City launches "Vaughan Rising Podcast": Series promotes Vaughan as a magnet for investment and economic opportunity

Municipalinfonet.com
August 9, 2019

Vaughan is a city on the move. Major developments, a business-friendly climate and a bold approach to city building have created unprecedented opportunities for businesses and residents. Building on this momentum is the Vaughan Rising Podcast, a series which promotes Vaughan as a magnet for investment and economic opportunity.

Produced by the City's Economic and Cultural Development department, the Vaughan Rising Podcast provides a platform that highlights Vaughan's culture of ambition, upward momentum and developing landscape from the perspective of local leaders.

Hosted by Economic Development Officer Michelle Samson, the series features 10 episodes, 10 to 15 minutes each, that take a deep dive into Vaughan's most exciting projects with the developers, brokers and business leaders who are shaping the city's skyline.

The first episode of the series features Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua who discusses Vaughan's transformation from a suburb town into a leader in city building. This podcast is now available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud.

Episodes will be released every other week, beginning Tuesday, Aug. 6. The Vaughan Rising Podcast schedule is as follows:

• Episode one, Vaughan Transformed: Interview with Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua (Tuesday, Aug. 6)
• Episode two, More Growth to Come: Interview with Vaughan's Director of Economic and Cultural Development, Dennis Cutajar (Tuesday, Aug. 20)
• Episode three, Vaughan Enterprise Zone Part 1: International Gateway: Interview with Rob Nichols, rail managing director of domestic intermodal sales and marketing at Canadian Pacific Railway (Tuesday, Sept. 3)
• Episode four, Vaughan Enterprise Zone Part 2: Getting Real with CBRE Group, Inc.: Interview with Craig Williamson, Gary Williamson and Pat Viele from CBRE (Tuesday, Sept. 17)
• Episode five, VMC Centre of Community: A New Breed of Community Centre: Interview with Vaughan Interim City Manager Tim Simmonds (Tuesday, Oct. 1)
• Episode six, Niagara University: Inside a Post-Secondary Location Decision: Interview with Niagara University President Father James Maher (Tuesday, Oct. 15)
• Episode seven, Canada's First Smart Hospital: Interview with Mackenzie Health President and CEO Altaf Stationwala (Tuesday, Oct. 29)
• Episode eight, The Revel Park Story: Interview with QuadReal Vice President of Development Mike Reel (Tuesday, Nov. 12)
• Episode nine, to be announced (Tuesday, Nov. 26)
• Episode 10, to be announced (Tuesday, Dec. 10)

The new Vaughan Rising Podcast further enhances citizen experience, promotes city building, and highlights economic prosperity, investment and social capital in the city - all priorities outlined in the 2018-2022 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan.

For more information, visit vaughan.ca/podcasts.

QUOTE
"Vaughan's economy is strong and our commercial real estate market is booming. Citizen and business satisfaction are at 97 per cent and 92 per cent respectively. Major projects in our emerging downtown, the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, are rising from the ground, as is Canada's first smart hospital, which will open its doors in 2020. Building a great city does not happen overnight. It requires discipline, hard work and a focused approach. The Vaughan Rising Podcast explores the initiatives, projects and people that have helped transform Vaughan into a leader in city building. Together, we will bring this city to unprecedented heights. Our potential is being realized, our future is bright and our commitment to Service Excellence stands strong."
- Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

QUICK FACTS

• The Vaughan Rising Podcast includes in-depth interviews about the city's developing landscape with the leaders bringing the visions to life.
• The series includes 10 episodes, each 10- to 15-minutes long.
• Episodes will be available for download every other week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud.