Promoting the Vaughan Advantage
Mayor Bevilacqua and Minister Del Duca talk city-building
at Economic Club of Canada
At a sold-out event hosted by the Economic Club
of Canada in the Toronto Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel yesterday, Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua and Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca discussed the
Vaughan Advantage and the benefits of investing in the City of Vaughan. The
session explored the City’s relationship with the Province of Ontario to
advance key city-building initiatives.
The province
has made substantial infrastructure investments in Vaughan. It is the first
municipality outside of Toronto that will connect to the Toronto-York Spadina
Subway, providing significant advantages for attracting business and talent. The
next phase of the York Viva Bus Rapid Transit is
underway and Highway 427 is being extended, which will greatly improve the flow of traffic, goods and services. As well, later
this year construction will begin on the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital, a
state-of-the-art medical facility that will provide residents with access to world-class
healthcare close to home.
As Vaughan
celebrates its 25th anniversary, the City is embarking on one of the largest and
most ambitious projects in its history – the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC).
With 442 acres of development opportunities available, it will be a vibrant,
modern urban centre for residents and businesses that will include multi-use
office towers, residences, open green space, urban squares, pedestrian shopping
areas, restaurants, and walking and cycling paths. As significant investments have
been made and several buildings are already completed, the VMC is highly
attractive for investors.
With a
well-educated population, strong business community and location in the heart
of the GTA, Vaughan is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and
continues to be a magnet for investment and job creation.
QUOTES
“City-building is a team effort that requires focus, discipline, hard work as well as the co-operation of the private sector and all levels of government. The Province of Ontario understands the important role cities play in the global economy. They are magnets for investment, capital and attracting individuals who want to live and work in an environment they can thrive in. We greatly value this relationship and remain committed to working together to advance our shared goal of bringing Vaughan to the next level. Our vision of creating a world-class city is coming to life through major city-building initiatives that are currently underway including the hospital, the subway, the extension of Highway 427 and the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Minister Steven Del Duca for his participation as well as the Economic Club of Canada for recognizing the importance of highlighting the Vaughan Advantage. The City of Vaughan has come a long way and the best is yet to come.”
-Mayor
Maurizio Bevilacqua
“Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in the
province’s history which will help people spend more time with their families,
move goods more efficiently and support the creation of local jobs throughout
the region. In particular, the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension is
expected to create an estimated 20,000 jobs during construction and will add 36
million trips per year. This is a significant project that will benefit the
local economy for generations, as the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre continues to
take shape. Whether you live, work or visit Vaughan, congestion will be reduced
and commuters will have a better means to get around with improved rapid
transit.”
-Steven
Del Duca, MPP for Vaughan, Minister of Transportation
QUICK FACTS
- The Economic Club of Canada (EC) is a non-partisan policy platform. Each year the EC stages events across the country with the goal of bringing its members and guests face-to-face with the most important, relevant and influential leaders.
- Rhiannon Traill is the President and CEO of the Economic Club of Canada.
- The discussion on April 18 was moderated by Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the World Council on City Data and professor of political science and the Director of the Global Cities Institute at the University of Toronto.
- The event was sponsored by KPMG.
LEARN MORE
- City of Vaughan webpage
- City of Vaughan community profile webpage
- Vaughan Metropolitan Centre webpage
- Mayor Bevilacqua’s webpage
- Vaughan 25th anniversary webpage
Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Rhiannon Traill, President and CEO of the Economic Club of Canada, Minister Steven Del Duca and
Patricia McCarney, President and CEO of the World Council on City Data.