-SECTOR GROWTH 2011 TO 2021 Source: Strategic Projections Inc.; based on Statistics Canada National Household Survey 2011; Adapted By MDB Insight Comparison of Employment Areas The following figure provides a comparison of the characteristics of Bradford West Gwillimbury s employment lands with employment areas in other parts of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Generally speaking, Bradford West Gwillimbury area s characteristics place it in a competitive position in terms of access to major transportation routes and highway visibility, suggesting that the area may have similar market opportunities to employment areas located along other 400-series Highway corridors (e.g. 401 Industrial Business Park, Green Lane). Comparator communities were selected based on similar case scenarios to that of Bradford West Gwillimbury. This includes communities with access to the 400-series Highway corridors, communities with large growth projections, and communities with established or soon to be established prestige and general employment lands. 24 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

34 In comparing Bradford West Gwillimbury s employment areas, it can be seen that Bradford West Gwillimbury is on par with other communities in terms of providing employment lands with access to municipal servicing on existing employment lands and the commitment to pursue accessible municipal servicing on new employment lands. FIGURE 18: EMPLOYMENT AREA CHARACTERISTICS Employment Area Town Character Servicing Nearest 400- Highway Highway Visibility Accessible Rail Environmental Considerations 400 HWY MZO Artesian Business Park Reagens Business Park Bolton-South Albion Mayfield West Tullamore Bales Drive Green Lane Holland Landing Mount Albert Queensville/High way 404 Sharon East Innisfil Heights 401 Industrial and Business Park Derry Green Corporate Business Park Bradford West Gwillimbury Bradford West Gwillimbury Bradford West Gwillimbury Caledon Caledon Caledon East Gwillimbury East Gwillimbury East Gwillimbury East Gwillimbury East Gwillimbury East Gwillimbury Innisfil Milton Milton General Employment Not Serviced 400 (0 km) Y N None Business Park General Employment Prestige Employment General Employment Prestige Employment General Employment Prestige Employment General Employment Prestige Employment General Employment General Employment Full Municipal 400 (8 km) N Y Full Municipal 400 (3 km) Y N None Environmental Policy Area Full Municipal 427 (12 km) N Y Limited Full Municipal 410 (0 km) Y N Full Municipal (10 km) N N Municipal (Water) Private (Sewage) 404 (1 km) N N None General Employment Full Municipal 404 (0 km) Y N None Prestige Employment General Employment Not Serviced (10 km) N Y General Employment Not Serviced (8 km) N Y None Prestige Employment General Employment Not Serviced (5 km) 4 N N TBD Not Serviced (0 km) Y N Prestige Employment General Employment Highway Commercial Prestige Employment Business Park General Employment Highway Commercial Prestige Employment Business Park General Employment Municipal (Water) Private (Sewage) 400 (0 km) Y N Full Municipal 401 (0 km) Y Y Not Serviced (0 km) Y Y Environmental Policy Area Environmental Policy Area Environmental Protection Area Environmental Protection Area Environmental Protection Area Natural Environmental Area Greenlands / Flood plain Parkway Belt West / Greenlands Area 1 Intended to have full municipal servicing following secondary plan 2 Proposed full municipal services in the future 3 Select areas only, servicing strategy for entire secondary plan areas underway 4 Area is along approved route for Highway 404 extension 25 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

35 2.5.4 Municipal Benchmarking In addition to the characteristics of each employment area, the competitiveness of Bradford West Gwillimbury s employment lands should also be assessed based on the costs of locating in the area, as well as the supply of available employment lands. Property Taxes Figure 19 outlines the tax rates for commercial office and industrial development in each comparator community, as well as the costs associated with those tax rates relative to other municipalities in Ontario. Overall, Bradford West Gwillimbury s tax policies place it in the top range relative to the comparator communities and Simcoe County communities, in terms of costs associated with commercial office and industrial development. However, relative to comparators across Ontario, Bradford West Gwillimbury s total property tax rates are well-below the average. FIGURE 19: TAX RATES, 2015 Comparator Communities Commercial Industrial Simcoe County Commercial Industrial Rate Rate Communities Rate Rate Bradford West Gwillimbury Adjala Tosorontio Innisfil Essa Caledon Tiny Milton Springwater East Gwillimbury Severn Simcoe County Average* Oro-Medonte BMA Study Average Ramara BMA Study Median Wasaga Beach BMA Study Minimum New Tecumseth BMA Study Maximum Tay *Simcoe County Average does not include the cities of Barrie and Orillia Collingwood Midland Penetanguishene Clearview Source: BMA Municipal Study, 2014, 2015 Tax Rates (Individual Municipal Websites). Adapted by MDB Insight Development Charges and Building Fees Figure 20 outlines development costs among the total sample of municipalities from the BMA study, as well as the sample of comparator communities in the GTA and GGH. In terms of commercial office development, Bradford West Gwillimbury s development charges for non-residential development per square foot remain above average for the municipal study, but below all other comparator communities. When considering industrial development, the Town s development charges remain significantly above average for the BMA sample communities, but more importantly 26 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

36 above neighbouring communities Innisfil and Caledon. The Town of Milton exhibited the lowest development charges for industrial development among the comparator communities, and is more in line with average and median development charge rates for industrial development. Building permit costs in Bradford West Gwillimbury were behind all comparator communities. Though these fees have the potential to add to the cost of construction, they typically only account for a minor portion of total construction costs, and are often viewed as a more marginal factor in determining the competitiveness or feasibility of a project in a municipality. FIGURE 20: DEVELOPMENT CHARGES AND PERMIT FEES, 2015 Municipality Development Charges Commercial (sq.ft.) Industrial (sq.ft.) Building Permit Fees Industrial (Finished) Bradford West Gwillimbury $19.34 $19.34 $5.60/m2 Innisfil $17.27 $17.27 $9.22/m 2 Caledon $23.00 $17.19 $7.10/m 2 (>600 m 2 ) Milton $22.73 $9.75 $7.08/m 2 East Gwillimbury $44.61 $21.95 $10.22/m 2 BMA Study Average $15.24 $9.43 BMA Study Median $13.70 $7.74 BMA Study Minimum $0.42 $0.42 BMA Study Maximum $45.07 $25.55 Source: BMA Municipal Study, 2014, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office Water and Wastewater Costs Figure 21 provides an overview of water and wastewater servicing costs in BMA s survey of Ontario municipalities. Bradford West Gwillimbury s costs remain above the average of BMA s sample for each service type, as well as above the rates for both Caledon and Milton. Bradford West Gwillimbury, Innisfil and East Gwillimbury exhibit high relative costs for water and wastewater servicing. In part, this is likely a reflection of pressures being placed on the existing municipal water and (where available) wastewater systems to service new levels of growth residing in the municipality. From an operational perspective, these higher costs likely affect the marketability of employment lands in Bradford West Gwillimbury relative to lower cost jurisdictions, for industries with both low and high levels of water demand. 27 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

37 FIGURE 21: WATER AND WASTEWATER SERVICING COSTS, 2014 Municipality Commercial Industrial Rate (10,000 m 3 ) Rate (30,000 m 3 ) Rate (100,000 m 3 ) Rate (500,000 m 3 ) Bradford West Gwillimbury $38,576 $115,376 $384,176 $1,920,176 Innisfil $32,849 $95,508 $317,708 $1,581,708 Caledon $18,938 $56,814 $189,379 $946,895 Milton $24,807 $67,992 $214,076 $1,040,132 East Gwillimbury $52,556 $159,156 $532,256 $2,664,256 BMA Study Average $28,849 $84,510 $273,931 $1,344,195 BMA Study Median $26,400 $78,525 $257,378 $1,279,912 BMA Study Minimum $9,673 $27,369 $68,237 $272,512 BMA Study Maximum $58,300 $174,900 $583,000 $2,915,000 Source: BMA Municipal Study, 2014, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office Vacant Land Supply The amount and cost of vacant employment lands in a municipality can play a key role in its investment readiness and competitiveness. In order to appeal to a broad range of potential investors, a municipality should maintain a viable supply of employment lands to meet long term demand, but also provide a wide range of market choice to potential investors in terms of lot size, lot configuration, and land use permissions. Figure 22 outlines vacant employment land supply in each of the comparator municipalities, as well as recent average price per acre of serviced (or partially serviced) employment lands. In terms of supply, Bradford West Gwillimbury holds the smallest employment land supply of each of the comparator communities, at approximately 121 hectares. This is just ahead of the 138 vacant gross hectares of employment land supply in the Town of Innisfil, which is expected to be a bit larger on a net basis (as that figure encompasses only the Innisfil Heights area). Both Milton and East Gwillimbury largely due to recent and ongoing secondary planning processes and boundary expansions in the Derry Green and Sharon East areas respectively have the largest supply of vacant employment lands among the comparators. When considering levels of servicing, the competitiveness of employment land inventories varies among the comparators. An estimated 239 hectares of employment land in Caledon (or 91%) of vacant employment lands have full municipal servicing, while just 9% (approximately 101 hectares) of vacant employment land in Milton is serviced (with the majority residing in the presently unserviced Derry Green Corporate Business Park). Similar to Milton, the majority of East Gwillimbury s vacant employment land supply resides in unserviced future employment areas like Sharon East and the Queensville/Highway 404 area. Though only partially serviced (municipal water only), the majority of vacant employment land in Innisfil has access to those utilities. 28 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

38 In terms of land cost, Bradford West Gwillimbury s price per acre fluctuates tremendously, with acres selling at out of GTA market value prices and acres selling at within GTA market value prices. FIGURE 22: VACANT EMPLOYMENT LAND SUPPLY, 2014 Municipality Vacant Employment Land (Net) Price Acres Hectares Per Acre Bradford West Gwillimbury* $165,000-$400,000 Innisfil $257,000 1 Caledon $500,000-$650,000 Milton 2,834 1,147 $450,000 East Gwillimbury 1, $250,000-$275, Municipal water only, based on average prices of vacant employment land in Innisfil Heights as of June Represents an estimate of gross vacant employment lands available, and is subject to takeout based on active EA projects and OMB Appeals. 3 Unserved rural employment lands are currently being sold for approximately $110,000 per acre. *As of August 2015 Source: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Office, Comparator Economic Development Offices. Vacant acres as of June CIP Based Incentive Comparisons In 2013 Bradford West Gwillimbury introduced a Community Improvement Plan to stimulate investment and development in the Artesian and Reagens Business Parks. Incentives include: Development Charge (DC) Grants Tax-based Redevelopment Grants (TIG) Planning Fees and Building Permit Grants A review of Innisfil, Caledon, Milton, and East Gwillimbury s municipal policies reveal no equivalent programs. Innisfil has recently developed a new CIP program, but it is yet to be adopted by Council. In this context, Bradford West Gwillimbury s CIP incentives are a competitive advantage for the attraction of new industrial investment. 29 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

39 30 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

40 3 Consultation Summary A targeted stakeholder consultation effort was undertaken in the preparation of this Economic Development Strategy. This process was useful to inform the direction of future economic development efforts, the current capacity for economic growth and investment, as well as, the challenges and opportunities facing the town s broader business community. The consultation process included one-on-one interviews with the Mayor and each member of council, the CAO and select municipal staff, key economic development partners, as well as representatives of the business community. Each stakeholder was asked a series of questions pertaining to their long term vision for Bradford West Gwillimbury, the current opportunities available locally and regionally, and the challenges that need to be overcome to achieve sustainable economic development. Please note that the various statements in this section represent information emerging from participants in the consultation activities and general context of Bradford West Gwillimbury s economy. Statements in this section do not necessarily reflect the conclusions or suggestions of the Project Team. Conclusions and suggestions from the Project Team can be found in later sections of this report Long Term Community Vision When asked about their vision for Bradford West Gwillimbury over the next five to ten years, interview participants provided a range of responses. The most common of these responses have been grouped by theme and presented below. Note the order in which these themes are presented does not reflect any prioritization or level of importance. A complete community Respondents have no desire for Bradford West Gwillimbury to be a bedroom community. Instead respondents wish to cultivate a complete community where residents can live, work, and play. Job creation The challenge to-date has been ensuring enough local quality employment opportunities for residents. Retail positions and basic population supporting services like dry cleaning or pet grooming are not seen as offering quality employment. Respondents want more high paying, highly skilled jobs in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Downtown and local cultural amenities The Downtown is considered the heart of the community. In the medium term, respondents envision a completely rejuvenated and revitalized downtown core. As part of this reimaged downtown, they see a wider range of businesses and more mixed use developments. They desire a more animated setting full of engaging public and private cultural 31 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

41 amenities. In this sense, there is the will to improve the town s quality of place to attract visitors and provide residents with recreational options. Housing Stakeholders envision the construction of more affordable and denser housing options in the community. There is a shared understanding that Bradford West Gwillimbury s housing developments over the last decade have not met the needs of the community s existing population. The newly constructed single detached homes have served to attract new residents, but in many instances have priced out local seniors and young families. Post-secondary Stakeholders envision a local post-secondary presence. The precise form of such an institution is subject to debate, but there is broad based support for a local post-secondary school nonetheless. Trade schools, satellite campuses of universities and colleges were each considered options and part of the longer term vision for the community Community Strengths As part of the interview process stakeholders were asked to identify Bradford West Gwillimbury s strengths. The most common of these responses have been grouped by theme and presented below. Transportation and logistics Bradford West Gwillimbury is strategically located. It is the southernmost community in Simcoe County and is bisected by Highway 400. It is also in close proximity to Highway 404. These highways offer efficient access to Toronto and neighbouring communities. Bradford West Gwillimbury is served by a rail line with regular CNR and GO transit options. Besides access to Pearson International Airport, the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport offers international cargo and passenger service. Collectively, these assets offer competitive advantages for moving cargo and people in and out of town. Holland Marsh Located on the border between King Township and Bradford West Gwillimbury, it sits protected in the Greenbelt. Produce is not only grown within the Marsh, but stored, processed and packaged as well, shortening the entire distribution chain and strengthening the local economy. The annual value of the carrots grown in the Marsh is estimated at $130 million, the onions are worth $160 million, and the salad greens are worth $160 million. Community amenities and quality of life Bradford West Gwillimbury has a small town sense of place, but has invested in big city amenities. The Town s Family Health Centre, Public Library and Leisure Centre are primary examples of these amenities. With these amenities also comes a sense of pride, a sense of growth and progress. The town is on the move. It is growing by attracting new residents from within Canada and the world. Bradford West Gwillimbury is the most culturally diverse municipality in Simcoe County. It has demonstrated a certain openness and inclusivity of new comers. 32 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

42 Business and worker loyalty the town s businesses do not want to leave. Instead they would rather expand within Bradford West Gwillimbury. This is evidenced by the number of long standing, locally grown businesses. Similarly, local employers have found their most loyal workers to be local residents. For this reason employers would rather hire locally and provide training rather than importing already trained workers. Affordability the cost of land, housing, and to some extent goods and services is lower in Bradford West Gwillimbury than in more southern communities Economic Development Opportunities As part of the interview process, stakeholders were asked to identify the top three economic development related opportunities for Bradford West Gwillimbury. The most common of these responses have been grouped by theme and presented below. Downtown development and zoning there are a series of opportunities related to the improvement of the Downtown. Aesthetic improvements, infrastructural upgrades, including sidewalk repairs and parking upgrades were all cited. At a more strategic planning level, encouraging mixed use development and increased densities were noted as options to support the town s seniors and youth populations. Relaxing building height restrictions in the Town s official plan would support these objectives. Smaller unit sizes with different ownership options were integral to these discussions. Tying future developments to the GO Train station and offering free wi-fi internet were also cited. Community Improvement Plans (CIP) the Town currently supports two CIPs. These programs offer incentives to invest in commercial and industrial properties within specified areas of the Downtown and industrial parks. To date there has been limited uptake. There are opportunities to re-work the evaluation criteria to increase the program uptake. Increasing community awareness of these programs is also important. Food processing and local growers The Holland Marsh is home to 146 farms which collectively grow over $400 million in produce annually. Leveraging this local production with more value added activity including food processing was a reoccurring theme in the interviews. Local producers could be supported and encouraged to be more entrepreneurial with their existing operations. As an example, there is high demand for new locally grown artisan foods with regional consumers paying a premium for these goods. Sheldon Creek Dairy from Loretto Ontario is an example of creative value added activity. Newcomer integration Stakeholders were adamant the Town retain its agricultural roots and promote these ties to new residents whenever appropriate. Continued support and growth of the Carrotfest is encouraged along with the education of local residents regarding agricultural uses. Buy local, eat local, shop 33 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

43 local are all key messages. Partnerships with Ontario Foodland to support promotional signage along major transportation corridors are options. Reduction of retail leakage there is a concern that residents are spending their money outside of the community for basic retail goods and services. This is having a particularly damaging effect on Downtown businesses. Encouraging more local consumption would benefit the local economy. Business supports and improved communications Awareness of existing business support programs was noted as deficient. There is an opportunity to increase the local profile of these services and programs. The Town may invest in communications and regular outreach functions. communications and passive website postings is considered inadequate. Leveraging Simcoe County There is an opportunity for Bradford West Gwillimbury to work more closely with the County s economic development staff to stimulate local investment attraction. There are simply economies of scale to benefit from working together as a group of communities. For this to be beneficial for Bradford West Gwillimbury, however, more formalized approaches to lead handling may be required. Investment readiness As the Town s new employment lands become serviced and large parcels of land come online in the medium term, the Town must be ready to respond efficiently and effectively to investment inquires. A series of investment readiness initiatives may be resourced including: the formation of investment readiness teams, development of audience specific marketing materials, upgrades to the website and increasing use of analytics to monitor and support lead followup. Branding and regional positioning Bradford West Gwillimbury is the gateway to Simcoe County. This position could be leveraged to attract more investment and support from the County. In some ways, Bradford West Gwillimbury must be a flag ship for the County. Increased levels of signage along with investment leads should be flowing to Bradford West Gwillimbury from the County. Age friendly community Bradford West Gwillimbury s population is younger than most of its regional neighbours, but it is still home to a large and growing number of seniors. This segment of the population needs to be supported. If positioned correctly, Bradford West Gwillimbury could become a truly age friendly community. The first step is completing an age-friendly strategy. Revisiting the Official Plan to support age friendly development is also important. Materials manufacturing - Bradford West Gwillimbury is home to significant number of manufacturing operations. Local transportation and logistics advantages make the town attractive for manufacturers. Ensuring an adequate supply of serviced employment land, with the right parcel sizes, is central to securing future investment in this space. 34 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

44 Connecting local workers with local employers Fostering closer relationships between local employers and local job seekers is critical if Bradford West Gwillimbury is to decrease commuter rates. Investing in tools, programs and services that link these parties together will support local employment. Partnering with regional workforce planning boards to understand the local demand for particular skills is essential to align local and regional training with demand. Leveraging the High Skills specialist program is also important. Tourism and culture Bradford West Gwillimbury has a small but growing tourism and cultural sector. There is an opportunity to be more strategic in the way the Town invests and supports tourism and culture. There are a lot of good things happening, but there is not the level of coordination required to be efficient and effective. Sports tourism, agri-tourism, downtown festivals and events, water based activities (leveraging the canal), and community heritage are a few opportunities facing Bradford West Gwillimbury Challenges to Local Development As part of the interview process, stakeholders were asked to identify and central challenges facing Bradford West Gwillimbury that may constrain local economic development. The most common of these responses have been grouped by theme and presented below. Fragmented service delivery Awareness and uptake of public programs and services is limited for both local residents and businesses. The lack of a single location to access services has been cited as a primary obstacle to uptake. Potential users would benefit from a warm hand off between referrals. All too often clients are lost during referrals. Limited community presence and outreach initiatives have also been noted as challenges to uptake. There is a need for constant reminders of what is available and where to go help. Business supports There is an acknowledged lack of support for local business mentoring and coaching. The Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre has limited local presence. We need to have an accessible program for those businesses not doing okay. There seems to be support for new start-ups, but not much support for scaling up businesses once they are up and running. Moreover, larger business owners do not always have the necessary expertise to navigate the local development approvals process. For those companies seeking expansion, there is not enough hand holding through the process. Labour force and local employment local businesses are challenged by the local labour force. There are gaps with respect to required skillsets. There is a perception that local employers do not pay competitive wages so staff retention can be challenging. The lack of a post-secondary presence contributes to youthoutmigration while limiting the potential to cultivate local talent through apprenticeships, internships and co-op programs etc. As a result, there is a 35 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

45 general mind-set that it is easier to train-up a current employee than hire someone new. The new hires tend to be less loyal and leave when something better comes along. The big part of this is where these imports live. If they are not from Bradford West Gwillimbury or a very close community, they are more apt to move to a large urban centre. Industrial development the development community is interested in relatively small sized serviced parcels. Generally speaking Bradford West Gwillimbury does not have many parcels to meet this demand. Industrial users have also noted development challenges associated with encroaching residential development. Industrial users have seen their buffer zones reduced which has limited their businesses expansion potential. Construction and servicing costs coupled with local land prices have combined to make local development unpalatable for many developers. Given land prices, warehousing and logistics developments may be more opt to locate closer to Toronto. Parcel size is also a primary concern for the expected future developments in the employment land along the 400 Highway. Mega lot sizes may make development challenging for smaller scale businesses. Gentrification the recent influx of new residents with relatively high levels of income and wealth have increased local property values. While this has rejuvenated some of Bradford West Gwillimbury s older neighbourhoods it has also displaced lower income families and increased rent for existing businesses. This trend exacerbates local housing inequality and makes it more expensive for businesses to operate. Regional transit linkages Despite the benefits of Bradford West Gwillimbury s local transit system, the lack of an integrated regional transit system leaves many local residents without a means to reach their destination without using a vehicle. Local employers have cited this fact as a barrier to attracting and retaining low wage workers. Downtown and consumer preferences Downtown businesses are struggling to complete with strip mall and big box retail format stores. Prospective users of the Downtown are citing a lack of parking and high volumes of traffic as primary barriers to shopping Downtown. There is also a perception the Downtown in its current form as little to differentiate it from competing communities. There are too few unique shops and there are limited options for youth. The streetscape is not animated which does not entice consumers to slow down. Simply put, the Downtown is not a destination, it is considered a thoroughfare Strategic Context and Considerations As part of the interview process, stakeholders identified a range of contextual considerations that will influence the timing and development process within Bradford West Gwillimbury. The most important of these considerations are described below. Employment land servicing The new employment lands by Highway 400 and 88 will be serviced by late A development consortium has entered into an 36 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

46 early payment agreement with the Town to advance the servicing of these lands. Given the community investment in these lands, there will be a strong motivation to recover any associated sunk costs as soon as possible. Accordingly, investment readiness and targeted investment attraction efforts will require attention as these lands become marketable. The Town s development charges are not considered a competitive disadvantage because they are on par with other communities in the area. The Ontario Growth Plan The latest Ontario Growth Plan dictates where residential and non-residential development may occur as it relates to the Highway 400 and 88 lands. The 2012 amendments open up lands for lower density uses including storage and warehousing. The rationale for this change is that these employment lands should be accommodating the uses that leverage highway access. At the same time, the Growth Plan encourages the provision of office development in settlement areas and not in employment lands. Yet, the primarily limiting factor in the Growth Plan relates to minimum parcel size. The Growth Plan mandates a series of large parcels to be accommodated. This may be an issue because those parcels normally take the longest to populate. This Provincial dictate may serve to stunt the development of the entire area. Residential development or non-residential development - Over the long term low density single detached residential development is the most inefficient land use to service and maintain. It also provides to lowest rates of tax assessment. Continuing to support this type of development will minimize the potential for efficient public transit while comprising the Town s fiscal sustainability. Looking ahead, increased emphasis needs to be placed on increasing the local commercial and industrial tax base. Town and County of Simcoe working relationship The County of Simcoe has a level of economic development capacity and sophistication not present in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Simcoe County s economic development function is regional in scope. It has a research, marketing, and technical services mandate. Pooling resources for marketing and investment attraction, from across the county, offer efficiencies from economies of scale. The challenge is that Simcoe County is responsible for supporting every one of its lower tier municipalities. This may result in an investment lead being assigned to another neighbouring municipality. Moving forward, it would be prudent for Bradford West Gwillimbury to leverage all available services provided by Simcoe County and foster an even stronger working relationship. There is no reason to duplicate efforts where there is no conflict of interest. The Town should, however, understand where the County cannot prioritize the needs or objectives of Bradford West Gwillimbury. In these areas the Town should take a more proactive role. Cost of electricity Local employers, specifically local manufacturers, have cited rising energy costs as a competitive disadvantage for attracting new manufacturing investment to southern Ontario. When competing with US based jurisdictions, these energy costs are a major liability. 37 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

47 Food terminal The collection of producers in and around the Holland Marsh may be able to support producer cooperatives, but the concept of creating a new food terminal as seen in Toronto is not possible. Ontario existing legislation currently inhibits such developments. 38 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

48 39 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

49 4 Prioritizing Economic Opportunities 4.1 SWOT Strategic planning is often informed by a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) assessment. The assessment outlines competitive conditions that affect the economic development potential of a community. The power of a SWOT is that it summarizes conditions unique to Bradford West Gwillimbury that will directly impact the strategies and actions that the Town can effectively take to develop the local economy. A SWOT Defined For the purposes of this report a SWOT is characterized in the following terms. Strengths (Positive, Internal): Positive attributes or assets currently present in Bradford West Gwillimbury by comparison to the region or Province Weaknesses (Negative, Internal): Local issues or characteristics that limit the current or future growth of the town Opportunities (Positive, Internal and External): Areas where the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury and its partners can capitalize on current trends and investment opportunities Threats (Negative, External): Trends that threaten Bradford West Gwillimbury s economic growth 40 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

50 4.2 Major SWOT Themes Strengths Proximity to the GTA attracts business operations, visitors & residents Strong regional economy Access to well-educated regional workforce Holland Marsh & local agricultural sector Strong relationship with Simcoe County + southernmost community = gateway Projected population growth Good schools, regional health care, amenities & quality of life Current & anticipated serviced employment lands Pro-active leadership High rates of in-migration & inclusive to new-comers Transportation linkages Depth of manufacturing operations Affordability of housing relative to GTA Full-municipal services available for industrial areas (commitment towards full-municipal services for new employment lands) Opportunities Downtown development & re-zoning Re-work the current CIPs to encourage up-take Leverage local growers & encourage more entrepreneurial & value added activity Bolster buy local campaigns Improve business supports & communications Consolidate service delivery (location) Invest in marketing, branding, & regional positioning Formation of an Economic Development Advisory Group Formation of investment readiness teams Become an age friendly community Expand current & attract materials manufacturers Connect local employers with local job seekers Tourism & cultural development Advance local entrepreneurship Attract a post-secondary presence Weaknesses Proximity to urban centres = retail leakage Lack of housing diversity & income inequality Aging population & lack of young workers Low rates of education Slow transition to knowledge based industries Downtown infrastructure & traffic Lack of investment readiness Lack of industrial investment oriented brand Lack of marketable employment lands Local labour force lacking required skills Limited connection between local employers & jobseekers Fragmented service delivery High rates of commuting & lack of integrated transit Limited awareness of public services & programs for businesses Threats/Challenges Decline of manufacturing Instability of Canadian currency Out-migration of youth & young workers Increasing electricity costs Consolidation of agricultural employment Retail based businesses & precarious employment Financial constraints at the municipal and provincial level Changing sense of place Ontario Growth Plan policies & effect on developing new employment lands Low density residential development & long term servicing obligations Similar competing investment profiles (Innisfil / New Tecumseth / East Gwillimbury) 41 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

51 4.3 Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages The results of the SWOT analysis provide a list of Bradford West Gwillimbury s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. While no two communities are identical, Bradford West Gwillimbury shares many similarities to other municipalities in South Simcoe and York Region. Some of these similarities include strategic proximity markets and access transportation and logistics infrastructure. While these similarities represent important strengths for the Bradford West Gwillimbury, they do not give a clear picture of the aspects of Bradford West Gwillimbury that may be uniquely attractive for site selectors. Looking at competitive advantages and disadvantages is helpful in differentiating Bradford West Gwillimbury from its regional counterparts. The town s competitive advantages form the basis of the unique value proposition the community offers to new businesses and potential investors, while competitive disadvantages are the factors that the Town needs to address to minimize the effects of barriers, particularly when attracting specific types of investment. Besides knowledge based start-ups, retail and personal services and other population supporting industries, Bradford West Gwillimbury may pursue investment in the following industries. Food processing Materials manufacturing Transportation, logistics and warehousing The following table highlights the Town s competitive advantages and disadvantages as they relate to these three sectors. Competitive Advantages Population Growth Rate (Future Projections) Age Profile Ethnicity Profile Development Charges Competitive Disadvantages 3rd Party Trucking Availability Existing Research and Development Base Proximity to Highways Development Approvals Process Industrial Community Improvement Program Clarity of Land-use Bylaws Large Parcel Employment Lands (including Future EL) Availability and Quality of Post-secondary programs School Performance Rankings Availability of Prestige Office Space Regional Health Care Facilities Lack of Professional, Technical and Scientific Businesses Housing Costs Broadband Infrastructure Strong Manufacturing base Energy Costs Transportation labour availability Holland Marsh Dedicated Farmer and Processor/Packager Base Innovative Companies Pro-active and Supportive Town Leadership 42 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

52 4.4 Investment Attraction Opportunities Given the consultation and competitiveness assessment, the following industrial sectors represent Bradford West Gwillimbury s best investment attraction opportunities Food Processing Agriculture is a primary land use across Simcoe County and Bradford West Gwillimbury. It dominates much of the landscape and provides many economic, social, and environmental benefits. The County has a land base, climate, and a skilled farm community that make agriculture highly productive. The County also has a number of unique features that allow for the production of specialty crops including the 11,000 acres of the Holland Marsh (in Bradford West Gwillimbury) where nearly 50 different vegetable crops are grown, valued between $47m and $72m each year according to the Holland Marsh impact study 6. While other aspects of the economy may be growing at a rate that surpasses agriculture, agriculture will continue be a key component of the long-term future of the town and county. As such, there have been several discussions around the need of a regional distribution food hub to grow the agricultural economy. Defined as a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food products, the idea and probability of a regional food hub for the County was researched by Georgian College students in With work overseen by the County, the Georgian College group determined that insufficient data existed to support a for or against approach to a food hub. Based on conversations with local producers, several producers like the idea of a food hub, but concede the considerable challenging associated with execution noting capacity limits for storing and processing, variety of products are limited, transportation routes and proximity/competition to/with larger hubs/terminals as elements that would need to be overcome by all. Understanding that challenge, the conversation is shifting to the viability of increasing food processing opportunities across Bradford West Gwillimbury. Agricultural Value Chain Important to any industry discussion is the understanding of the industry s value chain - the process or activities by which an industry adds value to an article, including production, marketing, and the provision of after-sales service. The value chain associated with agricultural activity can easily become complex, but is simplified when looked at as two categories; primary or secondary activities. Different sectors and subsectors can be attributed to each phase of the chain based on NAICS codes. These two streams of the chain converge to create unique economic niches MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

53 associated with agriculture and agribusiness. In the value chain, there are four primary activities and four secondary activities, as outlined in Figure 23. FIGURE 23: GENERAL AGRI-BUSINESS VALUE CHAIN WITH NAIC CODES Raw Materials Processing Packaging and Distribution Retail and Service 111 Crop Production 112 Animal Production 1151 Support Activities for Crop Production Support Activities for Animal Production 3112 Grain and Oil Seed Milling 3113 Sugar and Confectionary Product Manufacturing 3114 Fruit and vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing 3115 Dairy Product Manufacturing 3116 Meat Product Manufacturing 3117 Seafood Product Manufacturing 3118 Bakeries Manufacturing 411 Farm Product Merchant wholesalers 4131 Food Wholesaler-Distributors 4132 Beverage Wholesaler-Distributors 4191 Wholesale agents and Brokers Air, Rail, Water, Road Transportation 488 Support Activities for Transportation 4931 Warehousing and Storage 444 Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers 445 Food and Beverage Stores 446 Health and Personal Care Stores 4543 Direct Selling Establishments 722 Food Services and Drinking Places 3119 Other Food Manufacturing 3121 Beverage Manufacturing 3251 Basic Chemical Manufacturing R & D Design Education and Training Standards, Testing and Regulation Marketing and Consumer Testing 5416 Management, scientific, and Technical Consulting Services Scientific Research and Development Services 6112 Community Colleges and CEGEPs 6113 Universities 6114 Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 5413 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services Scientific Research and Development Services 5411 Legal Services Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 5419 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 6115 Technical and Trade Schools 5412 Accounting and Payroll Services Sources: Adapted from KPMG International, The Agricultural and Food Value Chain by MDB Insight, MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

54 While the processes associated with the primary stream are highly linear, those associated with the secondary stream are less so, sometimes interacting with the primary stream at different points and also interacting with each other. For example, a great deal of research and development design may be involved in seeds and other agricultural inputs (e.g. herbicides, pesticides, natural pest control etc.) but are also involved with processing, where new techniques and food products are continually being developed for manufacturers and for the market. Similarly, standards, testing and regulation are likely to appear at many different times of an agricultural product s life cycle in different ways. Education and training are applicable to most phases, in some form or other depending on the complexity of the process. Finally, the interplay within the secondary stream is evident in examples such as research and development that is closely tied to education and training. Agricultural programs in colleges and universities invest a great deal of funding into research that often has practical ties to farmers and related agriculture industries. The Changing Agri-Business Landscape in Ontario The agri-business sector has seen some changes that have moved it away from its traditional base, as shown in Figure 24. Changes have been felt in areas such as ingredients production, food and beverage production, and energy production. Some goods derived from agricultural products may be processed or enhanced in ways that alter their properties, thereby requiring registration or licensing of proprietary or patented ingredients. Furthermore, research and development is continually developing new or more efficient products or processes associated with the agriculture sector or its sub-categories. Safety and efficiency standards are always being updated, led by industry, regulators and consumer demand. Also, demand from consumers for value-added specialty products or ingredients have driven advances in research and development, standards and safety, and indirectly in regulations. For example, consumer demand for clearer labeling about local products has spurred the Ontario government to clarify what the definition of local means, attributing the label to anything grown within the province. 7 FIGURE 24: NEW ROLES REQUIRED OF TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURE-RELATED INDUSTRIES Ingredients Food and Beverage Energy Research and development Proprietary or patented ingredients Safety and efficacy testing Higher value-added products Safety and efficacy testing Regulation Distribution channels Higher value-added products Research and development Research and development in bio-energy Regulation Processing and transportation Safety and efficiency testing Proprietary products and processing technology Source: Adapted from Rizavi and Folstar, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Local Food Act, MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

55 Food Processing in Bradford West Gwillimbury Speaking with farmers, packagers and processors there is a clear intent that there is a desire for additional food processor(s) in town - the challenge becomes the ability to satisfy new food processors with a variety of product, that current food processors are processing, and ensuring their viability in a very competitive playing field (across Ontario, Quebec and New York). In 2008, Ontario s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) prepared a detailed guide 8 with resources and best practices for starting a food processing venture in the province. The guide speaks highly about how successful food processing facilities are those that tend to be innovative leaders within their respective agricultural environment. The guide notes that innovative food processors are those that understand the product local farmers currently produce but also the product that markets demand. Local packagers/producers have noted that farmers across Bradford West Gwillimbury do not produce enough variety in their product to compete with strong food processing markets in Southwestern and Southeastern Ontario markets. As such, local packagers want to see farmers shift product to value-added agricultural produce such as jumbo carrots, additional new ethnic mixes, and a variety of other flavour based crops in addition to carrots, beets and onions (i.e. asparagus, spinach, fruits). Packagers and processors spoke about the need for a collaborative strategy or forum to discuss current and expecting market pressures and what type of crops would be best positioned to advance those opportunities. As such, packagers/processors feel that farmers need to be educated, with respect to food processing, on the shifting landscape and the type of diverse products that are required to stay market competitive. The Holland Marsh impact study echoed that statement and further suggests that planning regulations should also be reviewed if the Town is serious about pursuing food processing activity noting that regulations dealing with valued added and retention operations are often prohibited in agricultural areas 9. Lastly, during interviews with farmers, packagers and processors two main issues were identified as affecting current and future business growth: Human Resource issues and Energy Costs. There was a strong consensus among those interviewed that the skill level needed for entry level positions in agricultural processing is growing, however, technology is changing jobs. Companies have and are investing heavily in new machines, technology and high-speed production and packaging lines. The machines are not being introduced to replace people, but to mechanize more processes and enhance production capacity. Companies are now pressured to look or train staff to be suited to this new, faster, more technological way of production MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

56 High energy costs are difficult to overcome for several companies. Most interviewees noted energy costs as the number one hindrance to expanding their operations. The food processing industry is one of the heaviest users of energy. On average Canadian food processors spend almost $1.5 billion on energy and water annually 10 - most of that coming from Ontario based food processors. In a high energy cost environment such as Ontario it becomes very difficult for local food processors to compete with food processing markets in New York and Quebec. Despite these challenges, the potential for food processing does exist in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Outside processors have noted that the community has the requirements labour, land and willing partners to attract a food processor. It will require that the Town, processors/packagers and farmers look at providing an innovative angle that can market Holland Marsh s strengths and opportunities. Emerging Sector Opportunities When considering the market potential for value-added food processing activities in Bradford West Gwillimbury, it may be difficult to envision this innovative angle. In other words, the question is: what may be in store for this sector and how will this work in Bradford West Gwillimbury? This is an important question because as Bradford West Gwillimbury seeks out new investment it needs to identify those leading edge opportunities rather than simply attracting more of what it already has. The discussion below highlights several pertinent examples of where value-added food processing is heading. These examples should be used to inform the Town s long term investment attraction efforts. These examples also illustrate the innovative potential of this sector along with the range of skilled occupations which will be required to advance them. Within developed nations a growing desire among consumers to lead a healthy lifestyle has led businesses to explore opportunities to provide healthier food options As a result, one of the higher profile shifts in the food industry and emerging sector opportunities over the last decade has been towards nutraceuticals and functional food products. Nutraceuticals are defined by Health Canada as a product isolated or purified from food that is generally sold in medicinal forms not usually associated with foods. 11 A nutraceutical is demonstrated to have a physiological benefit or provide protection against a chronic disease. Examples of Nutraceuticals include vitamins and minerals, protein supplements or herbal supplements. Functional foods are defined as conventional (or similar) food products that are consumed as part of a usual diet, and are demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond nutritional functions. 12 A familiar example of a functional food is oatmeal because it contains soluble fiber that can help lower cholesterol levels. Another example could be orange juice that's been fortified with calcium for bone health Health Canada. (2002). Policy Paper Nutraceuticals/Functional Foods and Health Claims on Foods. 12 Ibid. 47 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

57 As a result of the breadth of the food processing industry and growing consumer demand, there are a number of companies with roots in traditional food processing activities that are engaged or are exploring opportunities to engage in the broader functional foods and nutraceuticals context. The convergence between traditional industries and the functional foods and nutraceuticals trend is coming primarily from the collaboration between the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and the food processing industry. These industries bring a number of key specialties that apply to the delivery of functional foods and nutraceuticals based products. Generally speaking, food processing companies understand that they lack the full scale or profile of capabilities required to become a full-service nutraceutical or functional food company and so seek those capabilities. As such, food processors in Ontario that are involved in functional foods or nutraceuticals are often seeking locations that provide a blend of those capabilities. For Bradford West Gwillimbury these opportunities are close to being realized. As noted above, the Holland Marsh provides for a variety of product development opportunities one of which can include the growth of nutraceutical or functional food ingredients. The Highway 400 Employment area offers the potential for new research and development capacity to support these advancements in value-added foodprocessing. Materials Manufacturing Canada ranks among the world s top chemicals and plastics manufacturing countries, offering an industry that is fully supported by secure access to abundant and lowpriced raw materials along with an integrated physical infrastructure that facilitates easy access to feedstock, ensures speedy transportation to market and brings cost savings to manufacturers. In 2013, Canada s chemicals and plastics production was valued at more than $73 billion 13, with exports totalling nearly $40 billion in 2013, and contributions of up to $19 billion to the country s GDP. Chemicals, metals and plastics companies (materials manufacturing) in Canada are part of an integrated value chain with diverse strengths that are closely tied to other key sectors. Expertise and competitive strengths in basic and specialty chemicals, along with high activity and demand for supplies, equipment, and technology by Canada s natural resource development, construction, and advanced manufacturing industries translate into continued growth and opportunities in this industry. Materials manufacturing is an important engine of Bradford West Gwillimbury s economy. It has grown over the past two decades at times twice as fast as other manufacturing businesses. As well, it has been less cyclical than some other sectors as plastic, chemical, and metal materials are now used in such a broad range of endproducts. Materials Manufacturing Value Chain 13 Industry Canada. Trade Data Online, Trade by Industry, NAICS 325 and NAICS 3261 (2013). 48 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

58 Similar to the agricultural value chain, the value chain associated with materials manufacturing is also complex. The value chain can be grouped into two categories; primary and secondary activities. Different sectors and subsectors can be attributed to each phase of the chain based on NAICS codes. In the value chain, there are five primary activities and five secondary activities, as outlined in Figure 25. FIGURE 25: MATERIALS MANUFACTURING VALUE CHAIN WITH NAIC CODES Raw Materials Suppliers Producers Compounders Machinery Converters 2122 Ore Mining 2123 Mineral Mining 2123 All Other Non-metallic Mineral Mining 3252 Resin and Synthetic Manufacturing 3251 Chemical Manufacturing 3331 Metal Machinery Manufacturing 3333 Plastics and Rubber Machinery Manufacturing 3335 Industrial Mould Manufacturing 3261 Plastic Product Manufacturing 3323 Fabricated Structural Manufacturing 3326 Fabricated Wire Product Manufacturing R & D Design Education and Training Standards, Testing and Regulation Marketing and Distributors Waste Management 5416 Management, scientific, and Technical Consulting Services Scientific Research and Development Services 6112 Community Colleges and CEGEPs 6113 Universities 6114 Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 5413 Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services Scientific Research and Development Services 5411 Legal Services Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services 5419 Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 5621 Waste Collection 5622 Waste Treatment and Disposal 5629 Material Recovery Facilities 6115 Technical and Trade Schools 5412 Accounting and Payroll Services Sources: Adapted from Foreign Affairs Trade and Development Canada Chemicals and Plastics Outlook Report by MDB Insight, The processes associated with the primary stream are linear. Raw materials suppliers supply the chemical feedstock and ore/minerals; producers manufacture the different types of resins required for materials; compounders prepare chemical formulations by mixing or blending polymers and additives into process ready pellets; machinery manufacturers produce the machinery for the industry; and converters complete the product. 49 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

59 Similar to agriculture, those associated with the secondary stream are less linear, interconnecting with the primary stream at different points and also interacting with each other. For example, waste management companies including recyclers are heavily involved in research and development design on how to safely dispose material waste. Materials Manufacturing in Bradford West Gwillimbury Materials manufacturers in Bradford West Gwillimbury claim their stock of plastic and fabrication activities to be green in nature. Highlighting the plastics and metals industry as a pioneer to the blue box; noting that many of its products can be recycled and remanufactured; and as a substitute for glass and paper, plastics help cut transportation costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Globally, materials manufacturing are an industry that can drive innovation, technology, and knowledge jobs of the future 14. Bradford West Gwillimbury manufactures note innovation is central to their products and is the primary reason they continue to thrive. However, innovation comes at a price that many manufacturers feel Bradford West Gwillimbury has ill-prepared for. Ongoing challenges noted by material manufacturers include: The need for consisting improvement in broadband infrastructure across the industrial parks The pressure of residential growth encroaching on industrial buffer zones adding pressure to future growth plans The availability and cost of utilities, heavy materials manufacturing requires an adequate amount of water usage The need for unobstructed transportation routes to safely remove hazardous waste from any chemical based manufacturing activity Additionally, when manufacturers were asked about the availability of labour and business support, several interests aligned with the need to understand the available labour force pool (both available skilled and semi-skilled) across Simcoe County and York Region. As for business support, many manufacturers believe the Town focuses on capturing the big guy spending time and energy to attract a large employer and not concentrating on nurturing the current employers in town. Only recently through the Community Improvement Plan and Business Retention and Expansion program have employers begun to notice an attempt to support businesses, still many feel that there needs to be a continual effort and outreach with assistance. As for opportunities, several manufacturers were interested in attracting small complimentary firms into the industrial parks. Supporting firms of note include technology and smaller advanced manufacturing and niche based and custom 14 Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Invest in Canada. 50 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

60 manufacturing operations. However, these in-demand firms cannot locate in town because of the lack of suitable building space or land. Looking ahead, however, as new strategically located employment lands come on stream, there are considerable growth opportunities for the materials manufacturing sector. The next section introduces several emerging materials manufacturing opportunities. Emerging Materials Manufacturing Opportunities Materials manufacturing encompasses a range of highly innovative and technologically advanced activities. Appreciating the sophistication of the manufacturing activities already present in Bradford West Gwillimbury, the potential for growth in this industrial area is considerable. This is important for Bradford West Gwillimbury because tomorrow s materials manufacturing operations provide for highly skilled and quality employment opportunities. By definition materials manufacturing is a multidisciplinary sector relying on fields such as engineering, chemistry, and physics. This sector also transcends a number of technology areas (e.g. additive manufacturing, nanomaterials, or electronics) and economic sectors (e.g. ground transportation, aerospace, alternative energy). The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) established by the United Kingdom Federal Government, subdivides advanced materials manufacturing into four broad categories. These include: structural, functional, multifunctional, and biomaterial. Further, the TSB defines a number of cross-cutting themes and initiatives that underpin the sector, such as nanomaterials, modelling and design of new materials and products, metrology and performance standards, and process technologies and manufacturing. Based on those categories and themes, a number of individual technology areas can be identified. These areas have broad market applicability, which present opportunity for local industry. A number of leading edge examples include: Smart and multifunctional materials Coating and joining technologies Fibre and textile based technologies Natural and bio-based materials Materials with reduced environmental impact or enhanced reusability properties The range of uses for these technologies is seemingly endless in domestic and international markets. In fact, these technologies have the potential to radically reshape the way we live and interact with the built environment. To this end, scholars of radical or disruptive innovation note the exponential uptake and deployment of new technologies to improve existing products or create new products all together. This evolution of manufacturing outputs demands a closer relationship between research and development activities and manufacturing processes. In other words, as manufacturing operations advance to incorporate these new technologies, they will require more hands-on technical expertise to oversee and improve day-to-day operations. Accordingly, tomorrow s materials manufacturing operations will demand more highly skilled professionals with advanced degrees from a variety of disciplines. This bodes well for Bradford West Gwillimbury s local employment opportunities as it continues to support and grow its roster of materials manufacturers. 51 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

61 4.4.2 Transportation, Logistics, and Warehousing Global public and private transportation entities are in a race to meet the demands of population growth and infrastructure improvements in a sustainable and cost-effective manner. According to Statistics Canada, GDP in the transportation and warehousing sector increased from $62.5 billion in 2007 to $68.5 billion in Trucking in Canada is a $65 billion industry that employs over 260,000 drivers and somewhere in the order of 400,000 Canadians overall. It is a diverse industry made up of a few large companies, but dominated by thousands of small and medium-sized businesses and independent owner-operators. Trucks move 90% of all consumer products and foodstuffs within Canada and almost two thirds, by value, of Canada s trade with the United States. The North American just-in-time inventory system is built around the truck. Canada's railway network is the fifth largest in the world and handles the fourth largest volume of goods in the world. Rail is a significant contributor to Canada's balance of payment gains from the movement of imports from third party countries through Canadian ports into the United States by rail. According to the Railway Association of Canada, rail moves over 74 million people and more than 70 percent of total Canadian non-local surface goods every year, relieving road congestion and limiting harmful emissions. Rail employs roughly 34,000 people and supports an additional 60,000 direct and indirect Rail supplier jobs. In the context of rail access, it is important to note that Bradford West Gwillimbury s businesses do not utilize rail for the movement of cargo; although, there is the potential for future access and use given the existing infrastructure. Stakeholder consultations with local businesses and supporting data arguments suggest that transportation, logistics and warehousing have a promising opportunity in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Transportation, Logistics, and Warehousing Value Chain Unlike other more traditional sectors of the economy outlined above, the transportation, warehousing, and logistics sector is more of a service-based sector, or an enabler of other sectors. As such, the sector does not necessarily have a similar linear structure to its value chain. Instead, the transportation, warehousing, and distribution sector is integrated with other value chains to enable the movement of goods and the management of domestic or global supply chains. This integration of transportation, warehousing, and logistics with other industry value chains is illustrated in Figure 26. The transportation, logistics, and warehousing sector plays a key role at all stages of the industry value chain, offering both forward (e.g. delivery, wholesale distribution) and reverse (e.g. retail returns) transportation and logistical support to businesses and consumers. Underlying the process is an increasingly knowledge-based and technical 15 As of May MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

62 field of the sector, offering outsourced management and delivery of services to coordinate and operate an industry s value chain, from sourcing and transporting raw materials, to managing inventories, customizing products and packaging, and managing consumer returns. FIGURE 26: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, AND WAREHOUSING SECTOR INVOLVEMENT IN INDUSTRY VALUE CHAINS Source: Adapted from Deutshce Post (DHL) by MDB Insight Instead of a linear value chain, the transportation, warehousing, and logistics sector is better visualized in a pyramid structure. This would include core transportation, warehousing, and logistics companies at the top of the pyramid, supported by an increasing range of firms providing products or services directly to those industries from other industry sectors, and a broad range of institutional and industry support organizations that provide enabling services to the entire industry. Figure 27 illustrates a simplified visualization of the transportation, warehousing, and logistics sector along with a definition of NAICS for each level. 53 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

63 FIGURE 27: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS, AND WAREHOUSING SECTOR COMPOSITION WITH NAIC CODES Core Industries Peripheral Industries Industry Support 41 Wholesale trade and distribution 4811 Scheduled air transportation 4812 Non-scheduled air transportation 4821 Rail transportation 4831 Deep sea, coastal, and Great Lakes water transportation 4832 Inland water transportation 4841 General freight trucking 4842 specialized freight trucking 486 Pipeline transportation 488 Support activities for transportation 4911 Postal services 4921 Couriers 4922 Local messengers and local delivery 4931 Warehousing and storage 3339 Other general-purpose machinery manufacturing 3361 Motor vehicle manufacturing 3362 Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing 3363 Motor vehicle parts manufacturing 3363 Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 3365 Railroad rolling stock manufacturing 3366 Ship and boat building 3369 Other transportation equipment manufacturing 5112 Software publishers 5415 Computer systems design and related services 5416 Management, scientific, and technical consulting services 6112 Community colleges and CEGEPs 6113 Universities 6114 Business schools and computer management training 6115 Technical and trade schools 6116 Other schools and instruction 8133 Social advocacy organizations 8139 Business, professional, labour, and other membership organizations Transportation, Logistics and Warehousing in Bradford West Gwillimbury 54 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

64 As previously outlined, the town is strategically located with access to Highway 400. It is also in close proximity to Highway 404. These highways connect to one of North America s largest trucking routes. The town is also served by a rail line with regular CNR access. Business patterns data further validates the Town s strategic position. The Town is home to over 100 transportation and warehousing businesses 16 which grows to over 350 businesses when accounting for firms dedicated to peripheral activity and industry support (Figure 28). Currently, most of the sector s business activity is characterized by small to medium sized businesses in particular general freight trucking firms. FIGURE 28: TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS AND WAREHOUSING VALUE CHAIN Total Without employees Total, with employees Core Industries Peripheral Industries Industry Support Total 369 Percentage of Total Businesses 13.7% Source: Canadian Business Patterns, June Adapted by MDB Insight The total number of transportation, logistics and warehousing businesses is expected to grow once the Bradford West Gwillimbury Strategic Settlement Employment Area comes online. The Highway 400 Employment Area presents the Town with the greatest opportunity in advancing its transportation, logistics and warehousing industry. Portions of the Highway 400 employment lands have been designated for large transportation, warehousing and logistic activities. With quick access to air, rail and truck routes and the potential of a 400 and 404 link, these lands will further improve on the Town s strategic location for transportation, warehousing and logistic firms. Industry support will also play a key role in the development and expansion of the sectors. Though the profile of in-town post-secondary support for the industry may be limited, institutions in surrounding areas like Barrie and Toronto can offer potential connections to workforce development and research programming to support the sector. From both an industry innovation and workforce development perspective, these institutions represent high priority potential partners for Bradford West Gwillimbury and its business community in the transportation, logistics, and warehousing sector. Postsecondary institutions in Simcoe County have taken innovative approaches to offer a range of certificate, diploma, and degree programs to meet current and forecasted occupational demands. With a forecasted demand for transportation, logistics and warehousing expertise along Highway 400 communities, the Town is well positioned to attract related investment Canadian Business Patterns, June MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

65 Emerging Sector Opportunities When considering the local market potential for transportation, logistics, and warehousing in Bradford West Gwillimbury, it may be tempting to discount this sector s potential to generate meaningful and quality employment. Traditional warehousing activities, for example, are not typically considered an innovative sector supportive of these types of jobs. And yet, warehousing and the entire the logistics industry is going through a time of rapid and unprecedented transformation. The future of logistics is paved with innovation and technology. The adoption of new technology within the industry and changing patterns of world economic activity are revolutionizing supply chains. This will impact the way the industry operates and the types of skills required to support it. Technology, such as automation and robotics is improving the efficiency and speed of delivery, but this sector faces a future where it needs a better-skilled workforce operating smarter and more efficiently. Over the longer term, drones and driverless cars, programmed and directed by remote operators will support increasing tight just-in-time delivery windows to support industry and retail consumers. Importantly for Bradford West Gwillimbury, this evolution of the sector will require more hands-on technical expertise to oversee and improve day-to-day operations. Accordingly, tomorrow s transportation, logistics, and warehousing operations will demand an array of skilled professionals which is well beyond the current labour demands of the sector. Looking ahead, Bradford West Gwillimbury may position itself as a leading edge logistics hub. Once again, this requires seeking out new investments that are centred on these leading edge opportunities rather than on traditional models. 4.5 Local Business Growth and Entrepreneurship In light of the preceding discussion, it is important to acknowledge that while the attraction of external investment should be an important activity for any local economic development initiative, it should not be the central focus. Decades of research have clearly demonstrated that only a fraction of new job creation and economic activity is generated by external investment. Accordingly continued business expansion and retention (BR+E) efforts are considered paramount to increase local employment. Beyond broad based BR+E initiatives, research has pinpointed the age and size of firms which have the highest potential to generate employment. To this end, the 2010 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) entitled, Who Creates Jobs? Small vs. Large vs. Young highlights the importance of small, young firms in job creation. Given Bradford West Gwillimbury s desire to stimulate local job creation, there is a robust case for increasing local supports for entrepreneurship. The town is attracting a relatively large proportion of new Canadians. As of 2011, over 20% of Bradford West Gwillimbury s population was composed of first generation Canadians. These new Canadians often carry a range of technical skills, formal education, financial resources, entrepreneurial ambitions, and international connections to support new-business growth. As of 2011, Bradford West Gwillimbury 56 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

66 was also home to 1,670 self-employed workers. This is just over one in ten members of the local workforce. At an industry level, the majority of these workers are involved in construction (with 420 workers). Professional scientific and technical services and educational services, however, also account for a sizeable share, with 195 and 65 workers respectively. These two sectors are illustrative of the increasingly prevalent areas of Canada s economy which focus on the creation of knowledge. These types of activities combine to create the knowledge-based economy or the creative economy which is predicated on the formulation of new ideas and to the application of these ideas to produce scientific inventions, technological innovations, and other original works. It is these types of businesses which are re-shaping the global economy and offer the greatest potential for wealth creation. Given the potential for new ideas and new businesses to generate employment, what does the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Bradford West Gwillimbury look like? Simply put, the ecosystem is rather limited. There are regional support structures which have a limited presence in Bradford West Gwillimbury, such as the Greater Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre and Nottawasaga Futures, but generally speaking local and regional programs and services are biased towards supporting established enterprises. Specifically, notable weaknesses or gaps in the local entrepreneurship ecosystem include: Entrepreneurship education Lack of start-up support Relatively low rates of youth retention Limited municipal funding for entrepreneurs; The Greater Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre receives funding, but there is minimal in community presence and limited outreach to support uptake Lack of programs to support developing business skills, like human resource management, sales, and marketing Lack of post-secondary institutions Taken together, there is insufficient focus on promoting new and successful high growth firms. Moving forward, Bradford West Gwillimbury needs to enhance its existing programs and coordinate their transition toward a more sophisticated structure for nurturing and expanding knowledge-based entrepreneurs. During this transition it is important to recognize that agencies and organizations focused on more knowledge-based areas of the economy like incubation, commercialization, or financing can suffer from a lack of community understanding, particularly if not geographically based in the community. The lack of understanding of these agencies and organizations may be compounded by the seeming departure from what the Town has previously focused on, and their immediate impacts often more intangible than tangible - may not necessarily be recognizable by the same metrics previously used (e.g. jobs, tax revenues). Nevertheless, resourcing these types of community resources to support entrepreneurship is critical as the Town endeavours to 57 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

67 bridge the gap between traditional areas of economic strength and new areas of economic opportunity. Without these types of supports, the transition of a local economy into new strategic directions is difficult. Within Ontario there are examples of communities with traditional strengths in agriculture and manufacturing which have embraced the promise of entrepreneurship to drive their economies forward. Those communities seldom go it alone. Instead they tap into regional support structures and leverage provincial funding. On this latter point, there are leading practices to study. Niagara Region continues to transition its economy away from traditional strengths (like manufacturing and agriculture) into emerging areas of opportunity in green energy, life sciences, biomaterials, and advanced manufacturing. A number of organizations have assembled to create an ecosystem that supports that transition, including Innovate Niagara, BioLinc, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre, area CFDCs, and the Niagara Industrial Association. Even with that emerging level of support, the ecosystem members still recognized gaps in available support, particularly related to early-stage funding. In order to address these gaps, Venture Niagara has worked in partnership with these organizations extensively over the last several years to build the Niagara Angel Network (NAN). NAN is a member based, not-for-profit corporation for accredited investors who live, work, or have a strong interest in Southern Ontario communities or young companies primed for growth. Since 2011, 25 NAN members have made cumulative investments of $3.3 million in 11 companies, raising $22.6 million in equity and attracting $5.2 million in total government funding 17. Given the parallels between Simcoe County and Niagara region, there are likely opportunities for Bradford West Gwillimbury to learn from the work done by Venture Niagara. Throughout the preceding discussion the need for increased resources and programs has been established. And yet in an era of austerity, local policymakers are being pressured to slash budgets and reduce investment risk. Capital improvement expenditures to maintain roads and water systems are seen as necessary, but investing in softer infrastructure like training facilities or business incubators is often deemed as a luxury. In light of the prevailing research on the fundamental importance of public investment to drive innovation and associated business growth, this popular view is misguided and uninformed. This view should be superseded by the understanding that investment in a community s softer infrastructure is fundamental to stimulating local economic growth. In other words, without business supporting organizations, the potential for local innovation and related economic prosperity is severely limited. This is not the time to pull back public investment in these areas; instead it is time to increase public commitment to leading innovations and direction setting. 17 Niagara Angel Network. (2013). Fiscal Report November 1, 2012 to October 31, MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

68 59 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

69 5 Future Directions for Economic Development The Critical Path Through the consultation and research activities conducted for this project, a series of principles have been articulated by Town Council, and hence adopted by the consulting team, to guide the setting of priorities. These priorities directly support the objectives outlined in Council s Strategic Plan. 60 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

70 5.1 Critical Path Steps for Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Capacity Tools and Resources Local Business and Entrepreneur Growth Strategic Development Investment Attraction Critical Path Step #1 - Economic Development Capacity It is one thing to be open for business. It is another thing to be open and ready for business. Good customer services will leave a positive impression, build and enhance business relationships, land deals for new development and ensure future referrals. Across Canada there are communities with processes in place to ensure excellence in client management and customer service for potential new investors and existing businesses. The Town of Ajax, Ontario, for example, invented Ajax Priority Path 18, which uses a team of professionals to personally help companies navigate through the site plan approval process. Customers enjoy expedited site plan and building approvals, enabling them to fast-track their business plans. While larger communities tend to invest more resources to be investment ready there are many examples of communities of similar size to Bradford West Gwillimbury, which are ready for business. The Township of North Grenville, Ontario for example, is a community of 15,000, which has adopted a client-focused initiative and become part of its investment-readiness measures. This approach has drawn accolades from Ottawabased developers, who are a key target market. Closer to home, Barrie has also resourced a rebranding and investment readiness effort to grow and diversify its economy. During the consultation process and community assessment, the Project Team identified a series of short-comings related to the Town s economic development capacity and state of investment readiness. With its existing staff, the Town s Economic Development Department struggles to balance the demands of supporting 18 Find more information at 61 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

71 the town s existing businesses with pro-active investment attraction activities. In the near term, with the guidance of a newly formed Economic Development Advisory Group, the Town s economic development department will focus its efforts in those areas with the greatest return on investment. A full description and terms of reference for the Economic Development Advisory Group is provided in the Appendix. In short, however, this Group will advise the Economic Development Department on strategic issues, programs, and policies from a local perspective. It will further assist in business outreach as members will leverage their contacts. The intent is for this Group to streamline the Economic Development Department s activities by prioritizing certain functions over others. In the medium term, Economic Development Advisory Group will also inform and support the formation of tailored investment readiness teams. These pre-defined teams composed of senior municipal staff, business representatives, and private development stakeholders allow for the efficient and effective response to serious investment inquiries. These teams expedite the process of development approvals through the efficiencies of having the right people in the same room at the same time. In this way potential development challenges are identified along with potential solutions even before an official application is submitted for municipal review. As the 400 Highway employment lands become marketable with servicing in place, it will be important for Bradford West Gwillimbury to move towards the Gold Standard of Investment Readiness. To inform this shift, a comprehensive investment readiness check list is provided in the Appendix. It is important to note that maintaining this standard will require additional staff time and resources. Aside from scaling back the Economic Development Department existing core functions, such as business retention and expansion initiatives, which is not recommended, the Town will need to increase its budget for economic development, associated marketing and communications. With this in mind, investments in these areas should be carefully considered in the context of Simcoe County s economic development mandate, functions, and capacity. The County of Simcoe has a level of economic development capacity and sophistication not present in Bradford West Gwillimbury. Simcoe County s economic development function is regional in scope. It has a research, marketing, and technical services mandate. Accordingly, the pooling of resources for marketing and investment attraction offers efficiencies from economies of scale. The challenge is that Simcoe County is responsible for supporting every one of its lower tier municipalities. This may result in an investment lead being assigned to another neighbouring municipality. Moving forward, it would be prudent for Bradford West Gwillimbury to leverage all available services provided by Simcoe County and foster an even stronger working relationship. There is no reason to duplicate efforts where there is no conflict of interest. The Town should, however, understand where the County cannot prioritize the needs or objectives of Bradford West Gwillimbury. In these areas the Town should assume a more pro-active stance. 62 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

72 Critical Path Step #2 - Tools and Resources To increase the Town s economic development capacity, and improve the effectiveness of its operations, this section outlines the need for a series tools and resources. At a strategic level, the Town would benefit from a single administrative centre. Consultation identified local challenges with current service delivery stemming from fragmentation. To this end, awareness and uptake of public programs and services is limited for both local residents and businesses. Potential users would benefit from a warm hand-off between referrals, which would be facilitated by a shared space. A single administrative centre would further support community awareness of available services. At present the Town has two Community Improvement Programs. Through public incentives, these programs encourage private investment in the Downtown and in the Reagans and Artesian industrial parks. To-date, these programs have experienced limited uptake. These programs are one of the Town s primary economic development tools. They channel community investment into those areas requiring attention and enhancement. They also differentiate Bradford West Gwillimbury as a jurisdiction with supportive business environment. In the near term, these CIPs may be reviewed with the objective of making them more accessible. With that said, the Town should maintain the strategic nature of these programs. As the re-vamped CIPs are formalized there will be the need for another round of outreach. Targeting specific industrial users should be a focus. Some industrial tenants require a certain level of hand-holding to ensure they not only understand the opportunity, but are supported through the development process. Communications and outreach is a core function of the Town. In an era of information over load, however, the Town must compete with increasingly sophisticated and pervasive private advertising and marketing channels. Cutting through the noise to communicate what can sometimes be considered a dull public service message is a tall order. Nevertheless, the Town must co-ordinate its communications efforts to reach specific audiences. A one size solution is rarely effective. In some cases, the most effective outreach is conducted in person or through direct telephone calls. Economic Development is sometimes called a contact sport. Virtual communications through s or website postings have their place, but there is no substitute for shaking somebody s hand, introducing yourself, and explaining what you can do to help. Maintaining a community presence and cultivating meaningful relationships with local businesses is a primary function of the Economic Development Department. Client Relationship Management (CRM) systems are essential to providing a consistent high standard of customer service. Every day, Town employees have conversations with residents, business owners or potential. Client relationship management is a set of business processes and underlying applications that helps manage all of the town s customer information, activities, and conversations. With CRM, the town s staff members, across a series of departments, have access to the latest information on a shared system. This allows for continuity and coordination of 63 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

73 service. At a minimum, the Economic Development Department needs to share information with the Town s Planning and Engineering Departments. The Town s Economic Development Website s content is generally up-to-date and reflective; although the look, feel, and user-friendliness of the website could be improved. Consideration should be given to a website refresh. At that time, the website s contents may be re-structured to highlight the town s impending employment lands and investment opportunities. The Economic Development Department currently benefits from advanced website analytics and traffic monitoring. At this stage, the Economic Development Department lacks sufficient capacity to monitor this traffic and act on associated investment leads. As the Town shifts its focus towards more investment attraction activities, this is an area worth fully resourcing. Critical Path Step #3 - Local Business Growth and Entrepreneurship The next step is continuing to foster a supportive business environment in which the town s existing businesses can grow and thrive. Recruitment as an economic development activity has its limitations. Many times, community leaders and the media are caught up in the excitement of luring new companies to their area, only to realize that they are replacing companies who have been 'lured' someplace else. Few people would argue with the assertion that existing businesses are important to the local economy. As described in the body of this report, (see section 4.5) decades of research have clearly demonstrated that only a fraction of new job creation and economic activity is generated by external investment. Accordingly continued business expansion and retention (BR+E) efforts are considered paramount to increase local employment. In this light, the Town is encouraged to continue with its BR+E efforts. To streamline the process, however, the Town may be more targeted in the types of businesses surveyed in any given year. Over time, the BR+E would rotate through different sectors or different pockets of businesses within Bradford West Gwillimbury. The Economic Development Advisory Group would be well positioned to direct these efforts. A related, but relatively underdeveloped, opportunity in Bradford West Gwillimbury is the potential to cultivate entrepreneurship. At present, there is insufficient focus on promoting new and successful high growth firms. Importantly, these are the firms which offer the greatest potential for creating local jobs. Moving forward, Bradford West Gwillimbury needs to enhance its existing programs and coordinate their transition toward a more sophisticated structure for nurturing and expanding knowledge-based entrepreneurs. During this transition it is important to recognize that agencies and organizations focused on more knowledge-based areas of the economy like incubation, commercialization, or financing can suffer from a lack of community understanding, particularly if not geographically based in the community. The lack of understanding of these agencies and organizations may be compounded by the seeming departure from what the Town has previously focused on. And yet, supporting 64 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

74 local entrepreneurship presents an immediate economic development opportunity. As described in section 4.5 it will be important to survey the existing regional and provincial programs to understand what explicit role the Town has to play. One such role is the provision of local incubation facilities for entrepreneurs 19. Converting a portion of the Bradford Community Centre to serve as a small business incubator should be considered. Critical Path Step #4 - Strategic Development Having outlined the specific programs and tactics to support the Town s economic development program, this section broaches the subject of strategic development. In many ways, economic development and community planning are two sides of the same coin. They are fundementally connected, each with a direct influence on Bradford West Gwillimbuy s quality of life and economic prosperity.in this context, there are several strategic areas of consideration including: Downtwon revitalization, tourism and community amenities, residential development and densities, and long range provincial lobbying and planning. Bradford West Gwillimbury s Downtown plays a central role in shaping the life of its residents and is a reflection of the town s traditions and aspirations. Bradford West Gwillimbury s Downtown, and associated quality of place, is the cornerstone of its value proposition to attract new residents and businesses alike. Accordingly, there must be a commitment to enhancing the standards of new developments and revitalizing those areas which have fallen behind. Investing in the Downtown is a necessity to ensuring the continued growth and prosperity of Bradford West Gwillimbury for generations to come. To this end, the Town has endorsed the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy. In June of 2015, the Downtown Revitalization Committee met to discuss and prioritize the action items within the Strategy. Over the next three years a series of critical actions will be taken to execute the Strategy. These activities are reflected as part of the Economic Development Strategy to reinforce their urgency and importance. Community consultation revealed a deep desire to increase Bradford West Gwillimbury s profile as a tourism destination. By all accounts, the Town provides a relative depth of community serving festivals and events, but the extent to which these 19 Business incubator defined: An organization designed to accelerate the growth and success of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services that could include physical space, capital, coaching, common services, and networking connections. Business accelerators defined: An organization that takes single-digit chunks of equity in externally developed ideas in return for small amounts of capital and mentorship. They re generally truncated into a three to four month program at the end of which the start-ups graduate. 65 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

75 may be considered regional or provincial attractions remains unclear. From an economic development perspective, encouraging local tourism is valuable, although it is particularly useful when tourism offerings can yield a direct economic return. For example, natural heritage attractions like the Scanlon Creek Conservation Area speak to an areas quality of life, but seldom inject new money into the local economy. On the other hand, hotels, accommodations, restaurants, and theaters have a direct impact. Looking ahead, the Town should look to grow its fledgling tourism economy. There are marketing opportunities associated with Bond Head as it represents a complete 19th Century hamlet with two pre-confederation hotels, and the Osler Church. The development of a local hotel or conference facility would also support the increased potential for sport tourism and business accommodation. In short, there are a number of tourism and cultural related opportunities facing Bradford West Gwillimbury. Undertaking a cultural mapping project would allow for a more systematic understanding these opportunities. After which point, the Town could leverage Simcoe County s considerable tourism development capacity to coordinate marketing and promotional activities. With respect to residential development there are a number of recommendations which may influence the Town s forthcoming Official Plan review. Single-detached homes define the majority of the local residential housing stock. As the town s population ages and their needs begin to change, there will be a need for more diverse residential options. Encouraging a broader range of housing densities, with varying price points will serve the town and its population well. Increased residential densities will also support the viability of public transit. In the same vein, encouraging more mixed land uses with residential and commercial/ retail fosters self-sustaining neighbourhoods. Relaxing building height restrictions in proximate areas to the Downtown would further support these objectives. Finally, it is important to ensure any future developments fully leverage and advance connections to the GO Train station. Bradford West Gwillimbury s current leadership has at least two aspirations objectives. The Town would like to advance the Bradford Bypass or Highway Highway 404 Extension Link and secure a local post-secondary bricks and mortar presence. Over the longer term, and beyond the scope of this Economic Development Strategy, both of these objectives may be achieved. Over the next five years, however, both of these objectives are unrealistic. The central challenge in both cases involves the provincial political landscape. The current provincial leadership simply has no appetite to fund the completion of the Bradford Bypass. Despite collective lobbying efforts by the Town and regional partners, this position has been communicated by the province. Accordingly, despite the economic merit of such a project, the Town s collective efforts on this front may be reserved until a new provincial government is formed. Securing a provincially supported post-secondary presence is a more complicated subject. In recent years, despite plans to create a series of new university campuses across Southern Ontario, the provincial government has changed course and moved to scale back funding for new developments and existing satellite campuses. Accordingly, despite Bradford West Gwillimbury s population growth and recognized demand for 66 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

76 local post-secondary programming the town is not well positioned to add a local postsecondary bricks and mortar presence in the next five years. In the interim, however, the Town should continue to support the Bradford Learning Centre and explore partnership opportunities with local education service providers. As part of the Official Plan review, the Town may consider reserving a major parcel of land for the longer term development of a post-secondary institution. Critical Path Step #5 - Investment Attraction An economic development strategy will only take a community a certain distance in terms of facilitating investment. Once that community has identified its strategic focus, it needs to concentrate on creating competitive infrastructure, services, and policies, while connecting to organizations that can support investments from external and internal stakeholders. In many ways, a community may not have a good sense of its investment readiness until opportunities present themselves. By that time, however, it may be too late to create and connect to the necessary structures to support the proposed project. While this Economic Development Strategy identifies three viable targets, a first step approach to investment readiness and attraction in Bradford West Gwillimbury is likely a focus towards broader targets that combine many of the elements that require an approach or support structures to encourage development. This will allow the Town to take a more flexible approach in investment attraction and investment readiness activities, focused on creating an environment receptive to the broad range of opportunities. Investment attraction activity since the completion of the previous plan indicates that the community continues to struggle with an approach to investment. There are perceptions that this struggle has resulted in missed opportunities over the years. When asked about priorities surrounding investment attraction efforts there was a division between who should be responsible for investment activities, in particular those activities that involved international agendas. As a member of Simcoe County, the Town is inherently a part of the County s investment attraction activities. However, by the nature of its operations, the County does not directly favour one of its municipalities over another when it comes to investment attraction and at times may not be aligned with similar targeted focuses that each of the municipalities might be identifying. From this perspective there is a need to outline a formalized approach or framework that will discuss how the Town will work together with external economic development partners such as the County and Nottawasaga Community Futures to support and facilitate investment attraction for the purposes of the Town s advancement. With the Highway 400 employment lands coming online by 2019, completing an industrial land strategy will be necessary for any investment attraction activities. An industrial land strategy will assist in ensuring planned industrial and commercial land resources have the necessary capacity and locational attributes to accommodate any 67 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

77 employment growth. The Official Plan and Growth Plan s policies are intended to ensure that the Highway 400 employment lands are planned for sufficient and appropriate capacity to meet local and regional demands, including the identification of sites for industrial and office development. Community Improvement Plans have been put in place to support business growth and investment within the Town s current industrial parks. An industrial land strategy will support the development and outreach of these programs/policies. Additionally, establishing strong linkages with key business leaders across industrial sectors will assist in building a portfolio of testimonials and a pipeline of lead identification and generation information. Bradford West Gwillimbury has excellent local business stories to tell. The Town s businesses are active participants in the day to day growth of the community and appreciate continual discussion around business growth and investment opportunities. Capturing insight is not a simple task, to do this effectively; the Town will need to work with organizations like the Board of Trade, Holland Marsh Growers Association, Simcoe County and the Nottawasaga Community Futures. If Bradford West Gwillimbury is to attract the residents, visitors and business investment it wants and needs, it must embrace more comprehensive communication techniques and technologies that will resonate with their business audience. Once the foundational elements in place, the Town can then take a targeted approach to investment attraction building on the sector and value chain analysis outlined previously in the report. Food processing, materials manufacturing, and transportation, logistics and warehousing each provide significant opportunities for the Town. As established industries with supporting assets, these target sectors require profiles that outline sector-specific data that can be applied to investment guides and other investment ready toolkits mentioned above. The importance of each of these profiles will also vary from sector to sector, and business to business. What forms a critical factor for investment in materials manufacturing may have minimal impact on location and investment decisions for food processing businesses. Thus, approaches to these profiles should strike a balance between more sector-specific improvements, like the growth of labour force skills relevant to manufacturing, or innovative research being conducted surrounding new type of crops grown in the Holland Marsh. In a similar vein, there is a growing trend towards branding of a community s economic development effort to more effectively market the Town to business, industry or future residents/employees. With the Town`s current branding materials approaching their ten year anniversary, there is a need to devise a more current and pro-active marketing campaign and community brand. This marketing campaign and brand should centre on supporting the town`s investment attraction efforts. The Town is already regarded as a good place to live, but its positioning as a good place to open a business may be improved. When considering the self-live of marketing campaigns, a three year turn-over is considered appropriate. The marketplace changes too quickly to maintain messaging for any longer. Using manufacturing as an example, there have been significant shifts 68 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

78 in Ontario manufacturing sector with the introduction of new products, policies and programs, a continued shift in the demographics of Ontario s labour force, and the proliferation of digital consumption and planning tools that enhance the way site selectors find information online. Moving forward, the Town will need to consider a marketing review process, in particular the type of environment it will be playing in once the Highway 400 employment lands come online. To stay ahead of that curve and to ensure its branding stays relevant, the Town will require better engagement with local operators, site selectors and investment information providers around the best tools needed for marketing activities. 69 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

79 70 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

80 6 Action Plans 6.1 Interpreting the Action Plans This series of action plans directly support the critical path described above. They should be interpreted in the following context. Timing and priority level In the actions tables to follow, the level of priority has been based on several criteria including: 1. The level of immediacy based on the Town s economic development objectives 2. The potential to contribute to the overall economic vitality and sustainability of Bradford West Gwillimbury 3. The resources required (i.e. the capacity to implement given the current state) 4. The logical sequence of actions, with each building from the last; in some cases, these are identified as separate steps to support the same overall action Each action item is assigned a timeframe and priority level. The timeframe may be understood as follows: Ongoing Short term within a year Medium term within 3 years Long term 3-5 years The level of priority denotes the sense of urgency and importance associated with each action. These terms may be understood as follows: Highest utmost importance High important Moderate moderate urgency Low limited urgency Budget Considerations Each of the action items is accompanied by budgetary considerations. These budgets are intended to inform resource requirements at a Town level, not a the department level. Accordingly, these budgets may be spread between different Town departments. For example, the costs associated with tourism product development may be shared by the Economic Development Office and Leisure Services. In other cases, Planning and Engineering may absorb the costs etc. 71 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

81 Performance Management Performance measures are tools to determine how well a job has been done using qualitative and quantitative information. The following reasons make it important to track activity and performance. Providing public accountability Assisting with human resources management Using results to improve performance Identifying the return on investment An effective economic development office must measure and communicate these results. Below each action plan, presented below, are two performance metrics. These performance metrics were selected by Town Council during a working session on October 13, Despite Council s input, it is recommended that the Economic Development Department carefully consider each metric before their application. Questions to consider: Is there enough information to consistently inform this metric over time? Are there enough resources to consistently monitor the metric? Does the metric effectively demonstrate the success or failure of the action? If any of these questions cannot be answered with a definite yes than the Economic Development Department should notify Council and consider a different measure. 6.2 Action Plans Critical Path Step #1 - Economic Development Capacity Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 1. Establish an Economic Development Advisory Group (EDAG) (See preliminary terms of reference in Appendix A) Bradford Board of Trade Internal staff time; meeting space; travel honorarium Highest 2. Increase the frequency of Economic Development Activity reporting to Town Council, but reduce the volume Town Council; EDAG Internal staff time High of information presented. Quarterly Reporting may be tied directly to the actions items within this Strategy. In collaboration with the EDAG and Town Council three to five performance metrics may be selected to be consistently monitored and reported. 3. Update and maintain a detailed source of community data including skills inventory, a community profile, labour market statistics and up to date business BWG Planning Dept; Simcoe County; Workforce Internal staff time Moderate 72 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

82 Critical Path Step #1 - Economic Development Capacity Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L directory. Ongoing updates should be provided Planning Board(s) (minimum semi-annually for all but Skills Inventory which is annual) 4. Update and maintain a vacant land and storefront inventory BWG Planning Dept; Simcoe Cty Internal staff time Moderate 5. Update and maintain a shovel ready development land inventory BWG Planning Dept; Simcoe County Internal staff time Moderate 6. Work towards the gold standard of investment readiness (investment readiness check list is provided in the Appendix) BWG Planning Dept; Communications Dept; IT Dept; EDAG; Simcoe County Itemized budgets reflected in related actions High 7. Task the Development Applications Review Team with suggesting improvements to the industrial development BWG Planning Dept Internal staff time High review process. Improvements should reflect best practices from the residential development review process. 8. Prepare "ready to go" collateral material to expedite customer service BWG Planning Dept; Communications Dept; Simcoe County Internal staff time $2-3,000 for contracted design services; $3,000 for production Moderate 9. Ensure direct contact information (office phone, cell phone, and address) for primary economic Communications Dept; IT Dept. Internal staff time High development contact is attached to all collateral materials, signatures, relevant web-pages 10. Create expedited service channels and process to serve urgent cases BWG Planning Dept; EDAG Internal staff time High 11. Develop one or more investment readiness teams with a one team Bradford West Gwillimbury approach to investment attraction efforts. Once an opportunity is identified the Town should know who the local BWG Planning Dept; BWG Engineering Dept; EDAG Internal staff time High stakeholders are in the community and region that need to be brought into the room. 12. Identify service process and time expectation along with BWG Planning Internal staff time Moderate 73 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

83 Critical Path Step #1 - Economic Development Capacity Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L encouraging transparency with Town processes Dept; BWG Engineering Dept; EDAG 13. Establish regular meeting intervals with the County of Simcoe s Economic Development leadership Simcoe County Internal staff time High Potential Performance Metrics Number of companies that have expanded and been retained Jobs created (i.e. full-time, part-time, contract, seasonal) due to new businesses and start-ups, business relocation and existing businesses expanding Critical Path Step #2 - Tools and Resources Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 14. Examine the feasibility of a single administrative centre BWG Planning Dept; BWG Engineering Dept $20,000 for a feasibility study Moderate 15. Track communication and project work with investors, stakeholders and the business community through a customer relationship management system BWG Planning Dept; BWG Engineering Dept; Communications Dept; Mayor s office; CAO s office $40-$50,000 for setup; $4,000- $5,000 annual fee High 16. Undertake a review of leading practices for investment attraction-oriented web design, and consider options for redesign of economic development website for alignment with leading practices, particularly the accommodation of new externally-oriented marketing content and materials, IT Dept; Simcoe County $20,000 for contracted web design services and leading practice study Moderate mobile applications, and town branding 17. Conduct website monitoring a lead follow-up activities Y-Factor Inc or similar service provider Set-up complete; annual fee $5,000 Moderate Potential Performance Metrics Overall take-up of each CIP program and the number of unsuccessful applications Total amount of private-sector investment that resulted from CIP program incentives 74 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

84 Critical Path Step #3 - Local Business Growth and Entrepreneurship Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 18. Engage regular communications with existing businesses, maintain on-going dialogues and develop a business culture within the town Bradford Board of Trade; Greater Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre Internal staff time Moderate 19. Conduct a sector specific business BR+E survey (different sector each year). Nottawasaga Futures Internal staff time High 20. Implement the recommendations from the manufacturing Internal staff time Highest business retention and expansion program; follow-up with businesses considering expansion 21. Conduct a local assessment of the local entrepreneurship ecosystem of collection of programs and services available to support startups. Simcoe County; venturelab; Greater Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre Internal staff time or contracted review services; $10,000 Moderate 22. Leverage partnerships to encourage businesses to create additional opportunities for co-op placements and apprenticeships. These placements should support regional training, secondary, and post-secondary programs. Workforce Planning Board of York Region and Bradford West Gwillimbury; Georgian College; Seneca College Internal staff time Moderate 23. Promote a business culture that strives to employ local residents. Investigate and support initiatives that connect local residents with local job opportunities (local job boards and local job aggregator) WDB of York Region and Bradford West Gwillimbury; Simcoe County; Simcoe Muskoka WDB Internal staff time Moderate 24. Engage local and regional partners to enhance identified gaps in local entrepreneurial programs and services Simcoe County; venturelab; Greater Barrie Small Business Enterprise Centre Internal staff time Moderate 25. Examine the feasibility of converting an existing community building into a small business incubator, or business accelerator in Bradford West Gwillimbury, composed of co-working spaces, shared meeting $20,000 for a feasibility study and business plan Moderate spaces, shared administrative and support functions, and education and training spaces, aimed at providing support to start-up and small knowledge-based or 75 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

85 Critical Path Step #3 - Local Business Growth and Entrepreneurship Action creative businesses Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 26. Promote local brands whenever possible Communications Dept; Mayor s office; CAO s office Annual $5,000 for print marketing materials; local advertising Low 27. Source Town purchases from local retailers Purchasing Dept Low 28. Encourage community-based joint marketing initiatives, such as local shopping campaigns, cross-marketing Bradford Board of Trade Internal staff time Low between businesses, traditional and online media programs 29. Initiate a crowdsourcing initiative for Bradford West Gwillimbury to raise money for small businesses and community development projects. Work with local groups and high schools to identify projects that will facilitate Bradford Board of Trade; Simcoe County; Local School Boards Internal staff time Low economic activity, assist with the revitalization of the Downtown and foster community pride. 30. Resource local job monitoring platform / technology (Vicinity Jobs) York Region Workforce Planning Board; Contact South Simcoe $5,000 annual fee Moderate Potential Performance Metrics Amount of private investment leveraged from public investment Dollar value of public investment in development projects Critical Path Step #4 - Strategic Development Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 31. Resource and execute the Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy Implementation Workplan Engineering Dept; Planning Dept; Leisure services Step 1 - $80,000 Steps 2 & 3 - $3.5 million Highest 32. Continue to support the attraction of major events, including associated temporary and pop-up retail and food service uses in the Downtown Leisure services; Regional Tourism Organization (RTO) 7; Bradford Board of Trade; Internal staff time Moderate 76 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

86 Critical Path Step #4 - Strategic Development Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L Simcoe County 33. Undertake a comprehensive cultural resources mapping exercise guided by the new definitions of cultural resources. 34. Complete a tourism and cultural strategic plan Leisure services $15,000 Moderate Leisure services $30,000 Moderate 35. Develop tourism website content dedicated to local culture, tourism and lifestyle experience Leisure services; (RTO) 7; Bradford Board of Trade; Simcoe County; Communications Dept. $20,000 Moderate 36. Introduce minimum density requirements for large scale developments 37. Encourage more mixed use commercial and residential developments within the Official Plan 38. Encourage community walkability between residential and commercial / retail developments with rigid site plan guidelines. Planning Dept Internal staff time Moderate Planning Dept Internal staff time Moderate Planning Dept Internal staff time Moderate 39. Support the Bradford Learning Centre and explore partnership opportunities with local education service providers 40. Investigate opportunities to connect with post-secondary institutions in the surrounding region, Barrie to improve access to professional education and training programs in the town 41. Work with local economic developers and stakeholders in industry and development to develop feasibility and economic development impact studies to justify expansion of key infrastructure across the region and to key employment areas of development potential, including: Broadband Internet Regional transit *Confirm current funding Internal staff time Simcoe County; York Region; Newmarket; Western Ontario Warden's Caucus High Moderate Low 42. Develop a policy and business case for including Planning Dept; Internal staff time High 77 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

87 Critical Path Step #4 - Strategic Development Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L installation of fibre conduit as part of applicable and York Region appropriate municipal infrastructure projects, such as road (re)construction and water / wastewater projects. Examine the York Region Broad Band Strategy and similar municipal strategies to inform policy development. POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE METRICS Number of issues resolved that impact downtown revitalization Number of new infill projects Critical Path Step #5 - Investment Attraction Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 43. Draft a policy for business investment and attraction in Bradford West Gwillimbury that outlines a formalized approach and framework for supporting and facilitating EDAG; Town Council; Simcoe County Internal staff time High new business investment and attraction, as well as objectives for investment attraction and decision making criteria aimed at achieving the best longer term outcomes for the town 44. Present draft investment and attraction policy for approval at Town council as a means of validating and generating support for the Town s pursuit of new business investment and attraction EDAG Internal staff time High 45. Promote new business investment and attraction policy on Town s website, and develop investor-oriented tools to guide applications through the development review and approval process (e.g. process flow charts for potential developments in target sectors, identification of meetings between developers and internal project team) Planning Dept; Communications Dept $2-3,000 for contracted design services (process flow charts, P&D budget) High 46. Continue to monitor and engage with regional activities focused on investment attraction in the industrial sectors Simcoe County Travel costs for tradeshows Moderate of the economy, including joint attendance and coordination of sector-specific or regionally important tradeshows 78 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

88 Critical Path Step #5 - Investment Attraction Action Potential Partners Budget Considerations Priority Timing O S M L 47. As part of secondary planning activities for the Highway 400/88 employment lands, complete an industrial land strategy to ensure that planned industrial and commercial land resources have the necessary capacity Planning Dept. Internal staff time; consulting services $100,000 High and locational attributes to accommodate future employment growth and encourage investment attraction 48. As part of secondary planning activities for the Highway 400/88 employment lands identify suitable lands for the long term siting of training facilities (eg. post-secondary campus). Planning Dept. Internal staff time; (see action above above for external consulting costs) High 49. Establish stronger linkages with key business leaders in the industrial sectors of the economy to establish a Bradford Board of Trade; EDAG Internal staff time High stronger pipeline for lead identification and generation based on local business relationships 50. Collect testimonials from key business leaders in target sectors focused on Bradford West Gwillimbury as a Bradford Board of Trade; EDAG Internal staff time High choice business location 51. Establish brief sector profiles outlining sector-specific demographic and economic data and sector/supply chain $20,000 for sector profiles High structures/specializations in Bradford West Gwillimbury 52. Work with regional partners, Simcoe County, and Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Simcoe County; DFATD Internal staff time High (DFATD) to target industrial investment attraction and lead generation activities in the identified target sectors 53. Encourage food producers and processors to conduct educational workshops within the community that can connect opportunities between crop development, within Holland Marsh and the farms surrounding Bradford West Gwillimbury, and market demand Simcoe County; Local food processors; farmers; Holland Marsh Growers Association Internal staff time Moderate 54. Develop a marketing review process in tandem with the development of marketing programs (including Branding initiatives) to ensure its marketing messages and tools remain on message and relevant Internal staff time $15,000 for branding $25,000 for marketing strategies High 79 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

89 POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE METRICS Amount of vacant, shovel ready industrial lands Number of industrial sector investment inquiries and follow-up calls to understand why investment did not occur. 80 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

90 81 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

91 Appendix Materials Appendix A: Economic Development Advisory Group Preliminary Terms of Reference Mission The Economic Development Advisory Group is established to provide a forum for local economic development discussions that will support and enhance the Town s economic development programs. The overarching goals of the Economic Development Advisory Group are to: assist with the implementation of the strategic plan by streamlining economic development activity by prioritizing certain functions over others; strategically position Bradford West Gwillimbury within the marketplace to attract new investment, retain and expand local investment; and, foster an environment of prosperity and opportunity for the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, its municipal partners, residents, and businesses. Roles and Responsibilities It is the responsibility of all appointed members to comply with: the Town s Accessible Customer Services and Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation policies; the Town s Respectful Workplace Policy; the Town s Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Policies; the Town s Procedural By-law; and, the Municipal Act, 2001, Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and any other applicable by-laws, policies and provincial and federal legislation. The Committee is an advisory committee and does not have any delegated authority. No individual member or the Committee as a whole has the authority to make direct representations of the Town to Federal or Provincial Governments, third party organizations or other municipalities. This Committee has no purchasing or procurement responsibilities or authority. Members shall abide by the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and shall disclose any pecuniary interest to the Committee Coordinator and absent himself or herself from meeting for the duration of the discussion and voting (if any) with respect to that matter. Activities The following represent the general activities of the Committee: A. To advise the Office of Economic Development on strategic issues, programs, and policies from a local perspective. 82 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

92 B. To foster effective and enhanced communication between the OED, local and regional partners, and local businesses, to enrich regional and local economic development. C. To assist stakeholders to work cooperatively to deliver effective economic development services in Bradford West Gwillimbury. D. To provide a forum for discussion and coordination of economic development initiatives and programs. E. To provide and receive relevant economic development information and statistics to members. F. To encourage regional thinking in the context of local decision making. G. To support local autonomy while emphasizing that local goals can often best be achieved through regional cooperative efforts. H. The Committee s role is advisory. Advice, comments or recommendations from the Committee shall be received by Council. I. Council is not bound by any advice or recommendations put forward by the Committee. J. The Committee does not have any budgetary authority. Composition The Committee shall consist of seven (7) members. These members will consist of: Two (2) representatives of Town Council with one member serving as committee Chair; One active local land developer who operates within the municipal boundary; One representative from the Bradford West Gwillimbury Board of Trade; One current industrial park tenant; and, Two (2) retired small business owners or operators Terms of Appointment All citizen members of the Committee will hold office for a term that coincides with the term of Council, and remain in office until their successors are appointed. When appointing members, consideration will be given to applicants that have not previously served on the Committee prior to those that have to ensure opportunities are available for new applicants as well as retaining dedicated existing members. Should any Member of a Committee fail to attend three 3 successive meetings thereof without being authorized to do so by resolution of the committee, the committee may certify such failure and thereupon the membership of such person on the Committee shall be terminated and the Council may appoint another Member in their place. In the event of a vacancy, vacancies will be filled through a Committee recommendation to Council if the Committee is aware and agrees on a candidate. Where the Committee is not aware of a qualified candidate, the position will be advertised. The Striking Committee will then meet to make their recommendation to Council. Persons appointed to Committees are appointed for such term as defined by Council, and by resolution, Council may rescind any appointment at any time. 83 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

93 Resources The lead department for the Committee shall be the Office of Economic Development. The Office of Economic Development will provide support in the form of advice, day-today liaison with the Town and updates on projects to the degree resources are available. A representative from this OED will be in attendance at every meeting unless otherwise advised by the Committee. Staff will provide expertise, guidance and report on various matters. Staff from other departments or government/agencies may from time to time attend as necessary to provide expertise or report on various matters. Secretarial and administrative support will be provided by the Corporate Services Department. Timing of Meetings Meetings will be held on a set day and time as may be determined by the Committee or at the call of the Chair. Meetings of the Committee shall not conflict with regular meetings of Committee of the Whole and Council Meetings. Committee members are expected to attend all regularly scheduled meetings. In the event a member, other than the Mayor, is unable to attend a meeting, the member must contact the Chair or Committee Coordinator in advance and advise him or her. Meetings The Committee shall hold a minimum of 4 meetings in each calendar year. The Chair shall cause notice of the meetings, including the agenda for the meetings, to be provided to members of the Committee a minimum of 5 business days prior to the date of each meeting. Quorum for meetings shall consist of a majority of the members of the Committee. No meeting shall proceed without quorum. Procedures Procedures for the meetings of the Committee shall be governed by the Town s Procedural By-law. The rules and regulations contained in the Procedural By-law shall be observed in all proceedings of the Committee. In the case of any conflict between these Terms of Reference and such rules of procedure, the Terms of Reference shall take precedence. Agenda and Minutes All agendas will be posted to CivicWeb on the Town s website 5 days prior to meetings. Committee members will be notified of agenda availability via with a link to the agenda. Minutes of all Committee meetings will be placed on the next Council meeting agenda. Any recommendations requiring Council s consideration will be pulled from the minutes and placed on the Council s agenda separately. Minutes will also be adopted by the Committee at their next meeting. The Clerk's Division will maintain a set of printed minutes for records and publish minutes on CivicWeb for public viewing. 84 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

94 Location of Meetings The location of the meetings will be set by the Committee in consultation with the Clerk s Division to take into consideration public access and accessibility. Terms of Reference Council may, at its discretion, change the Terms of Reference for this Committee at any time. At the discretion of Council or upon the mandate of the Committee being fulfilled, the Committee may be dissolved by resolution of Council. 85 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

95 Appendix B: Background Review The following reports and studies were reviewed as part of the research process. Highlights of the findings of these reports have been integrated throughout the strategy, including sector summaries, SWOT assessment and the actions and recommendations. County of Simcoe 10-Year Economic Development Strategic Plan, 2011 County of Simcoe Regional Food Distribution Hub Study, 2014 Design Guidelines for Downtown Bradford, 2011 Downtown Bradford Revitalization Strategy, 2011 Official Plan of the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, 2002 South Central Community Development Corporation: Nottawasaga Futures Report, 2013 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Budget and Business Plan Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Business Retention and Expansion Survey, 2015 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Downtown Community Improvement Plan, 2012 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy , 2012 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy: Setting the Stage, 2008 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Industrial Areas Community Improvement Plan, 2013 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Investment Guide, 2015 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Retail Analysis and Commercial Policy Review, 2010 Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Strategic Plan Components, MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

96 Appendix C: Demographic Profile Comparative Population Age Pyramids FIGURE 29: POPULATION AGE PYRAMIDS FOR SELECTED ONTARTIO GEOGRAPHIES, 2011 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 Census of Population. Adapted by MDB Insight Bradford West Gwillimbury has a relatively low number of elderly dependants. Bradford West Gwillimbury s proportion of young dependants is consistent with regional and provincial trends (with the exception of the age cohort which is elevated) Bradford West Gwillimbury s working age population is concentrated in the 45 to 54 age cohort. The town s working age population is smallest for those age cohorts between 25 and 39 years of age. This may be a result of consistent youth out migration. 87 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

97 These population age characteristics are similar to those found in neighbouring communities, albeit its, population extremes are more pronounced. The median age of Bradford West Gwillimbury s population is This is the youngest median age amongst the comparator communities and well below the provincial average (40.4). Bradford West Gwillimbury s population has grown by 16.8% since This is the greatest population increase amongst its regional counterparts in Simcoe County. FIGURE 30: POPULATION BY GENERATION STATUS Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 NHS Custom Data Table X Adapted by MDB Insight MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

98 Educational Attainment Level FIGURE 31: HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2011 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 NHS Custom Data Table X Adapted by MDB Insight Bradford West Gwillimbury has a relatively high proportion of its population without a certificate, diploma or degree. Bradford West Gwillimbury is on par with Simcoe with respect to the proportion of its population with a bachelor s degree or above. Although with respect to university level education, Bradford West Gwillimbury s population is well behind the province, East Gwillimbury, and York Region. Simcoe County s communities tend to have higher rates of apprenticeship or trades than found across Ontario or within York Region. 89 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

99 Comparative Income Levels FIGURE 32: PROPORTIONAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME LEVELS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2010 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey. Community Profiles. Adapted by Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Bradford West Gwillimbury has higher rates of households earning above $100,000 compared to Simcoe County, Innisfil, New Tecumseth, and the province. York Region and East Gwillimbury s households earn higher incomes than those communities in Simcoe County including Bradford West Gwillimbury. 90 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy

100 FIGURE 33: HOUSEHOLD MEDIAN INCOME LEVELS FOR SELECTED GEOGRAPHIES, 2010 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey. Community Profiles. Adapted by Millier Dickinson Blais Inc Bradford West Gwillimbury s household median income is $83,205. This well above the median income level of Simcoe County and the province. East Gwillimbury and York Region households have higher median income levels. 91 MDB Insight: Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Economic Development Strategy