Mayor Bevilacqua welcomes U.S. Consul General Greg Stanford

Municipalinfonet.com
Sept. 23, 2019

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua issued the following statement after meeting with Greg Stanford, Consul General of the United States.

"I was pleased to welcome Greg Stanford, Consul General of the United States, to Vaughan City Hall.

"As our closest neighbour, the U.S. enjoys a strong and enduring relationship with Canada.

"The City of Vaughan is home to many American companies with head offices or locations within our borders, including the Canadian headquarters of Harley Davidson as well as flagship locations for KPMG and PwC.

"Situated on the southeast quadrant of Keele Street and Steeles Avenue is the UPS distribution hub which represents more than 2,000 permanent full and part-time jobs.

"A number of U.S. companies operate within the Vaughan Enterprise Zone, including Home Depot's first Stock and Flow Campus, representing 470 jobs, the Costco Distribution Centre, representing more than 470 jobs, as well as the FedEx Distribution Centre, which represents 300 jobs.

"Owned and operated by American-based Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Canada's Wonderland is among Vaughan's most popular tourist attractions and our largest employer, representing more than 3,800 jobs during peak season. It was recently announced that further investments in the park include a new double branded Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotel to be completed by 2020.

"Many Vaughan companies have also expanded operations into the U.S. In May 2018, Martinrea International Inc. opened a $26 million US technical centre in suburban Detroit, Mich., and this past July, Anatolia Tile + Stone expanded its operations to Savannah, Ga.

"This past March, the City of Vaughan became the first Canadian community to join US-Ignite's Smart Gigabit community. This partnership is facilitating our focused efforts to embrace the transformational benefits of Smart City technology and initiatives.

"The City of Vaughan is strategically located within a 15-minute drive to Pearson International Airport, Canada's largest and busiest airport with hundreds of daily flights scheduled to the U.S.

"Earlier this year, Niagara University opened the doors to its first bi-national site, located in the heart of our city's downtown core - the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. It is the first post-secondary institution in Vaughan.

"Beyond Vaughan's close geographical proximity to the U.S., our shared values regarding peace, tolerance and respect continue to strengthen our ties with our American partners, while also ensuring Vaughan's place on the international map."