Mayor Bevilacqua: Vaughan is a city coming of age

During the well-attended Vaughan Chamber of Commerce Mayor's Luncheon, Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua provided an impressive, confident and upbeat economic update on the state of the city. He focused on job creation, economic growth and other key indicators, which point to a bright future for Vaughan. 

During his keynote address, Mayor Bevilacqua announced that the City of Vaughan and Canada Soccer are partnering to explore the feasibility of a National Training Centre that could include an outdoor field and stadium and an indoor training facility, administrative offices and support amenities. The proposed National Training Centre would be located at the City's 900-acre North Maple Regional Park (NMRP).

Joining Mayor Bevilacqua was Dr. Nick Bontis, President of Canada Soccer. Following the Mayor's speech, Dr. Bontis and Mayor Bevilacqua signed a memorandum of understanding "to advance our shared vision to create a high-performance facility that combines iconic architecture with functional excellence, which can serve as a national centre for soccer," Mayor Bevilacqua said.

The City is undertaking grading, servicing and environmental restoration at NMRP to prepare for future facilities, such as the proposed National Training Centre. The project will incorporate key natural heritage system components, sustainability considerations, accessibility and design principles aligned with the NMRP vision. The National Training Centre would provide a high-performance training space for Canada Soccer's National Teams and local community sports programs. The City will retain ownership of all lands.

The proposed National Training Centre is among many key highlights Mayor Bevilacqua provided during his state of the city address – an event organized by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, which works closely with the City to support the local business community.

Despite the universal challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Vaughan remains an economic powerhouse, Mayor Bevilacqua told the crowd of entrepreneurs, professionals and community leaders, adding that "Vaughan is the largest economy and employment centre in York Region" – accounting for nearly 39 per cent of all jobs in the Region." Moreover, Vaughan outpaced national, provincial and regional growth rates, increasing real GDP by more than seven per cent to nearly $25 billion in 2021. Vaughan continues to foster a climate for job creation. Since 2010, more than 70,000 jobs have been added to its employment base. 

In spite of the global pandemic, city-building has not slowed down. In 2020, Vaughan issued 557 non-residential building permits representing nearly $375 million in construction value and more than 5.2 million square feet in new and existing spaces. 

Mayor Bevilacqua spoke of his decision to end the City's declared state of emergency on April 27. On March 17, 2020, Vaughan became the first Ontario city and the first municipality in York Region to declare a state of emergency. Mayor Bevilacqua reminded the crowd that "we are in a marathon, not a sprint. We must continue working together, using our common sense, and making intelligent choices to control the transmission of this virus and navigate a new world by learning to coexist with COVID-19." 

Mayor Bevilacqua acknowledged and thanked members of Vaughan's City Council, City administration, Vaughan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brian Shifman, Chamber staff and Joseph Sgro with Zzen Groups of Companies Limited, who introduced Mayor Bevilacqua during the event.

"Despite the global pandemic, city-building has not slowed down. The City of Vaughan is outpacing national, provincial and regional growth rates with real GDP growth at 7 per cent. Since 2010, more than $15 billion in building permits have been issued, and 70,000 additional jobs have been created. The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre – our downtown core – is growing at a rate of 267 per cent of projected growth. During COVID-19, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital opened, providing world-class healthcare and thousands of new jobs. Key investments in transit, housing, environment, education, healthcare and infrastructure provide residents with a high standard of living and quality of life. – making the City of Vaughan the City of choice!” 

- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua 

"I am encouraged and excited that the City of Vaughan and Canada Soccer are working together to explore the feasibility of a National Training Centre. Today represents an important milestone in our partnership, and I look forward to the next steps in studying the possibilities that will support our success on and off the pitch."

- Dr. Nick Bontis, President of Canada Soccer

"The Mayor's uplifting address today provides assurance for the business community to remain confident moving forward. The city has experienced consistent and unprecedented economic growth while also making dramatic improvements in terms of livability from the perspective of transit, healthcare, community and education. Continued investments in Vaughan's infrastructure, from bringing the Spadina York subway extension to Vaughan, to Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital and the YMCA flagship site at highways 400/7 are all prime examples of positive city building Vaughan has benefitted from throughout the last decade."

- Brian Shifman, President & CEO, Vaughan Chamber of Commerce