2018 Annual Mayor's Luncheon

Vaughan.snapd.com
May 2018

Vaughan is one of the best places to live and do business, with a quality of life that is second to none. As the largest employment centre in York Region, the City continues to excel in economic growth. With more than 11,940 businesses that employ more than 218,000 people, Vaughan is an epicentre of development and entrepreneurial activity.

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua's annual address at the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce Mayor's Luncheon highlighted the City's remarkable growth in the last eight years. The message, to a sold-out crowd of more than 800 business professionals - the largest event attendance in the Chamber's 41-year history - was that Vaughan has a thriving economy and the future is bright.

National and international job creators are choosing Vaughan as their destination of choice. Telecon - a leader in telecommunications infrastructure - is expanding its service offerings here in Vaughan, adding up to 700 jobs for the city. This new $20-million investment supports Telecon's strategy to design, build and connect telecommunications infrastructure - and to remain a Canadian leader in this ever-changing industry. Digital Realty - a company that owns and operates global data centres across North America and Europe - will open its first Canadian data centre at the site of the former Toronto Star printing plant. This 711,000-square-foot facility represents a new $54-million investment here in Vaughan.

City-building remains a key focus. Metrolinx recently announced that they agree there is a solid business case for the creation of the Kirby GO Station. Highway 427 is breaking ground next month, and in the coming years, residents and visitors will be able to drive up the 6.6-kilometre extension. And in March the provincial government announced over $21 million in new funding for Mackenzie Health. This follows a $2-million investment by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for Hospice Vaughan, which broke ground on April 27.

Building on this momentum, Vaughan's vision for the future is becoming a reality. Major initiatives are being realized: a downtown core is rising from the ground, a state-of-the-art hospital is under construction and the subway is now open. These are just some of the reasons why Vaughan is a place where people want to live, work, play and invest.