City on a Mission

March 4, 2014
Jewishtribune.ca
By Joanne Hill

The City of Vaughan has received an award of excellence from the Economic Development Council of Ontario (EDCO) for its 2013 business mission to Israel.

The award recognizes excellence in collaboration and partnership as well as strategic partnerships with educational institutions.

“The business mission to Israel has resulted in 10 strategic partnerships, including with the government of Israel,” Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua told the Jewish Tribune in an email. “The business mission also resulted in a potential economic impact of 300 million dollars and 53 potential new business relocations and/or expansions for the City of Vaughan. There have already been four return visits from Israeli business owners and government officials to Vaughan.”

The mission also yielded seven memorandums of understanding between Centennial College and Israeli educational institutions and organizations. Since returning from the mission last October, the city has also moved forward with its plan to open a trade development office in Israel in partnership with Centennial College, and it is expected to open soon. York University is in discussions with the city concerning its possible participation, the mayor said.

“The goals of this new office are to build business connections between Vaughan and Israel, create and enhance Vaughan’s business image in Israel by showcasing its competitive advantages and maintain Vaughan’s commercial relationships in Israel,” said Bevilacqua.

Vaughan has had a twinning agreement with the city of Ramla in Israel since 1993. Ramla’s Mayor Yoel Lavi paid a visit to Vaughan last Friday while in North America to attend several Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Conferences. He was taken on a tour of the Lebovic Jewish Community Campus, saw the sustainable housing archetype at the Kortright Centre and was the guest of honour at a lunch and reception at Vaughan City Hall with the mayor and members of city council.

The Jewish community makes up the second-largest ethnic community in Vaughan and is “one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the world,” said Bevilacqua. “The Jewish community in Vaughan is an important part of our civic life and contributes significantly to the cultural, social and economic landscape of our city.”