March 22 2021 Council Agenda Package.Pdf

The Corporation of the Town of Ajax COUNCIL

Monday March 22, 2021, 7:00 p.m. Electronic Meeting 65 Harwood Avenue South

AGENDA

Alternative formats available upon request by contacting: [email protected] or 905-619-2529 ext. 3347

Electronic Meeting: Due to the COVID-19 emergency and requirements for physical distancing, in-person attendance is not permitted at this meeting of Council. This meeting will be live streamed for viewing at www.ajax.ca/live. Electronic participation is permitted pursuant to Council's Procedure By-law. Questions regarding items on the meeting agenda may be submitted for Council’s consideration no later than 12pm on March 22, 2021, by e-mail to [email protected].

Online Agenda: Anything in blue denotes an attachment/link. By clicking the links on the agenda page, you can jump directly to that section of the agenda.

1. Call to Order & Acknowledgement

2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest

3. Adoption of Minutes

3.1. Regular Meeting February 22, 2021 ...... 3

4. Question Period

5. Delegations and Presentations

5.1. Presentation Ajax Anti-Black Racism (AABR) Task Force Update Mariska Thomas, Chair and Dane Lawrence, Vice-Chair, AABR Task Force

5.2. Presentation PARA Marine Search & Rescue: 2021 Community, Government & Corporate Awareness Colin Thomson, Commodore, and Clint Scott, Community Development

5.3. Presentation Economic Development Action Plan Lauren Millier, MDB Insights

6. Correspondence ...... 19 7. Reports

7.1. Community Affairs & Planning Committee Report March 1, 2021 ...... 55

7.2. General Government Committee Report March 8, 2021 ...... 57

7.3. Summary of Advisory Committee Activities February 2021 ...... 61

7.4. Departmental Reports

7.4.1. PDS-2021-09: Economic Development Action Plan G. Romanowski, Director of Planning & Development Services / D. Terry, Interim Manager of Economic Development & Tourism ...... 62

8. Regional Councillors’ Reports

9. Business Arising From Notice of Motion

9.1. Land Banking Levy Mayor Collier / Regional Councillor Lee ...... 210

9.2. Hunt Street to Westney Road Extension Mayor Collier / Councillor Bower ...... 211

9.3. Hiring Practices Regional Councillor Lee / Mayor Collier ...... 212

9.4. Growing the Greenbelt Regional Councillor Dies / Councillor Bower ...... 213

9.5. Proposed changes to Minister’s Zoning Orders and the Planning Act (Bill 257, Schedule 3) Mayor Collier / Regional Councillor Crawford ...... 214

10. By-Laws

None

11. Notice of Motion

12. New Business/Announcements

13. Confirming By-Law 19-2021 ...... 215

14. Adjournment

DRAFT MINUTES – SUBJECT TO APPROVAL Minutes of the Meeting of the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax Held Electronically on Monday, February 22, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.

Alternative formats available upon request by contacting: [email protected] or 905-619-2529 ext. 3347

Present: Mayor S. Collier Regional Councillors M. Crawford S. Lee J. Dies Councillors R. Tyler Morin A. Khan L. Bower

1. Call to Order & Land Acknowledgement

Mayor Collier called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and acknowledged traditional treaty lands.

2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest

There were no disclosures of pecuniary interest.

3. Adoption of the Minutes

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin Seconded by: L. Bower

That the following Minutes of previous Council meetings be adopted:

• Regular Meeting of January 25, 2021; and • Closed Session Meeting of January 25, 2021 CARRIED

4. Question Period

Mayor Collier noted that members of the public were advised they could submit questions regarding the agenda to the Town Clerk up until noon on the day of the meeting. Alexander Harras, Manager of Legislative Services/Deputy Clerk, noted that no items of correspondence had been received regarding the contents of the meeting agenda. Two requests to make unscheduled delegations were received in relation to agenda item 7.4.2.

3 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

5. Delegations and Presentations

5.1 Presentation: Upgrades at the Duffins Creek Water Pollution Control Plant

John Presta, Director of Environmental Services, Regional Municipality of Durham, delivered a presentation regarding upgrades at the Duffins Creek water pollution control plant. J. Presta discussed recommendations from the Outfall Class Environmental Assessment (EA) and Phosphorus Reduction Action Plan (PRAP) Study, outfall diffuser upgrades, ferric chloride dose points upgrades, polymer addition to primary clarifiers, density current baffles in secondary clarifiers, project schedule and status, and 2020 Plant Performance.

Council Members asked questions regarding nuisance algae, tertiary treatment, funding sources for outfall diffuser upgrades, plant expansion, effluent treatment, the Lake Ontario discharge alternative and frequency of reporting periods. J. Presta responded to questions from Council Members.

On behalf of Council, Mayor Collier thanked J. Presta for his presentation.

5.2 Presentation: Grandview Children’s Centre: Capital Build Update

Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, CEO, Grandview Children’s Centre, provided an update on the status of the new Grandview Children’s Centre facility. L. Sunstrum-Mann discussed services and supports available to residents across Durham Region, timelines for the P3 Model, property acquisition for the development, site plan illustration, vertical expansion, and architectural design.

Council Members asked questions regarding satellite offices across the Region and project timelines. L. Sunstrum-Mann responded to questions from Council Members.

On behalf of Council, Mayor Collier thanked L. Sunstrum-Mann for her presentation.

6. Correspondence

Members separated correspondence items 6.1, 6.2 and 6.7.

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: J. Dies

That the balance of the report (Items 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16 and 6.17) dated February 22, 2021 containing Items of Correspondence be received for information. CARRIED

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin Seconded by: M. Crawford

That Items 6.1 (“Region of Durham – Upper York Sewage Solution”), 6.2 (“Region of Durham – 2021 Census of Populations”), and 6.7 (“City of Oshawa – COVID-19 Economic Recovery and Provincial Occupancy Restrictions”) of the Correspondence Report be endorsed. CARRIED

4 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

7. Reports

7.2 General Government Committee Report

7.2.1 2021 Operating & Capital Budget, February 8, 2021

Councillor Khan, Budget Chair, provided comments regarding the outcome of the 2021 Operating & Capital Budget and thanked staff for their hard work on the preparation of the 2021 Budget.

Council Members asked questions regarding Ajax Public Library’s obligation to repay a portion of grant funds received through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), Library operating surplus, library stabilization reserve funds, forecasted impacts to the Library due to reduced reserves, and the Library operating budget. Sarah Vaisler, Chief Librarian and Executive Officer, Matthew Tapscott, Ajax Public Library Board Chair, and Dianne Valentim, Director of Finance/Treasurer, responded to questions from Council Members.

Council Members asked further questions regarding the 2022 budget gap estimate allocation to the 2021 budget, reserve balance after repayment of the CEWS, and target balance for reserve allocations outlined in the Library Reserve Policy. S. Vaisler and D. Valentim responded to questions from Council Members.

Main Motion

Moved by: A. Khan Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That the General Government Committee 2021 Operating & Capital Budget Meeting Report dated February 8, 2021 be adopted.

Amendment

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: J. Dies

That recommendation #8 of the final budget recommendations contained within the 2021 Operating & Capital Budget Meeting Report of February 8, 2021 be amended to read as follows:

That $700,000 of the 2020 Library operating surplus be requested to be returned to the Town and be directed to the Stabilization reserve.

Amendment to the Amendment

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: L. Bower

That the amendment be further amended to read as follows:

That recommendation #8 of the final budget recommendations contained within the 2021 Operating & Capital Budget Meeting Report of February 8, 2021 be amended to read as follows:

5 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

That $850,000 of the 2020 Library operating surplus be requested to be returned to the Town, $700,000 of which shall be directed to the Stabilization reserve and $150,000 of which shall be directed to the Stormwater Maintenance Reserve. MOTION LOST

Amendment

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: J. Dies

That recommendation #8 of the final budget recommendations contained within the 2021 Operating & Capital Budget Meeting Report of February 8, 2021 be amended to read as follows:

That $700,000 of the 2020 Library operating surplus be requested to be returned to the Town and be directed to the Stabilization reserve. CARRIED

Main Motion as Amended

Moved by: A. Khan Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That the General Government Committee 2021 Operating & Capital Budget Meeting Report dated February 8, 2021 be adopted, as amended. CARRIED

7.2.2 General Government Committee, February 16, 2021

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: A. Khan

That the General Government Committee Report dated February 16, 2021, be adopted. CARRIED

7.3 Summary of Advisory Committee Activities

Moved by: J. Dies Seconded by: L. Bower

That the Summary of Advisory Committee Activities Report dated February 22, 2021, as attached to the meeting agenda be received for information, and that the recommendations contained therein be referred to staff where applicable. CARRIED

6 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

7.4 Departmental Reports

7.4.1 Amendment to the North Harwood Employment Property Agreement of Purchase and Sale with Grandview Children’s Centre

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: A. Khan

That Council approve a by-law to execute an Amending Agreement of Purchase and Sale with Grandview Children’s Centre for the sale of the North Harwood Property. CARRIED

7.4.2 Envision Durham - Municipal Comprehensive Review Town of Ajax Position on Requests for Employment Area Conversions – Amended

Motion to Suspend the Rules of Procedure

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That the Rules of Procedure be suspended in order to allow unscheduled delegations and presentations regarding Departmental Report 7.4.2. CARRIED on 2/3rds

Council recessed at 8:31 p.m.

Council resumed at 8:36 p.m.

Delegation: Conversion Request #CNR-14

David Kemper, President & Managing Partner for Belmont Equity, delivered a presentation regarding conversion request #CNR-14 and clarified that the conversion request is for the 1.4 acre undeveloped portion of the site. D. Kemper noted that the owners are committed to maintaining prestige employment and retail uses at grade level of the proposed residential building. D. Kemper provided an overview of the proposed development on the 1.4 acre parcel.

Council Members asked questions regarding projected number of units, underground parking development and parking sustainability, snow removal, traffic flow, job density projections and opportunities for second floor office space. D. Kemper responded to questions from Council Members.

On behalf of Council, Mayor Collier thanked D. Kemper for his delegation.

Delegation: Conversion Request #CNR-09

Scott Waterhouse, Planning Manager, Urban Planning and Land Development, GHD Limited, delivered a presentation regarding conversion request #CNR-09. S. Waterhouse provided justifications for the conversion request and asked Council to support the living area designation to permit expanded retail floor area opportunity to attract a grocery store of sufficient scale.

7 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

Council Members sought clarification regarding Town of Ajax Official Plan Area Specific Policy 6.18 and if the proponent is requesting that the Policy not be applied. Council Members asked questions regarding permitted uses for living area designation, proposed use for the conversion request, and permitted uses for prestige employment. S. Waterhouse responded to questions from Council Members.

On behalf of Council, Mayor Collier thanked S. Waterhouse for his delegation.

Council Members asked questions regarding time constraints for submission of comments to the Region, projected employment figures, uses permitted for prestige employment and the legal opinion with respect to conversion request #CNR-19. Geoff Romanowski, Director of Planning & Development Services and Sean McCullough, Supervisor, Planning & Policy Research, responded to questions from Council Members.

Main Motion

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: L. Bower

1. That Council receive the staff report entitled “Envision Durham – Municipal Comprehensive Review, Town of Ajax Position on Requests for Employment Area Conversions”, for information.

2. That Council endorse staff’s position of each respective Employment Area Conversion Request as presented in Attachment 1: Town of Ajax Employment Area Conversion Request Position, as follows:

a. That conversion requests CNR-03, CNR-21 and CNR-22 be supported to permit mixed-use residential uses as these requests are located within the draft expanded Major Transit Station Area (Ajax GO Station) delineation;

b. That conversion requests CNR-04 not be supported, and that the Region of Durham lift its deferral on Town of Ajax Official Plan Area Specific Policy 6.18 along Harwood Avenue North to allow for enhanced retail uses within this area;

c. That conversion requests CNR-09, CNR-31 and CNR-34 not be supported but that Town of Ajax Official Plan Area Specific Policy 6.18 be added to the south side of Bayly Street East between Shoal Point Road and Audley Road South;

d. That a special policy framework be added to the Regional Official Plan for the lands identified in Recommendations 2b and 2c to permit enhanced minor retail permissions on those employment lands; and,

e. That conversion requests CNR-14, CNR-28, and CNR-35 not be supported as these parcels are located within strong and emerging employment areas and/or represent some of the largest serviced employment parcels in the Town.

3. That as directed by Council during a Special Council Meeting held on February 11, 2021, staff notify the Region of Durham Planning and Economic Development Department that the Town supports conversion requests CNR-07, CNR-15, CNR-19, and CNR-20, and CNR-33 subject to amendments and conditions outlined in Attachment 2: Excerpt from February 11, 2021 Special Council Meeting Resolution.

8 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

4. That a copy of this staff report and attachment be forwarded to the Region of Durham Planning and Economic Development Department.

Amendment

Moved by: L. Bower Seconded by: S. Lee

1. That recommendation #2 c. be amended by removing reference to CR-09; and

2. That staff be directed to advise the Region of Durham that Ajax Council is in support of expanded floor area to permit a larger sized grocery store with respect to conversion request #CNR-09. CARRIED

Main Motion as Amended

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: L. Bower

1. That Council receive the staff report entitled “Envision Durham – Municipal Comprehensive Review, Town of Ajax Position on Requests for Employment Area Conversions”, for information.

2. That Council endorse staff’s position of each respective Employment Area Conversion Request as presented in Attachment 1: Town of Ajax Employment Area Conversion Request Position, as follows:

c. That conversion requests CNR-31 and CNR-34 not be supported but that Town of Ajax Official Plan Area Specific Policy 6.18 be added to the south side of Bayly Street East between Shoal Point Road and Audley Road South;

9 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

and CNR-20, and CNR-33 subject to amendments and conditions outlined in Attachment 2: Excerpt from February 11, 2021 Special Council Meeting Resolution.

4. That a copy of this staff report and attachment be forwarded to the Region of Durham Planning and Economic Development Department.

5. That staff be directed to advise the Region of Durham that Ajax Council is in support of expanded floor area to permit a larger sized grocery store with respect to conversion request #CNR-09. CARRIED

7.4.3 Anti-Racism and Diversity Training Plan for Council

Council Members inquired about reversing the priority order of elements of the training. Natasha Sharma, Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, responded to Council Members.

Main Motion

Moved by: J. Dies Seconded by: A. Khan

That staff be directed to implement the Council Anti-Racism and Diversity Training Plan as described in this report.

Amendment

Moved by: L. Bower Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That phases 1 and 2 as proposed in the Anti-Racism Diversity Training Plan for Council be switched in order. CARRIED

Main Motion as Amended

Moved by: J. Dies Seconded by: A. Khan

That staff be directed to implement the Council Anti-Racism and Diversity Training Plan as described in this report, as amended. CARRIED

7.4.4 Ajax Shining Star Bursary Program Update

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin Seconded by: L. Bower

That the following Ajax Shining Star Bursary Program Update report be received by Council for information. CARRIED

10 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

7.4.5 Smart Cities Pilot Project and Grant Application

Council Members asked questions regarding framework for data protection as it pertains to consumer data protection and value for service related to the pilot project. Nicole Cooper, Director of Information & Legislative Services/Clerk, and Kassandra Cruciano, Grants, Partnerships & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator, responded to questions from Council Members.

Main Motion

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: A. Khan

2. That Council approve the use of $6,000 from the Capital Contingency Reserve towards the Town’s contribution requirement for the MAMP program, contingent upon grant approval.

3. That Council authorize staff to complete the necessary actions to formalize the partnership and the Town and Bell Canada for a one year pilot project, contingent upon grant approval.

Mayor Collier vacated the Chair. Deputy Mayor Dies assumed the Chair.

Amendment

Moved by: S. Collier Seconded by: S. Lee

1. That provision 1 be amended by adding the following:

and that if the Town’s grants application is unsuccessful, that $24,000 be allocated from capital contingency reserve to complete the project.

2. That the words ‘contingent upon grant approval’ be removed from provision 2. CARRIED

Main Motion as Amended

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: A. Khan

1. That Council direct staff to apply for the Federation of Municipalities’ Municipal Asset Management Program (MAMP) for $24,000 to support the implementation of data- collection pilot project partnership with Bell Canada, and that if the Town’s grant application is unsuccessful, that $24,000 be allocated from capital contingency reserve to complete the project.

11 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

2. That Council approve the use of $6,000 from the Capital Contingency Reserve towards the Town’s contribution requirement for the MAMP program.

3. That Council authorize staff to complete the necessary actions to formalize the partnership and the Town and Bell Canada for a one year pilot project, contingent upon grant approval. CARRIED Mayor Collier resumed the Chair.

7.4.6 2021 Report on Non-Cash Expenses as Required by Ontario Regulation 284/09

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: J. Dies

That the report on Excluded Non-Cash Expenses, as required by Ontario Regulation 284/09, be received for information. CARRIED

7.4.7. Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation Annual Gift

A. Harras noted that this matter was referred from the January 18, 2021 GGC meeting and the recommendations contained therein have been superseded by the approval of the 2021 Operating & Capital Budget meeting report (item 7.2.1). The report and recommendations were withdrawn.

8. Regional Councillors’ Report

Mayor Collier provided an update regarding the projected increase to the Region’s 2021 budget.

Moved by: A. Khan Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That the Regional Councillors’ Reports of February 22, 2021 be received for information. CARRIED

9. Business Arising from Notice of Motion

Motion to Suspend the Rules of Procedure

Moved by: L. Bower Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

That the rules of procedure be suspended in order to introduce a motion without notice regarding In-store Alcohol Service at Convenience Stores. CARRIED on 2/3rds

12 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

9.1 Gas-Fired Electricity

Regional Councillor Crawford introduced the motion and reviewed its contents.

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: S. Lee

WHEREAS the Government of Ontario is planning to increase electricity generation and greenhouse gas pollution from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants by more than 300% by 2025 and by more than 400% by 2040, reversing more than a third of the greenhouse gas pollution reductions achieved by phasing out our coal-fired power plants;

AND WHEREAS greenhouse gas pollution is causing temperatures in Canada to rise at more than double the rate of the rest of the world, causing impacts to the operations and residents of the Town of Ajax;

AND WHEREAS the Town of Ajax is taking measures to mitigate and adapt to the climate impacts caused by increasing greenhouse gas pollution, which includes having climate adaptation and mitigation plans in place;

AND WHEREAS the planned increase in electricity-related greenhouse gas pollution will reduce the effectiveness of the Town’s greenhouse gas reduction efforts;

AND WHEREAS there are feasible, cost-effective alternatives to increasing gas-fired electricity generation without increasing greenhouse gas pollution at costs well below the current price for Ontario’s nuclear energy (9.5 cents/kWh), including: • energy efficiency investments; • low-cost, distributed, renewable energy; providing employment in Ontario communities and restoring our leadership in this industry; • the purchase of low-cost power offered by the Province of Quebec from its existing hydroelectric generating stations; and • using Quebec’s system of reservoirs as a battery to back-up made-in-Ontario renewable power, eliminating the need to use gas-fired power plants for this purpose;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Town of Ajax requests the Government of Ontario to place an interim cap of 2.5 megatonnes per year on the greenhouse gas pollution from Ontario’s gas-fired power plants and develop and implement a plan to phase-out all gas-fired electricity generation by 2030 to help Ontario and the Town of Ajax meet their climate targets; and

2. This resolution be sent to the Premier of Ontario, the Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, the Hon. Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, MPP Rod Phillips, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Chair John Henry, Durham Region Climate Roundtable Committee and Durham Region Works Committee. CARRIED

13 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

9.2 Durham-Scarborough BRT in Pickering Village

Regional Councillor Crawford and Councillor Tyler Morin introduced the motion and reviewed its contents.

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: R. Tyler Morin

WHEREAS Metrolinx is undertaking the Durham-Scarborough Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that will connect the southern Durham Region municipalities to Scarborough along Highway 2/Kingston Road, including a 5-lane design across Highway 2/Kingston Road through historic Pickering Village;

AND WHEREAS The Town of Ajax is proud of our storied history and commitment to preserving our heritage and historic areas like Pickering Village, and to telling the stories that shaped the importance of these areas;

AND WHEREAS Ajax Council recognizes Metrolinx for their ongoing commitment to partnership, demonstrated by providing updates to Council and working with the Town to expand the reach and availability of public information sessions, by extending consultation deadlines, and by holding a joint virtual public meeting with Ajax Council and staff;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. Council request that Metrolinx and the Region of Durham continue to work closely with the southern Durham Region municipalities as the Durham-Scarborough BRT project progresses through the Transit Project Assessment Process;

2. As the detailed design progresses for the proposed Pickering Village section, Metrolinx continues to consult with Town staff and local councillors on acquisitions and widening plans ensure that the design maintains the integrity of the area;

3. Metrolinx be encouraged to reflect the historical significance and place making opportunities of Pickering Village through; a. The protection, conservation and restoration of historical properties impacted by the BRT construction; b. The design of key project features such as the bus shelters, gateway features and the expansion of the Duffins Creek bridge, so that they reflect the charm and historical character of the Pickering Village area; c. The enhancement of existing and development of new public amenities in Pickering Village, in conjunction with the Town’s Recreation Master Plan; and

4. This motion be distributed to the Metrolinx BRT project team and the Region of Durham. CARRIED

14 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

9.3 Conservation Authorities Working Group

Mayor Collier vacated the Chair. Regional Councillor Lee assumed the Chair.

Mayor Collier and Regional Councillor Dies introduced the motion and reviewed its contents.

Moved by: S. Collier Seconded by: J. Dies

WHEREAS Significant, substantive legislative changes to conservation authorities’ (CA) mandates, board responsibilities and enforcement authority were hastily pushed through the Province’s fall budget, Bill 229 (Schedule 6), which received Royal Assent on December 8, 2020 in spite of widespread outcry from environmental experts, municipalities and municipal groups, NGOs and individuals;

AND WHEREAS on January 11, 2021 Minister Yurek sent an email to heads of Council across the province to inform them of the composition of a Conservation Authorities Working Group to examine and consult on the regulations that follow legislative changes made through Schedule 6, including: details about which programs and services CAs will deliver and how they may be funded, and how CAs will regulate development (with a lens of public safety), the requirement for CAs to establish community advisory boards, and further details about CA operation and management of lands owned by the authority;

AND WHEREAS both the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA), as well as the agriculture sector and Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) are represented as part of the working group; however, an additional list of advisors to the working group was also announced, which includes representatives from the development industry (Remington Group, Mattamy Homes and EQ Homes);

AND WHEREAS the working group does not consist of representatives from non- governmental agencies who have been very vocal about Schedule 6, including the implications on the mandate and future of CAs;

AND WHEREAS CAs should be able to have a fulsome discussion about regulatory issues, including appropriate limitations to development without the interference or lobbying potential of the development industry;

THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT:

1. Ajax Council convey their concern to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, requesting that the Province remove the influence of the development industry from the working group, instead having them provide their input as part of the public consultation process like other stakeholders and the general public; and

2. Ajax Council requests that the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks consider adding environmental protection-focused non-governmental agencies onto the working group; and

3. This motion be distributed to the Hon. Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, MPP Rod Phillips, Region of Durham, Chair of the Working

15 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

Group Hassaan Basit, CEO of Conservation Halton, Conservation Ontario, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, and Ontario’s Big City Mayors. CARRIED

9.4 In-store Alcohol Service at Convenience Stores

Regional Councillor Lee vacated the Chair. Deputy Mayor Dies assumed the Chair.

Mayor Collier and Councillor Khan introduced the motion and reviewed its contents.

Moved by: S. Collier Seconded by: A. Khan

WHEREAS Ajax Council recognizes the ongoing hardships faced by restaurants, pubs and other foodservice businesses as a result of mandated closures and patron limits due to Covid-19;

AND WHEREAS the Town has been working hard to implement and advocate for business supports (such as providing restaurants the ability to access wine, beer and spirits at wholesale or discounted pricing, permitting flexibility, online support and more) to ensure more local businesses survive the pandemic;

AND WHEREAS convenience stores have not been mandated to close during the pandemic and have not endured undue hardship like other industries;

AND WHEREAS 7-Eleven Canada has applied to introduce in-store alcohol service at 61 stores throughout Ontario (including Ajax) to leverage their open status as a competitive advantage;

AND WHEREAS the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is ultimately responsible for granting all liquor licensing requests;

AND WHEREAS approval of 7-Eleven’s request would also mean exposing an already vulnerable and hard-hit restaurant/bar industry to further competition;

AND WHEREAS Ontario’s Big City Mayors caucus passed a motion on Friday, February 19 opposed to the 7-Eleven Canada request to serve alcohol;

THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT Ajax Council oppose 7-Eleven Canada’s proposal to serve alcohol;

AND THAT this motion be distributed to Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance; Hon. Doug Downey, Attorney General; Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction; Rod Phillips, MPP for Ajax; the Region of Durham, and local Durham Region municipalities. CARRIED

Mayor Collier resumed the Chair.

16 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

10. By-laws

Members of Council asked questions regarding By-Law 17-2021, authorizing the stop up and close of a portion of Smales Drive. G. Romanowski responded to questions from Council Members.

Moved by: L. Bower Seconded by: S. Lee

That By-law numbers 11-2021 to 17-2021 be read a first, second and third time and passed. CARRIED

11. Notice of Motion

Regional Councillor Dies indicated that she will be bringing forward a motion to the March meeting of Council requesting that the Town reaffirm their position with respect to Greenbelt protection for the headwaters of the Carruthers.

Regional Councillor Lee indicated that he will be bringing forward a motion to the March meeting of Council regarding the Town’s Hiring Practices.

Mayor Collier indicated that he will be bringing forward a motion to the March meeting of Council directing staff to investigate and report back to Council on the feasibility of acquiring the lands for the Hunt Street extension.

Mayor Collier indicated that he will be bringing forward a motion to the March meeting of Council regarding a Land Bank Tax.

12. New Business - Notices & Announcements

Council Members highlighted upcoming events and activities including a Ward 3 virtual Open House for traffic calming implementation on February 25, 2021, a Ward 2 virtual Open House for traffic calming implementation on February 24, 2021, and a virtual event for In Conversation with the Ajax Anti-Black Racism Task Force on February 25, 2021.

13. Confirming By-Law

Moved by: M. Crawford Seconded by: A. Khan

That By-law number 18-2021 being a by-law to confirm the proceedings of the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax at its meeting held on February 22, 2021 be read a first, second and third time and passed. CARRIED

17 Town of Ajax Council Meeting – February 22, 2021

14. Adjournment

Moved by: J. Dies Seconded by: A. Khan

That the February 22, 2021 meeting of the Council of the Town of Ajax be adjourned (10:04 p.m.) CARRIED

______Mayor

______D-Clerk

18 TOWN OF AJAX REPORT TO COUNCIL

TO: Mayor and Members of Council

FROM: N. Cooper, Clerk

DATE: March 22, 2021

SUBJECT: Items of Correspondence

The following items of correspondence are attached for Council’s information:

Durham Region Municipalities

1. Town of Ajax: Proclamations issued by the Mayor’s Office ...... 21

2. Region of Durham – Correspondence to Dr. Robert Kyle, Medical Officer of Health from Peggy Sattler, MPP re: Bill 239 – Stay Home If You Are Sick Act ...... 22

3. City of Oshawa – Durham Region’s Municipal Comprehensive Review: City Comments on Major Transit Station Areas – Proposed Policy Directions ...... 25 • Background Material: Development Services Committee: #DS-21-20

4. City of Oshawa – Letter of Objection to AGCO re: 7-11 Convenience Stores...... 26

5. Municipality of Clarington – Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan ...... 28 • Background Material: Planning and Development Committee: #PDS-018-21

6. Municipality of Clarington – Wilmot Creek Vaccinations...... 30

7. Township of Brock – Ontario Fire College, Gravenhurst ...... 33

8. Township of Brock – Cannabis Licencing and Enforcement ...... 35

9. Township of Brock – Request for an Interim Cap on Gas Plant and Greenhouse Gas Pollution and the Development and Implementation of a Plan to Phase-Out-Gas-Fired Electricity Generation ...... 37

Other Municipalities and Organizations

10. Association of Municipal Clerks & Treasurers of Ontario – Open Letter to Ontario Municipal Councils ...... 40

11. Township of The Archipelago – Amendments to the Municipal Elections Act ...... 42

12. Township of Lake of Bays – Capacity Limits for Restaurants in Stage 2 under the Reopening Ontario Act, 2020 ...... 43

13. Region of Niagara – Bill 197 amendments to Environmental Assessment Act ...... 45

14. City of Sarnia – COVID-19 Response Framework: Colour Coded Capacity Limits ...... 47

15. Municipality of Grey Highlands – Use of Minister’s Zoning Orders ...... 49

16. Canadian Union of Postal Workers – Request for Support for Delivering Community Power ...... 53 • Background Material: Delivering Community Power

N. Cooper Clerk

MEMO

TO: Mayor and Members of Council

FROM: Linsey Joseph

DEPARTMENT: Legislative and Information Services - Legislative Services

SUBJECT: PROCLAMATIONS ISSUED BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE

DATE: March 22, 2021

The following Proclamations have been issued during the month of March 2021.

Name of Person/Group(s) Title of Proclamation Date(s) Proclaimed The Canadian PSW Network Personal Support Worker Day May 19, 2021 Canadian Helen Keller Centre National Deafblind Awareness Month June 2021 Sickle Cell Awareness Group World Sickle Cell Day June 19, 2021 of Ontario Greeks of Ajax *Greek Independence Day March 25, 2021

Linsey Joseph Legislative & Information Services /CC* flag

February 25, 2021

The Regional Municipality of The Honourable Doug Ford Durham Premier Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Corporate Services Room 281 Department – Legislative Services Main Legislative Building Queen's Park 605 Rossland Rd. E. Toronto ON M7A 1A1 Level 1 P.O. Box 623 Dear Minister Ford, Whitby, ON L1N 6A3 Canada RE: Correspondence to Dr. Robert Kyle, Medical Officer of 905-668-7711 Health from Peggy Sattler, MPP (London West) re: Bill 239 1-800-372-1102 – Stay Home If You Are Sick Act Our File: P00 Fax: 905-668-9963 Council of the Region of Durham, at its meeting held on February 24, durham.ca 2021, adopted the following recommendation of the Health and Social Services Committee:

“That the correspondence to Dr. Robert Kyle from Peggy Sattler, MPP (London West - re: Bill 239 – Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, be endorsed.”

A copy of the correspondence is attached for your reference.

Ralph Walton

Ralph Walton, Regional Clerk/Director of Legislative Services

RW/np

Attach.

c: Peggy Sattler, MPP (London West) Rod Phillips, MPP (Ajax/Pickering) Lorne Coe, MPP (Whitby/Oshawa) Lindsey Park, MPP (Durham)

If you require this information in an accessible format, please contact 1-800-372-1102 extension 2097. 22 Page 2 of 2

Jennifer French, MPP (Oshawa) Laurie Scott, MPP (Haliburton/Kawartha Lakes/Brock) Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP (Pickering/Uxbridge) David Piccini, MPP (Northumberland-Peterborough South) N. Cooper, Clerk, Town of Ajax B. Jamieson, Clerk, Township of Brock J. Gallagher, Clerk, Municipality of Clarington M. Medeiros, Clerk, City of Oshawa S. Cassel, Clerk, City of Pickering L. Fleury, Acting Clerk, Township of Scugog D. Leroux, Clerk, Township of Uxbridge C. Harris, Clerk, Town of Whitby R.J. Kyle, Commissioner and Medical Officer of Health

Dr. Robert Kyle, Medical Officer of Health Mr. Bob Chapman, Chair Durham Region Public Health Board of Health

January 25, 2021

Dear Dr. Kyle, Mr. Chapman and Members of the Board of Health:

Recent months have seen a growing chorus of calls from public health experts, municipal leaders and workers’ advocates across Ontario for paid sick days to help limit the spread of COVID-19. As MPP for London West, I am writing to let you know about the Private Member’s Bill I introduced in the Ontario Legislature on December 8, 2020, the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, which will provide permanent paid sick days for Ontario workers during the pandemic and beyond. This legislation, Bill 239, can be accessed here: www.ola.org/en/legislative- business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-239.

The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for access to paid sick days for Ontario workers. Workplaces are now the second-most common site of COVID-19 transmission, but many workers, especially if they are low-wage, do not have the choice to miss work because they cannot afford to give up their pay. The workers who are least likely to have paid sick days often work in occupations or sectors that are at high risk of COVID-19. Without access to paid sick days, these workers are forced to choose between paying the bills and providing for their families, or losing their income to protect their co-workers, customers and communities.

Bill 239 prevents Ontario workers from having to risk their own financial security in order to follow public health advice. The bill amends the Employments Standards Act to provide up to 14 days of paid Infectious Disease Emergency Leave and up to seven days of paid Personal Emergency Leave for illness, injury, bereavement, or family care, and eliminates the requirement for a doctor’s note. The bill also calls for the establishment of a financial support program to help employers experiencing hardship with the cost of delivering Infectious Disease Emergency Leave and to transition to the implementation of regular paid sick days. The bill will fill in some of the gaps of the temporary Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, which excludes many workers and does not protect against the immediate loss of income that makes it impossible for so many workers to stay home if they are sick.

I respectfully request that the Durham Region Board of Health review this letter at your next Board meeting, and ask for your support in principle for Bill 239. The bill draws on the expertise and research of health care professionals from the Decent Work and Health Network, and has been endorsed by the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. It will be debated at second reading after the Ontario Legislature resumes on February 16, 2021. Your endorsement would further demonstrate the breadth of support for paid sick days across Ontario, and help advance this important health equity measure and essential public health policy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

Thank you for your consideration. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Peggy Sattler, MPP London West 24 25

Corporate Services Department City Clerk Services

File A-2100

February 26, 2021

DELIVERED BY E-MAIL: [email protected]

Liquor Sales Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario 90 Sheppard Avenue East Suite #200 TORONTO, ON M2N 0A4

Re: Letter of Objection

At its meeting of February 22, 2021 Oshawa City Council adopted the following resolution:

“Whereas the 7-11 Corporation has applied to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission for licenses to allow the addition of a bar to 61 convenience stores in the province; and,

Whereas one of the locations is at 245 Wentworth Street West in the City of Oshawa; and,

Whereas the addition of such a use to a store frequented by unsupervised children is causing grave concern to parents and other residents of the community; and,

Whereas the Big City Mayors Caucus has passed a resolution in opposition to the applications; and,

Where the approval of the applications may lead to other owners of convenience stores to making similar applications;

Be it resolved:

1. That the Council of the City of Oshawa opposes all applications for a license to allow the drinking of alcohol in convenience stores; and,

2. That a letter of objection be sent to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission to oppose Application # 1091257 for 245 Wentworth Street West in the City of Oshawa; and,

3. That copies of this resolution be sent to all municipalities in the Region of Durham, to all Durham MPPs and to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for their information.”

The Corporation of the City of Oshawa, 50 Centre Street South, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 3Z7 Phone 905∙436∙3311 1∙800∙667∙4292 Fax 905∙436∙5697 www.oshawa.ca 26

- 2 –

If you require further assistance concerning the above matter, please contact Chris Rutherford, Manager, Licensing and Support Services, at the address listed above or by telephone at 905-436-3311, ext. 2216.

Mary Medeiros City Clerk

/fb c. Durham Region Municipalities Durham Region Members of Provincial Parliament Association of Municipalities of Ontario Licensing and Support Services

If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Co-Ordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131

March 2, 2021

To Interested Parties:

Re: Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan

File Number: PG.25.06

At a meeting held on March 1, 2021, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington approved the following Resolution #PD-058-21:

That Report PDS-018-21 be received;

That Council endorse the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan (Attachment 1 to Report PDS-018-21);

That Council direct staff to prepare an action-specific implementation guide, to guide the implementation of the actions outlined in the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan;

That Staff report back to Council with information upon completion of the action- specific implementation guide;

That Council authorize staff to apply for funding opportunities to support the implementation of actions contained in the Clarington Corporate Climate Action Plan (CCCAP), where identified; and

The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

1-800-563-1195 | Local: 905-623-3379 | [email protected] | www.clarington.net PDS-018-21 March 2, 2021 Page 2

That all interested parties listed in Report PDS-018-21 and any delegations be advised of Council’s decision. Yours truly,

______John Paul Newman Deputy Clerk

JPN/lp

c. Association of Municipalities of Ontario Durham area municipalities Federation of Canadian Municipalities Region of Durham James Carr, Fridays for Future Whitby Adeline Cohen, Fridays for Future Whitby Alyssa Scanga David Crome Libby Racansky Peggy Clark Suzanne Elston D. Hoge, Climate Change Response Coordinator F. Langmaid, Manager of Special Projects R. Windle, Director of Planning and Development Services

The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

1-800-563-1195 | Local: 905-623-3379 | [email protected] | www.clarington.net

If this information is required in an alternate format, please contact the Accessibility Co-Ordinator at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131

March 3, 2021

The Honourable Lindsey Park, M.P.P., Durham 23 King Street West Bowmanville, ON L1C 1R2 Via Email: [email protected]

Dear Ms. Park:

Re: Wilmot Creek Vaccinations

File Number: PG.25.06

At a meeting held on March 1, 2021, the Council of the Municipality of Clarington approved the following Resolution #C-091-21:

Whereas there are 1600 older adults residing in Wilmot Creek Older Adult Lifestyle Community and a significant portion are over eighty years old, are immunocompromised and/or have health conditions;

Whereas there are approximately three hundred older adult lifestyle communities across Ontario where older adults live independently but in congregate, in small homes, trailers or apartment-style buildings;

Whereas many older adult lifestyle community residents rely on daily visits by outside workers such as personal support workers and house cleaners, putting them at a greater risk of contracting COVID-19;

Whereas fifty-two per cent of older adult lifestyle community residents in Ontario are individuals aged seventy years and older;

Whereas adults aged sixty-five to eighty-four years old account for the majority of COVID-19 related deaths in Canada, and those aged forty-five years old and older are 89% to 93% more likely to die from COVID if they have pre-existing conditions;

Whereas the Province of Ontario plans to vaccinate 1.2 million seniors and caregivers as part of Phase 1 in March, 2021; and

The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

1-800-563-1195 | Local: 905-623-3379 | [email protected] | www.clarington.net Ms. Park March 3, 2021 Page 2

Whereas the Provincial government announced that Phase 1 included “seniors living in congregate” but this does not include seniors living in older adult lifestyle communities;

Now Therefore Be It Resolved:

That the Province acknowledges that older adult lifestyle communities are in fact, “congregations” of seniors as per the criterion for Phase 1 administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and such, older adult lifestyle community residents should be vaccinated as part of Phase 1 in accordance with Public Health Guidelines;

That the Municipality of Clarington supports the Wilmot Creek Homeowner’s Association request that the Wilmot Creek Wheelhouse be used for administration of the vaccine as part of Phase 1 in Clarington, to Wilmot Creek residents only; and

The Council's decision be forwarded to MPP Lindsey Park and Dr. Robert Kyle, Medical Officer of Health.

That this Motion be circulated to the Durham Region Health and Social Services Committee, MPP for Durham Lindsay Park, Durham area Municipalities, AMO, and the Canadian Association for Retired Persons.

Yours sincerely,

______June Gallagher, B.A., Dipl. M.A. Municipal Clerk

JG/cm

c: See attached list of interested parties

The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

1-800-563-1195 | Local: 905-623-3379 | [email protected] | www.clarington.net Ms. Park March 3, 2021 Page 3

Interested Parties

Dr. Robert Kyle, Medical Officer of Health, Regional Municipality of Durham – [email protected] Susan Cassel, City Clerk, City of Pickering - [email protected] Nicole Cooper, Director of Legislative & Information Services, Town of Ajax - [email protected] Christopher Harris, Town Clerk, Town of Whitby - [email protected] Becky Jamieson, Clerk, Township of Brock - [email protected] Debbie Leroux, Director of Legislative Services/Clerk, Township of Uxbridge - [email protected] Mary Medeiros, City Clerk, City of Oshawa - [email protected] Director of Corporate Services/Clerk, Township of Scugog - [email protected] Ralph Walton, Regional Clerk, The Regional Municipality of Durham - [email protected] Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) - [email protected] Canadian Association for Retired Persons - [email protected] Durham Region Health and Social Services Committee Wilmot Creek Homeowner’s Associations – [email protected]

The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3A6

1-800-563-1195 | Local: 905-623-3379 | [email protected] | www.clarington.net The Corporation of The Township of Brock 1 Cameron St. E., P.O. Box 10 Cannington, ON L0E 1E0 705-432-2355

February 25, 2021

The Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario [email protected]

Dear Honourable Sir:

Re: Ontario Fire College, Gravenhurst

Please be advised that the Council of the Township of Brock, at their meeting held on February 22, 2021 adopted the following resolution:

Resolution Number 24-2

MOVED by Michael Jubb and SECONDED by Cria Pettingill

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College has been in existence since 1949; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College is one of the primary sources of certified training for Ontario Firefighters; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College has built a reputation of integrity, credibility, and reliability in providing some of the best training to our Fire Services within the Province of Ontario; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College has been used to train and certify both Volunteer, Part Time and Career firefighters throughout Ontario; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College gives Ontario Firefighters another option other than Regional Training Centres to obtain National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certifications; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Fire College is the most cost effective method to certify Firefighters to NFPA Standards in Ontario; and,

WHEREAS the Ontario Government enacted and revoked 0. Reg. 379/18: Firefighter Certification in 2018; and,

WHEREAS when the Ontario Government revoked 0. Reg. 379/18: The Firefighter certification, it was made known by the Office of the Solicitor General that the act would be amended and brought back in the future;

If this information is required in an accessible format, please contact the Township at 705-432-2355.

Page 2 of 2

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Corporation of the Township of Brock requests that the Province of Ontario reverse their decision to close the Ontario Fire College as the OFC is one of the best and most cost effective methods for municipalities to train their firefighters which assists us in protecting our residents; and,

BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED THAT this Resolution is forwarded to the Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario, the Honourable Sylvia Jones; Ontario Solicitor General, the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Jon Pegg, the Ontario Fire Marshal; and all municipalities within the Province of Ontario.

MOTION CARRIED

Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Yours truly,

THE TOWNSHIP OF BROCK

Becky Jamieson Municipal Clerk

BJ:dh cc. The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Ontario Solicitor General - [email protected] The Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing - [email protected] Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal – [email protected] Ontario municipalities

34 The Corporation of The Township of Brock 1 Cameron St. E., P.O. Box 10 Cannington, ON L0E 1E0 705-432-2355

March 2, 2021

The Honourable Patty Hajdu Health Canada Minister of Health Canada Ottawa, Ontario Via email: [email protected] via email: [email protected]

Dear Honourable Madam:

Re: Cannabis Licencing and Enforcement

Please be advised that the Council of the Township of Brock, at their meeting held on February 22, 2021 adopted the following resolution:

Resolution Number 22-2

MOVED by Michael Jubb and SECONDED by Cria Pettingill

WHEREAS the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act) to create the foundation for a comprehensive national framework to provide restricted access to regulated cannabis, and to control its production, distribution, sale, importation, exportation, and possession;

WHEREAS the police have not been given lawful authority to lay charges under the Cannabis Act to appropriately respond to violations of Health Canada Registrations and Licenses;

WHEREAS there is no direct communication or dedicated effort to provide a communication channel between Municipal government staff or Police Agencies for dealing with Health Canada Registrations and Licenses;

WHEREAS the Township of Brock has not been consulted by Health Canada prior to the issuance of licenses for properties not in compliance with municipal zoning by-laws;the future;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Township of Brock requests that Health Canada:

1. Require Federal Licenses and Registrations for Designated Growers to conform with local zoning and control by-laws;

2. Ensure local authorities are provided with notification of any licence issuance, amendment, suspension, reinstatement or revocation within their region;

If this information is required in an accessible format, please contact the Township at 705-432-2355.

Page 2 of 2

3. Provide dedicated communication with local governments and Police services;

4. Provide lawful authority to Police agencies to lay charges when registered or licences operations grow in excess of their registration or licence through Health Canada; and,

5. Provide enforcement support and guidance to local municipalities for dealing with land use complaints relating to Cannabis.

AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Township of Brock will forward this motion by email to the following partners: All municipalities in Ontario; the MP and MPP of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock; the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs; the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; and the Durham Region Police Services with the request that the Federal government enact legislation to better support local governments with land use management and enforcement issues as they relate to Cannabis Production and Processing.

MOTION CARRIED

Thank you for your consideration. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Yours truly,

THE TOWNSHIP OF BROCK

Becky Jamieson Municipal Clerk

BJ:dh cc. The Honourable Christine Elliott, Minister of Health, Ontario – [email protected] The Honourable Laurie Scott, MPP, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock - [email protected] Jamie Schmale, MP, Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock - [email protected] The Honourable Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – [email protected] The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food - Marie- [email protected] Inspector Ryan Connolly, DRPS - [email protected] Ontario municipalities

36 The Corporation of The Township of Brock 1 Cameron St. E., P.O. Box 10 Cannington, ON L0E 1E0 705-432-2355

February 25, 2021

The Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario [email protected]

Dear Honourable Sir:

Re: Request for an Interim Cap on Gas Plant and Greenhouse Gas Pollution and the Development and Implementation of a Plan to Phase-Out-Gas-Fired Electricity Generation

Please be advised that the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Brock adopted Resolution Number 11-3 at their meeting held on February 1, 2021, in support of the following:

That the correspondence from Fred Eisenberger, Mayor, City of Hamilton, Regarding Request for Interim Cap on Gas Plant and Greenhouse Gas Pollution and the Development and Implementation of a Plan to Phase-Out-Gas-Fired Electricity Generation, be received for information;

That the City of Hamilton be advised of the Township of Brock’s position on the matter as follows;

Whereas the Township of Brock strives to sustain our environment for future generations and to foster a heathy community that nurtures the wellbeing of residents to provide a high quality of life indefinitely;

Whereas the Township of Brock recognizes governments have an important role in reducing the local and global environmental damages associated with the production, transportation and use of energy;

Whereas the Township of Brock is taking action to mitigate climate change through energy conservation and demand management planning and the development of a Corporate Climate Action Plan;

Whereas the Township of Brock has collaborated on the development of the Durham Community Energy Plan, which promotes the transition to low carbon energy to ensure the wellbeing of our community and environment;

Whereas the Township of Brock recognizes the need for energy expenses to be minimized to alleviate the financial burden on residents, businesses and the municipality;

If this information is required in an accessible format, please contact the Township at 705-432-2355.

Page 2 of 3

Now therefore be it resolved that the Township of Brock respectfully requests the Government of Ontario take the following actions to reduce GHG emissions in the energy sector while promoting local economic development:

• Prioritize the incorporation of carbon-free energy sources into the Ontario power grid including wind, solar and nuclear;

• Invest in local renewable energy production, transmission and storage, to reduce GHG emissions and household energy expenses and create high quality new jobs in manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and recycling;

• Introduce programs to incentivize energy retrofits for all buildings, as the single most effective way to reduce energy demand, while encouraging local economic development and jobs in the building sector;

• Introduce programs and incentives to encourage the use of electric vehicles by the public, businesses and municipalities to offset GHG emissions from the transportation sector;

That this resolution be sent to the Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; the Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs; The Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; Lindsey Park, MPP (Durham), David Piccini, MPP (Northumberland-Peterborough South);

That this resolution be sent to the Region of Durham and Durham Area municipalities; and That this resolution be sent to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) for circulation to municipalities with a request for endorsement.

Should you have any concerns please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned.

Yours truly,

THE TOWNSHIP OF BROCK

Becky Jamieson Municipal Clerk

BJ:dh cc. The Honourable Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks - [email protected] Laurie Scott, MPP Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock Jamie Schmale, MP Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock

38 Page 3 of 3

The Honourable Greg Rickford, M.P.P., Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, Minister of Indigenous Affairs - [email protected] The Honourable Lindsey Park, M.P.P., Durham - [email protected] The Honourable David Piccini, M.P.P., Northumberland-Peterborough South - [email protected] His Worship Fred Eisenberger Mayor of Hamilton - [email protected] June Gallagher, Municipal Clerk, Municipality of Clarington – [email protected] Cheryl Bandel, Deputy Regional Clerk, Regional Municipality of Durham – [email protected] Susan Cassel, City Clerk, City of Pickering - [email protected] Nicole Cooper, Director of Legislative & Information Services, Town of Ajax - [email protected] Christopher Harris, Town Clerk, Town of Whitby - [email protected] Debbie Leroux, Director of Legislative Services/Clerk, Township of Uxbridge - [email protected] Mary Medeiros, City Clerk, City of Oshawa - [email protected] Director of Corporate Services/Clerk, Township of Scugog - [email protected] Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) - [email protected] Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) – [email protected]

39 From: AMCTO President [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2021 8:27 AM To: Nicole Cooper Subject: An Open Letter to Ontario Municipal Councils

February 18, 2021

AN OPEN LETTER TO ONTARIO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS

Dear Council,

As a vital municipal association with membership roots that reach deep into each and every part of Ontario, we know the challenges you have faced in continuing to provide essential municipal services within your community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As elected officials, we know that you recognize the contribution made by your municipal staff, many of whom are members of AMCTO. Municipal professionals across this entire province have been at the forefront of service delivery, applying their knowledge and skills to innovate processes and procedures to meet the evolving needs of residents and businesses.

One key point that is often overlooked in this pandemic is that many municipal staff were prepared to act and innovate BECAUSE of the professional municipal training and development they receive from organizations like AMCTO. The leadership skills, education and technical training prepare your staff in getting ahead of immediate community needs, reacting and responding to new challenges brought on by COVID-19. This unique and sought-after skillset has allowed your staff to provide council with options and solutions for keeping your municipality running.

In these challenging financial times, there will be temptation to divert operational funding away from staff training budgets. Now more than ever, it is crucial that municipalities continue to invest in your most valuable resource – your staff.

In addition to increased levels of employee retention, engagement and empowerment, investments in staff professional development strengthens your council’s ability to provide reliable, effective and efficient services to your community, both today and in the future. The question is no longer “if” you innovate but “when”. Innovation comes with knowledge, training, and exposing municipal staff to new opportunities to grow and develop professionally.

On behalf of AMCTO and its over 2,200 members, please accept my heartfelt thank you for your service during these difficult times. As “Municipal Experts”, AMCTO will continue to be at your service to help you and your staff meet the needs of your community.

40 Sincerely,

Robert Tremblay, MPA, CMO, AOMC President AMCTO

CC: Graydon Smith, President, AMO

###

______

Robert Tremblay, MPA, CMO, AOMC President

2680 Skymark Ave. # 610 Mississauga, ON L4W 5L6 [email protected] www.amcto.com

Township of The Archipelago 9 James Street, Parry Sound ON P2A 1T4 Tel: 705-746-4243/Fax: 705-746-7301 www.thearchipelago.on.ca

February 19, 2021

21-033 Moved by Councillor Manners Seconded by Councillor Andrews ______

RE: Request that Minister Clark review the Municipal Elections Act and provide amendments to provide clearer, stronger wording to assist Municipal Clerks in addressing issues to allow for a more definitive decision to be made when adding names to the voters’ list

WHEREAS the Township of The Archipelago recognizes that the current language in the Municipal Elections Act with regards to non-resident electors, is weak and ambiguous;

AND WHEREAS the Township of The Archipelago wishes to ensure the integrity of the election process;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Council of the Corporation of the Township of The Archipelago hereby request that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Honourable Steve Clark, initiate a review of the Municipal Elections Act and make amendments to provide such clearer, stronger wording, to assist Municipal Clerks in addressing issues related to non-resident electors, and to allow for a more definitive decision to be made when adding names to the voters’ list;

AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Council of the Corporation of the Township of The Archipelago request that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Honourable Steve Clark, ensure that there is a clear and accessible way to enforce the rules described in the Municipal Elections Act;

AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that this resolution be sent to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Norm Miller MPP, all Ontario Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

Carried.

1 42 LAKE T 705-635-2272 TOWNSHIP OF LAKE OF BAYS TF 1-877-566-0005 1012 Dwight Beach Rd • QfBAYS F 705-635-2132 Dwight, ON POA lHO • • MUSKOKA •

March 2, 2021

Via Email

Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Ford:

RE: Capacity Limits for Restaurants in Stage 2 under the Reopening Ontario Act, 2020

On behalf of the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Lake of Bays, please be advised Council is striving to support their local businesses during this pandemic however, the uncertainty they face day to day as rules change have become overwhelming and onerous to these small businesses and something needs to change. With that said, Council at their last regular meeting on March 2, 2021 had a wholesome discussion regarding the challenges our businesses are facing. The following resolution is a result of those discussions:

"Resolution #S(b)/03/02/21

WHEREAS the Province of Ontario passed 0. Reg. 263/20, Rules for Areas in Stage 2 under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020;

AND WHERAS Schedule 2, Subsection 1(7) states that the total number of patrons permitted to be seated indoors in the establishment must be limited to the number that can maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person in the establishment, and in any event cannot exceed 10 patrons;

AND WHEREAS restaurants throughout the Province are facing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the amount of patrons being turned away is impacting the overall experience of the restaurants;

AND WHEREAS many restaurants fluctuate in size and would be able to accommodate more than 1O patrons, while maintaining a physical

... 2

100 LAKES TO EXPLORE 43 LAKE T 705-635-2272 TOWNSHIP OF LAKE OF BAYS TF 1-877-566-0005 1012 Dwight Beach Rd • QfBAYS F 705-635-2132 Dwight, ON POA lHO • • MUSKOKA •

Page2

distance of at least two metres from every other person in the establishment;

AND WHEREAS the inequity of establishing a capacity limit of no more than 10 patrons for larger restaurants continues to impact the financial viability of the restaurants during this difficult time;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Corporation of Township of Lake of Bays hereby requests that the Provincial Government review and reconsider the capacity limits for restaurants across the Province be based on the size of the square footage of the seating area instead of a flat occupancy.

AND FURTHER THAT the concept of introducing capacity limits for other businesses listed in Schedule 2 of O.Reg 263/20 being impacted by the constant uncertainty of their operations during this pandemic including restaurants, personal care services, resorts, camps, fitness and recreational amenities, churches, etc. be considered while in lockdown status.

AND FURTHER THAT this motion be forwarded to the Premier, Doug Ford, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit and all Ontario municipalities."

Council appreciates and thanks you for all your hard work and dedication during these unprecedented times and is hopeful that the above-noted resolution will assist in amending the restrictions set out in the COVID-19 Response Framework.

Sincerely,

C~~M.A., CMO, AOMC, Director of Corporate Services/Clerk. CS/cw

Copy to: Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit All Ontario Municipalities

100 LAKES TO EXPLORE 44 Administration Office of the Regional Clerk 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, PO Box 1042, Thorold, ON L2V 4T7 Telephone: 905-980-6000 Toll-free: 1-800-263-7215 Fax: 905-687-4977 www.niagararegion.ca

March 4, 2021

CL 4-2021, February 25, 2021

DISTRIBUTION LIST

SENT ELECTRONICALLY

Re: Schedule 6, Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020

Regional Council, at its meeting held on February 25, 2021, passed the following resolution:

WHEREAS Schedule 6 of Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 considers amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act relating to municipal autonomy and the principle that municipalities can veto a development outside their municipal boundary in an adjacent municipality;

WHEREAS Bill 197 empowers multiple municipalities to ‘veto’ development of a landfilling site within a 3.5 km zone inside the boundary of an adjacent municipality;

WHEREAS Bill 197 establishes a dangerous precedent that could be expanded to other types of development;

WHEREAS Bill 197 compromises municipal autonomy and the authority of municipal councils to make informed decisions in the best interest of their communities and municipal taxpayers; and

WHEREAS amendments in Schedule 6 could cause conflict in the effective management of landfill sites, put significant pressure on existing landfill capacity, and threaten the economic activity associated with these sites.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

1. That while the Region of Niagara supports the Act’s open-for-business approach, the municipality CALLS upon the Government of Ontario (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks (MOECP) to amend Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020, to eliminate the development approval requirement provisions from adjacent municipalities and that the ‘host’

45 Schedule 6, Bill 197, COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 March 4, 2021 Page 2

municipality be empowered to render final approval for landfills within their jurisdiction;

2. That a copy of this motion BE FORWARDED to Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, local M.P.Ps., and the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO) and;

3. That a copy of this resolution BE FORWARDED to all Ontario municipalities with a request for supporting motions to be passed by respective Councils and copies of the supporting motion be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, local Members of Provincial Parliament, and the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO).

In accordance with the resolution, it is respectfully requested that your municipality consider passing a supporting resolution to be forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Jeff Yurek, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, local Members of Provincial Parliament, and the Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO).

Yours truly,

Ann-Marie Norio Regional Clerk

CLK-C 2021-043

Distribution List:

All Municipalities in Ontario

46 THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF SARNIA City Clerk’s Department 255 Christina Street N. PO Box 3018 Sarnia ON Canada N7T 7N2 519-332-0330 (phone) 519-332-3995 (fax) 519-332-2664 (TTY) www.sarnia.ca [email protected]

March 4, 2021

The Honourable Doug Ford Premier of Ontario Legislative Building Queen's Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Dear Premier Ford, Re: Colour Coded Capacity Limits

At its meeting held on March 1, 2021, Sarnia City Council discussed the challenges local businesses are facing with respect to the colour coded system within the Province’s COVID-19 Response Framework. The following motion was adopted:

That Sarnia City Council strongly advocate to the Province of Ontario that they adjust the capacity limits for dining, restaurants, sporting and recreational facilities, places of worship, event centers, and all retail/small businesses as part of the colour coded system.

The following rationale was provided with the introduction of the motion:

 The red zone currently only allows 10 people indoors at a dining or a sporting / recreational facility (regardless of the size), places of worship are capped at 30% or 50 people, and retail / small business is limited to a 50% capacity.  These businesses and organizations have heavily invested in facility improvements and expensive upgrades to ensure safe social distancing and have all the appropriate safety and protection measures in place.  Businesses in particular cannot properly plan under the current uncertainty and that means the loss of jobs and income for both workers and owners as well as mental health challenges.

47  Indoor capacity limits for restaurants, dining, sporting / recreational facilities, event centers, retail / small business, and places of worship should not involve arbitrary numbers (regardless of size), but instead be changed to the amount of people per facility which ensures that strict and safe social distancing can be maintained.

Sarnia City Council has requested that all municipalities in Ontario join this advocacy effort.

On behalf of Sarnia City Council, I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Amy Burkhart Acting City Clerk

Cc: All Ontario Municipalities Ms. Marilyn Gladu, MP Sarnia-Lambton Mr. Bob Bailey, MPP Sarnia-Lambton

48 P a g e | 1

March 9, 2021

RE: Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZO’s)

Please be advised that the Council of the Municipality of Grey Highlands, at its meeting held March 3, 2021, passed the following resolution:

2021-159 Moved by Cathy Little - Aakash Desai

Whereas the COVID-19 crisis has shown the residents of the Municipality of Grey Highlands how important natural lands, farmland and water sources in and around Grey Highlands are to their health and well-being and their economic livelihood; and

Whereas residents are rightly concerned with addressing the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis and are looking at new types of development that create new homes and businesses, jobs and economic activity in ways that are cost effective to residents and municipalities; and

Whereas there is development that creates jobs, new affordable homes and economic activity while protecting and preserving existing natural areas, farmland and water sources and meeting the needs of residents and municipalities; and

Whereas Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs) are a tool that should not be used to fast-track development proposals, bypass important public consultations and override laws and policies designed to protect the environment; and

Whereas in 2020 the Ontario government has issued over 30 MZOs to fast-track development, many of them in natural areas, farmland and/or important water sources; and

Whereas Ontario residents would benefit financially, physically and socially from development that does not take place in natural areas, farmland, and water sources and from permanently protecting these lands instead;

Now therefore be it resolved that Council commit to not requesting a MZO to fast-track development on natural areas, farmland and/or water resources because they bypass public consultations and

The Municipality of Grey Highlands  206 Toronto Street South, Unit One P.O. Box 409 Markdale, Ontario N0C 1H0 519-986-2811 Toll-Free 1-888-342-4059 Fax 519-986-3643  www.greyhighlands.ca 49  [email protected] P a g e | 2

existing policies and procedures designed to promote environmental protection; and

That Council request the Premier and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to stop using Minister’s Zoning Orders and urges the Provincial Government to move forward with COVID recovery actions that promote development that simultaneously protects natural areas, farmland and water sources while creating affordable homes and new jobs and in a way that is cost effective to residents and the municipality; and

That Council endorse the efforts of Blue Mountain Watershed Trust and the Ontario Greenbelt Alliance to bring more natural areas, farmland and water sources under the protection of laws like the Greenbelt Act; and

That this resolution be circulated to Premier Ford; Minister Clark, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing; MPP Bill Walker; and Ontario municipalities. CARRIED.

As per the above resolution, please accept a copy of this correspondence for your information and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jerri-Lynn Levitt Deputy Clerk Council and Legislative Services Municipality of Grey Highlands

February 16, 2021 Mayor Brian Saunderson, Town of Collingwood [email protected] Mayor Alar Soever, The Blue Mountains [email protected] Mayor Doug Measures, Township of Clearview [email protected] Mayor Paul McQueen, Municipality of Grey Highlands [email protected] Warden Selwyn Hicks, County of Grey [email protected] Warden George Cornell, County of Simcoe [email protected]

We hope you and your loved ones are well. Thank you for all your efforts over the past months to help get us through this terrible COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how important natural spaces are to our wellbeing. We rely on these areas for our mental and physical health, and on farmland for the local food that keeps us healthy and our farmers employed. These lands are also critical to conserving biodiversity and enhancing community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

Some local governments in the GTA have ignored this reality and have tried to get permission to have protected Greenbelt land used for sprawl-style development. As well, some are working to secure Minister’s Zoning Orders to bypass important environmental protections and local planning rules. Others, however, have expressed growing concerns about the provincial government’s inappropriate use of this tool and we hope this number grows.

In addition, just recently, the Province has passed regressive changes to the Conservation Authorities Act to remove powers to protect natural areas and to protect us from the impacts of floods and toxic soil dumping.

As a result we are making two specific requests:

Please resist the use of MZOs and tell the Province you oppose the recent changes to the Conservation Authorities Act because both of these actions fast-track sprawl-style development, sidestep public consultation and override policies intended to protect Ontario’s natural areas, water sources and farmland. Please also consider asking the province to add farmland and natural areas in your region to the Greenbelt to increase their protection.

Please pass a Council resolution that includes the above points and forward it to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

As an environmental advocacy group established for over 25 years, we are calling on you and the entire Council to commit to resisting the misuse of MZOs, oppose implementation of the changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, stop sprawl and seek growth of the Greenbelt as part of a Green and Just

watershedtrust.ca I The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation I 705.445.0357 51 2

Recovery.

Yours sincerely,

Norman Wingrove, Acting President BMWTF

C: BMWTF Board of Directors BMWTF Watershed Action Committee

MZO Letter to Municipalities 2021-02-09

watershedtrust.ca I The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation I 705.445.0357 52

February 12, 2021

Subject: Request for Support for Delivering Community Power

Dear Municipal Leaders,

In 2016, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, with a coalition of allies, launched Delivering Community Power – a visionary program for Canada Post to confront climate change, promote better access to expanded services, bring financial inclusion to unbanked and underbanked communities, and address other social inequalities – all by making the most of our existing public postal service network.

Today, while progress has been made on many of the initiatives in the vision, the situation has become more urgent. Effects of climate change are deadly and are affecting nearly every part of society all around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the need for a more equal, more resilient society that prioritizes the health of our must vulnerable neighbours and loved ones, before profit. We are relying more than ever on the internet to connect people and to do our business, but rural residents are getting second-class service.

The continuing decline of letters combined with a dramatic rise in parcels from e-commerce makes it plain to see: the postal service has to adapt to a new reality. This is a great opportunity to address multiple problems at once, with a valued public infrastructure that connects everyone in their own community.

Please consider proposing the attached resolution to have your municipality endorse the campaign for expanded services, financial viability, climate action, and – all through leveraging our public postal system. The time is now!

Thank you for your support!

Jan Simpson National President Canadian Union of Postal Workers //dn cope 225

53 SUPPORT DELIVERING COMMUNITY POWER

Whereas there is an urgent need for banking services among the unbanked or underbanked, given that thousands of villages and rural municipalities do not have a bank branch and more than 900 municipalities have expressed their support for postal banking;

Whereas thousands of Canadians do not have access to affordable high-speed Internet, and the federal government has long promised to bridge the rural broadband gap;

Whereas urgent action is needed to establish a robust network of electric vehicle charging stations;

Whereas to achieve carbon-neutral targets by 2050, Canada Post must greatly accelerate the electrification of its fleet;

Whereas the extensive network of post offices in our communities can provide a wide range of services as community hubs;

Whereas Canada Post's letter carriers and RSMCs can check-in on vulnerable residents to help keep us in our homes longer as we age;

Whereas Canada Post must play its part for a more equitable post-pandemic recovery;

Whereas “The Way Forward for Canada Post,” the report of the 2016 federal public review of the postal service, recommended that Canada Post expand services and adapt its services to the changing needs of the public;

Whereas the Canadian Union of Postal Workers has advanced Delivering Community Power, a vision of the post-carbon digital-age postal service that address the above needs and more;

Be it resolved that endorse Delivering Community Power, and write to the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister for Public Services and Procurement, with its rationale and a copy of this resolution.

TOWN OF AJAX REPORT OF THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS AND PLANNING COMMITTEE

For consideration by the Council of the Town of Ajax on March 22, 2021

The Community Affairs and Planning Committee met at 7:00 p.m. on March 1, 2021

Present: Regional Councillor J. Dies, Chair Regional Councillor M. Crawford Regional Councillor S. Lee Councillor R. Tyler Morin Councillor A. Khan Councillor L. Bower Mayor S. Collier ______

The Community Affairs & Planning Committee recommends as follows:

2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest

There were no disclosures of pecuniary interest.

3. Adoption of Minutes

Moved by: S. Lee Seconded by: L. Bower

That the Minutes of the Community Affairs and Planning Committee Meeting held on January 4, 2021 be adopted. CARRIED

4. Public Meetings

None.

5. Presentations / Reports

Moved by: S. Collier Seconded by: L. Bower

5.1 Central Ajax Intensification, Servicing and Transportation Strategy Phases 1 and 2

55 Community Affairs & Planning Committee March 1, 2021 ______

1. That the report entitled “Central Ajax Intensification, Servicing and Transportation Strategy – Phases 1 and 2” and associated attachments be received for information; and,

2. That staff be authorized to consult with residents, landowners and other key stakeholders to develop a preferred growth scenario for Phase 3 of the Strategy that will be used to determine transportation and servicing requirements to accommodate growth to 2051. CARRIED

5.2 Envision Durham – Municipal Comprehensive Review - Town of Ajax Comments on the Major Transit Station Areas Policy Direction Report

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin Seconded by: S. Lee

That the Report entitled “Envision Durham – Municipal Comprehensive Review - Town of Ajax Comments on the Major Transit Station Areas Policy Directions Report” be endorsed and sent to the Region of Durham Planning and Economic Development Department. CARRIED

6. Adjournment (7:56 p.m.)

Moved by: A. Khan Seconded by: S. Collier

That the March 1, 2020 meeting of the Community Affairs and Planning Committee be adjourned. CARRIED

J. Dies, Chair

TOWN OF AJAX REPORT OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

For consideration by the Council of the Town of Ajax on March 22, 2021

The General Government Committee met at 10:30 a.m. on March 8, 2021

Present: Councillor L. Bower, Chair Regional Councillor M. Crawford Regional Councillor S. Lee Regional Councillor J. Dies Councillor R. Tyler Morin Councillor A. Khan Mayor S. Collier ______

The General Government Committee recommends as follows:

2. Disclosure of Pecuniary Interest

There were no disclosures of pecuniary interest.

Strategic Planning Mid-Term Update Workshop (10:30 a.m.)

3. Presentation

3.1 CAO-2021-02: 2018-2022 Strategic Plan Mid-Term Update

Moved by: A. Khan

That the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan Mid-Term Update be endorsed by Council, and all proposed revisions described in this report be incorporated into the 2018-2022 Strategic Plan. CARRIED

4. Adoption of Minutes

4.1 Capital & Operating Budget Meeting

Moved by: S. Lee

That the Minutes of the Capital & Operating Budget meeting of the General Government Committee held on February 8, 2021 be adopted. CARRIED

57 General Government Committee March 8, 2021 ______

4.2 Regular Meeting

Moved by: S. Lee

That the Minutes of the regular meeting of the General Government Committee held on February 16, 2021 be adopted. CARRIED

4.3 Closed Session

Moved by: S. Lee

That the Minutes of the Closed Session of the General Government Committee held on February 16, 2021 be adopted. CARRIED

5. Consent Agenda

5.1 FIN-2021-01: 2020 Statement of Remuneration and Expenses for Members of Council and Council Appointees

Moved by: M. Crawford

That the 2020 Statement of Remuneration and Expenses for Members of Council and Council Appointees be received for information. CARRIED

5.2 PDS-2021-03: 2020 Year End Building Permit Activity and 2021 Projection Report

Moved by: M. Crawford

That the 2020 Year End Building Permit Activity and 2021 Projection Report be received for information. CARRIED

5.3 PDS-2021-10: Parking License Agreement at Ajax Community Centre

Moved by: J. Dies

1. That the Town Solicitor be directed to draft Parking License Agreements with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and Lakeridge Health to permit the construction, use and subsequent restoration of temporary parking lots at the Ajax Community Centre, to accommodate parking needs associated with the construction of the Long Term Care Facility and parking garage at Lakeridge Health Ajax-Pickering Hospital; and

2. That Mayor and Clerk be directed to execute Parking License Agreements with PCL Constructors Canada Inc. and Lakeridge Health, provided that the agreements include the key conditions outlined within this report and have been approved by the Town Solicitor and the Director of Planning & Development Services. CARRIED

58 General Government Committee March 8, 2021 ______

5.4 2020 Annual Report of the Integrity Commissioner

Moved by: S. Collier

That the 2020 Annual Report of the Integrity Commissioner be received for information. CARRIED

6. Discussion

6.1 PDS-2021-11: Renaming of Langsdorff Drive

Moved by: S. Lee

That staff be directed to proceed with changing the name of Langsdorff Drive to Croker Drive, and notify all residents accordingly. CARRIED

6.2 PDS-2021-08: Review of Harwood Avenue and Fishlock Street Intersection

Referral Motion

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin

That the Review of the Harwood Avenue and Fishlock Street Intersection be referred back to staff with direction to complete a new review and traffic count once provincial COIVD- 19 restrictions have been lifted for the Town of Ajax, or by spring of 2022 at the latest. CARRIED

7. Presentations

7.1 PDS-2021-04: Designation of the Nicholas Austin Property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act

Moved by: A. Khan

1. That the Nicholas Austin Property (775 Kingston Road East) be designated by the Town of Ajax as a property of cultural heritage value or interest under Section 29 (Part IV) of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, C.O. 18; and

2. That staff be authorized to issue the required notices and prepare the designation by-law for consideration by Council. CARRIED

7.2 PDS-2021-07: 2020 Transportation Awareness Campaign #GetAjaxMoving Update

Moved by: R. Tyler Morin

That the report entitled “2020 #GetAjaxMoving – Transportation Awareness Campaign Update” be received for information.

59 General Government Committee March 8, 2021 ______

CARRIED

7.3 PDS-2021-05: Environmental Sustainability Projects and Programs– Status Update

Main Motion

Moved by: A. Khan

That the report on Environmental Sustainability Projects and Programs – Status Update be received for information.

Amendment

Moved by: L. Bower

That the motion be amended by adding the following provision:

That staff be directed to further investigate options to implement a textile diversion program in the Town of Ajax and report back to Council or the appropriate standing committee by May of 2021 with considerations and recommendations on such a program. CARRIED

Main Motion as Amended

Moved by: A. Khan

That the report on Environmental Sustainability Projects and Programs – Status Update be received for information; and

7.4 PDS-2021-06: CLOCA Shoreline Hazard Management Plan

Moved by: S. Lee

That this report titled, CLOCA Shoreline Hazard Management Plan, be received for information. CARRIED

9. Adjournment (3:48 p.m.)

Moved by: M. Crawford

That the March 8, 2021 meeting of the General Government Committee be adjourned. CARRIED

L Bower, Chair

60 Town of Ajax Summary of Advisory Committee Activities

Report To: Council

Prepared By: Sarah Moore, Committee & Accessibility Coordinator

Date of Meeting: March 22, 2021

Accessibility Advisory Committee – February 17, 2021

Meeting Highlights

• The Committee welcomed Councillor Bower as a new Member for the remainder of the term.

• S. Moore delivered a presentation regarding the 2021 draft work plan, which included information on 2021 considerations due to the pandemic, 2021 priorities, goals, on-going involvement, and the opportunity to create subcommittees.

• Members inquired the process for reporting public health protocol non-compliance. S. Moore indicated that complaints regarding non-compliant businesses can be filed with Durham Region Police Services.

• Members expressed interest in learning more about 2-1-1 Ontario Community and Social Services telephone helpline. S. Moore will extend an invitation for a presentation at a future meeting.

• Members discussed concerns regarding limited COVID-19 communications and the vaccination rollout.

• R. Smith provided a summary of the recent Age-Friendly Ajax Steering Committee meeting.

• Chair Purnwasie provided a summary of the recent Regional Accessibility Advisory Committee meeting, noting presentations from Durham Deaf Services and Canadian Hearing Services.

Recommendation(s)

None.

61 Town of Ajax Report

Report To: Council

Prepared By: Don Terry, Manager of Economic Development & Tourism (interim)

Report #: PDS-2021-09

Subject: Economic Development Action Plan

Ward(s): All

Date of Meeting: March 22, 2021

Reference: Ajax Strategic Plan – Stronger Together (2018-2022)

Recommendation:

That the Town of Ajax 5-Year (2021-2025) Economic Development Action Plan be endorsed.

Background: Through extensive collaboration and research led by Lauren Millier and Justin Dias of MDB Insights, the Town of Ajax 5-year Economic Development Action Plan has been developed to support the Ajax Strategic Plan – Stronger Together and build off the successful 2020 Focus – COVID-19 Business Recovery & Growth Plan to continue positioning our community for economic success.

The 5-year plan identifies opportunities and actions to be undertaken by the Economic Development office in partnership with departments across the Town of Ajax and with the support of Council. The plan looks at the historical performance of the Town’s economy, current and projected industry growth trends, emerging market trends, best practices, and technological opportunities. It also looks at the Town in relation to the Regional Municipality of Durham and the impact and influence of the City of Toronto and the broader Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA) as the major economic engine for the province.

The Economic Development Action Plan requires some fluidity as it was developed in the midst of a continuing global pandemic, which has had wide-ranging impacts on our business community and the Ajax community at large. Economic Development staff will continue to consult and collaborate with business sector representatives and supporting agencies to identify needs, risks, and opportunities and be innovative in implementing modifications.

Discussion: Much has changed across Durham Region and the GTHA since the Town of Ajax last undertook an economic development strategy in 2010. No longer can municipalities around Toronto rely on simply having land availability to attract investment and employment growth. Competition in the GTHA and beyond is very competitive. To successfully attract investment and drive job creation that provides opportunities to retain our young and diverse talent base,

62 Subject: 2014 Economic Development & Tourism Strategy Update Page 2

we must take well-considered, innovative, and measured steps. We must nurture a culture celebrating these attributes across all Town of Ajax departments, our business community, and our community as a whole. Over the past few years, Ajax has been building a brand as a place where innovation is embraced and nurtured through collaboration and education. Technology is a driving force in the new economy and our Economic Development efforts have positioned our community to be a leader. The Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP) builds on Ajax’s existing appeal and unique assets while also providing a shift in thinking and efforts for the Economic Development section within the Planning & Development Department and the Town as a whole. The goals outlined within the Economic Development Action Plan represent areas where focused attention and activities over the next five years can enable the Town to continue to cement their status on the leading-edge of new and emerging economic opportunities, and most importantly, drive job creation for Ajax’s residents both now and into the future. The Economic Development Action Plan has four goals, but each is closely intertwined. Success in achieving the goals will continue to build a strong business and entrepreneurial ecosystem, with innovation at the core.

The 5-Year Economic Development Action Plan brings focus on four goals:

1. Leaders in Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction Business retention and expansion (BR+E) refers to building and supporting existing businesses in Ajax. As the largest driver of job growth, existing Ajax businesses play a critical role in developing the local economy. Ajax’s businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, have the greatest potential to drive job creation for local residents. Demonstrating value for them, understanding and supporting their needs, including access to technology, funding opportunities, additional space or talent is a key feature of the Economic Development Action Plan.

Consistently applying a lens of inclusion and diversity in planning and decision making will ensure Town of Ajax services, programming, relationships, and partnerships reflect the community’s diversity and leverage resulting growth opportunities.

Additionally, attracting new businesses and revisiting tourism opportunities will also contribute to job growth and add to the diverse economic make-up of Ajax. This will ensure our local economy is growing in a sustainable way that enables reinvestment in the amenities that make Ajax a great place to live, work, and play.

2. Innovators in Business start-ups and Workforce Development Business innovation, incubation, acceleration, and workforce development recognizes that talent and human capital are the new currency in economic development. Having already built a reputation for embracing and nurturing innovation and technology, an innovation hub (whether virtual or bricks and mortar) is a reasonable next step that could be the spark that ignites a new approach to growing our local economy. The energy and excitement created by engaging businesses, entrepreneurs and the community at large to participate in this initiative could be a game-changer for Ajax.

The Economic Development Action Plan recommends that a small committee be formed to research the feasibility of such a concept (including costs and anticipated return on investment) and report back to the Senior Management Team and then Council for consideration in the next 12 months.

63 Subject: 2014 Economic Development & Tourism Strategy Update Page 3

3. Advocates and Supporters of Place Development The concept of an innovation hub is just one potential opportunity where new energy and excitement may be nurtured. Place development refers to the creating and connecting communities across Ajax that are vibrant places to live, work and play. Downtown, Ajax’s GO Node and the Central Employment Area are just a few examples of where building these connections through strategic investments, advocacy, and engagement can lead to revitalization. The Economic Development Action Plan recommends that Town of Ajax complete a comprehensive review of the Town’s two BIAs.

4. Champions of Organizational Readiness to Support Growth and Development Ensuring organizational readiness is an overarching goal for the Economic Development Action Plan. We have an exceptional opportunity to drive job growth, continue to foster an innovative culture, and develop a renewed sense of community for residents and businesses. As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, this is more important than ever before.

Ensuring the Economic Development Action Plan and the organization have the resources required to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity, optimism, and energy of the community is a critical factor in the overall success of the Economic Development Action Plan and alignment with Council’s strategic direction.

The Economic Development Action Plan recommends exploration of the structure and tools required to facilitate effective and efficient real estate portfolio management.

How Did We Arrive At The Four Goals? These four goals were identified and confirmed through robust research, including a series of confidential interviews, stakeholder workshops, online and telephone surveys were conducted with key stakeholders to identify and inform on emerging issues. Participants included Town of Ajax staff, administration, members of Council, as well as different business sectors and community partners from across the Region. A SOARR assessment was then completed to explore and validate emerging strategic directions and understand what was actionable. The SOARR Assessment allowed identification of our Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Risks, and Results. These findings supported the strategic directions that make up the Economic Development Action Plan. Based on the research, the SOARR Assessment and consultation with the business community and stakeholders, the four strategic goals were developed and priorities were established. The strategic goals are a result of the refining and answering the questions, ‘where do we want to go’ and ‘how do we get there?’ Those four strategic goals anchor 73 actions in the Economic Development Action Plan, which are listed in subsections describing the: • Strategic Goal • Actions • Delivery Timelines • Leads • Partners • Performance Indicators • Links to Ajax Strategic Plan 2018-2022

64 Subject: 2014 Economic Development & Tourism Strategy Update Page 4

It should be noted that the list of actions (see ATT-1) is a prioritized starting point based on community input and research at a point in time. It is by no means an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all the potential actions for the Town of Ajax or its economic development partners. New actions will emerge and will need to be assessed against the priorities of this plan.

Financial Implications: As evaluations on how to best implement the actions recommended in the Economic Development Action Plan progress, staff will bring forward funding recommendations through the Town’s annual budgeting process.

Communication Issues: Staff will regularly report to Council on implementation of recommended actions and results. Staff will consult, collaborate and communicate with stakeholders and partners, such as the Community Economic Development Roundtable, Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, Downtown Ajax BIA, Pickering Village BIA, and others. A variety of communication vehicles will be used to share announcements and updates with the business community and community at large.

Relationship to the Strategic Plan: For complete listing of the relationship of the 75 actions in this Economic Development Action Plan to the Ajax Strategic Plan 2018-2022, please see ATT-1.

Conclusion: The Town of Ajax 5-Year Economic Development Action Plan provides a road map to drive job growth, continue fostering an innovative culture, and energize our business community as we shrug off the impacts of the pandemic. It provides a shift in thinking and alignment with the Town’s ambitious and forward-looking leadership. Endorsement of this plan will allow the Town of Ajax to take advantage of emerging opportunities, capitalize on our competitive advantages, and best position Council and staff to continue growing a strong Ajax. It is recommended that Council endorse the Town of Ajax 5-Year (2021-2025) Economic Development Action Plan.

Attachments:

ATT-1: Economic Development Action Plan (2021-2025)

ATT-2: Town of Ajax Appendix Research Report (March 2020)

Prepared by:

Don Terry – Manager of Economic Development & Tourism (Interim)

Submitted by:

Geoff Romanowski – Director of Planning & Development Services

Approved by:

Shane Baker – Chief Administrative Officer

65 2021 TO 2025

Town of Ajax Economic Development ACTION PLAN

Contents

List of Acronyms ...... iii

Executive Summary ...... 1

1. Introduction ...... 3 1.1 The Purpose of the Economic Development Action Plan...... 3 1.2 Aligning our Economic Development Efforts ...... 3

2. Developing the Strategy ...... 5 2.1 Strategic Planning Process ...... 6 2.2 A Community Profile for Ajax ...... 6 2.3 Employment and Demographic Projections ...... 15

3. Business and Community Consultation ...... 18 3.1 Stakeholder Interviews ...... 18 3.2 Stakeholder Workshops ...... 21 3.3 Online Community Survey ...... 22 3.4 Telephone Business Survey ...... 22

4. SOARR Assessment ...... 27 4.1 Determining Strategic Goals and Priorities ...... 30

5. Strategic Goals ...... 31 5.1 Goal # 1: Leaders in Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction ...... 31 5.2 Goal # 2: Innovators in Business Incubation and Workforce Development ...... 33 5.3 Goal # 3: Supporters of Attractive Place Development ...... 35 5.4 Goal # 4: Champions for Organizational Readiness to Support Growth and Development .. 37

6. Action Plan ...... 40 Goal #1: Leaders in Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction ...... 42 Goal # 2: Innovators in Business Incubation and Workforce Development ...... 50 Goal # 3: Supporters of Attractive Place Development ...... 54 Goal # 4: Champions for Organizational Readiness to Support Growth and Development ...... 59

ii | 2021© MDB Economic Insight – Town Development of Ajax Economic DevelopmentAction Plan Action67 Plan Page i

Figure 1: Common Acronyms

iii | 2021 Economic – Development Action Plan 68

youngest and most diverse populations east of Toronto. Ajax’s business community is also emerging and Ajax’s embrace of innovation has positioned the community to continue to be c Development Action Plan (EDAP) was developed to build on Ajax’s existing aligned with the Town’s 2018 creation for Ajax’s residents both now and into the future. The Economic Development Action Plan has Leaders in Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction Innovators in Business Incubation and Workforce Development Supporters of Attractive Place Development Champions for Organizational Readiness to Support Growth and Development

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1 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 69

usiness retention expansion (E) refers to continuing to build and support the existing businesses in Ajax. As the largest driver of job growth existing Ajax businesses play a critical role in developing the local economy. Ajax’s businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, have the greatest potential to drive job creation for local residents. nderstanding and supporting their needs including access to technology funding opportunities additional space or talent is a ey feature of the Economic Development Action Plan. Attracting new businesses and tourists will continue to add to the diverse economic maeup of Ajax and ensure that the local economy is growing in a sustainable way that enables reinvestment in the amenities that mae Ajax a great place to live. usiness innovation incubation acceleration and worforce development recognies that talent and human capital are the new currency in economic development. An innovation hub can be the spar that will drive a new approach to grow Ajax’s economy. Enabling businesses, entrepreneurs and the community at large to participate in the growth of the Town’s reputation for innovation will be a game changer for Ajax. The Economic Development Action Plan refers to the creation of an innovation hub as a catalyst for a broadbased innovation agenda across the Town. As the Town loos to explore the feasibility of such a concept it is relevant to consider how the spoes from such an effort will extend across the town and the region as the ideas and talent that comes together there spreads across industries sectors and communities. The concept of an innovation hub is just one opportunity where this new energy and excitement will be nurtured. Place development refers to the creating and connecting communities across Ajax that are vibrant places to live, work and play. Downtown, Ajax’s GO Node and central employment area are just a few examples of where building these connections through strategic investments advocacy and engagement can lead to revitaliation. Ensuring organiational readiness is an overarching goal for the Economic Development Action Plan. Ajax has an exceptional opportunity to drive job growth continue to foster an innovative culture and develop a renewed sense of community for residents and businesses. Ensuring that the Economic Development Action Plan and the organiation have the resources reuired to capitalie on the tremendous opportunity optimism and energy of the community is a critical factor in the overall success of the EDAP and alignment with Council’s strategic direction.

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. ntroduction . The Purpose of the Economic Development Action Plan The Town of Ajax last undertook an economic development strategy in . ince then, much has changed across the region. anufacturing has undergone a significant fundamental shift across the Province, and new industries have emerged as the internet of things, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity have fundamentally changed and will continue to change the way we live and the nature of work in many industries. Durham egion and the Greater Toronto and amilton Area GTA have also undergone significant changes over the past decade. unicipalities across the region are emerging with uniue offerings to residents and businesses as they compete for new types of employment, driven by technology and talent, while still maintaining some of their more traditional industry sectors. The western portion of the Greater Toronto and amilton Area has continued to see exponential growth with cities like amilton looking to become leaders in the creative economy, ississauga continues to be a location of choice for many corporate head offices and a life science cluster. Other municipalities like aughan and rampton have taken the opportunity to reimagine their downtowns around transit hubs and plan for the future. arkham has also emerged as a fastgrowing municipality with a high concentration of information, communications and technologybased CT firms. The GTA and surrounding areas are the sites of significant changes, with municipalities carving out their own niches and clusters of industry defining many jurisdictions. unicipalities themselves are having to reimagine their roles as an organiation, including the way in which they deliver economic development services and support for their business communities. Across the GTA, municipalities are increasingly embracing the idea of becoming smarter as an organiation and fully utiliing emerging technology to meet the needs of increasingly sophisticated clients. ith so much change taking place, a forwardlooking and proactive economic development strategy and a sound action plan is reuired. any of those consulted pointed to the need for Ajax to act uickly and decisively to keep pace with the rapidly changing environment. atching the Town’s ambitious and forwardlooking Council with an ambitious action plan will give the Town’s Economic Development staff a roadmap to build on the recent momentum and energy within the community. A new Economic Development Action Plan with a fiveyear horion will allow the Town of Ajax to take advantage of emerging opportunities, capitalie on the competitive advantages of the region and best position Council and staff to pursue employment and economic growth for a strong Ajax. . Aligning our Economic Development Efforts The Economic Development Action Plan EDAP builds on the ongoing efforts of the Town of Ajax and its partner agencies to understand and capitalie on the competitive advantages and aspirations of the community. The Town of Ajax undertook the development of a new corporate strategic plan for the term of Council, 2018-2022 Ajax Strategic Plan – Stronger Together. The corporate strategic plan represents the goals and priorities of the municipality and involved significant consultation within the organiation and the broader community. The corporate strategic plan outlines three overarching goals of ‘Connecting our Community,’ ‘Investing in our Community’ and, ‘Leading in our Community.’

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These goas are comemented with further defined actions, many of which sea to economic deveoment as a riority. The conomic eveoment ction an buids out these riorities with the evidencebased oo at the economy, best ractice research and the inut of the business community, residents and staehoders across a. The aso everages the wor done through the urham egion Cometitiveness tudy. The tudy identifies regiona, community, and sitereated factors that infuence the economic cometitiveness of urham egion. The tudy assesses industria and office maret conditions and trends, maret readiness, and Durham’s relative competitiveness in key target sectors, incuding heath industries, digita media, energy, environment, and engineering and advanced manufacturing. hie the anaysis is rimariy done at the regiona eve, there are a number of municia eve assessments and anayses that have been refected in the . The aso considers the wor associated with the recenty cometed Commercia and moyment Land eview CL and aies an economic deveoment ens to these findings. The Town of a continues to be active in the innovation sace and is eoring the concet of an innovation hub, be it virtua shortterm, centred on downtown or the reurosing surus roerties esewhere in the community. s the concet is eored, it wi create ositive momentum within the community and continue to grow over the ife of this ction an. rior to the andemic, there was considerabe activity and energy being driven by Counci and staff, and it remains imortant that the conomic eveoment ction an harnesses this energy into a framewor and recommendations that the conomic eveoment staff can deiver over the net five years to ee the Town moving forward. This an wi necessariy reuire some fuidity as the business community and the a community as whoe navigate the ongoing imacts of CI.

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Developing the trategy he on o a conomic Development ction lan D is a iveyear plan designed to identiy opportunities and actions reuired to generate groth y the economic development oice in conunction ith departments across the on o a and ith the support o ouncil he a D looks at the historical perormance o the town’s economy, current and projected industry growth trends and emerging market trends, est practices and technological opportunities he a D also looks at the ton in relation to Durham egion and the impact and inluence o the ity o oronto and the roader as the maor economic engine or the province he primary goal o the a D is to provide a targeted year action plan that can e utilied to support usiness, orkorce and place development y ▪ Developing proactive, orardthinking annual usiness plans y the economic development team ▪ roing the diversity o the own’s business and industrial activity, taking into consideration the limits on industrial land ▪ alancing anticipated population groth ith an increase in the nonresidential ta ase and local employment ▪ ssessing and encouraging opportunities or reneal in the donton and commercial cores ▪ ncreasing the economic viaility o the on o a in the short and long term he a D includes suggested metrics or evaluating the perormance o implementing the plan as ell as recommended ongoing engagement activities over the liespan o the plan ontinuing leadership rom the conomic Development ice to drive economic priorities orard and ensure that these eorts are seamlessly, eectively and appropriately communicated is critical to the success o the conomic Development ction lan over the longer term he D process egan in uly and olloed three phases as ollos Phase I – Where are we now? revie o relevant strategies and an economic ase analysis that provided an understanding o the local and regional economy he results o this phase are provided in the research appendi to the D Phase II – Where do we want to go? comprehensive consultation process that included telephone and online surveys ith the usiness community and residents, usiness and stakeholder intervies and stakeholder orkshop discussions he results o this phase are also provided in the research appendi to the D Phase III – How to get there? he inal phase included a est practice revie to inorm strategy development, a visioning process and a detailed implementation plan o speciic actions and short, medium, and longerterm goals to move the Town’s economic development agenda forward.

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. trategic lanning rocess The figure below displays the strategic planning process that was undertaen in the development of the conomic evelopment ction lan. hile each phase is presented seuentially, there were instances where new information, the release of documents or eternal developments in the community may have caused aspects of the process to be adapted or revisited.

hase roject nitiation

roject harter ommunications lan taeholder ngagement lan

hase here are we now

emographic and conomic acground eview conomic ase nalysis ocal aret Trends ndicators and rojections

hase here do we want to go

ublic nformation ssessment and taeholder nterviews ocus roups usiness urvey ommunity urvey ession ngagement esults

hase ow do we get there

raft trategy and ommittee , taff and ouncil inal trategy est ractice eview stablish ommon ision mplementation lan eedbac

. ommunity rofile for ja bacground review and economic base analysis were undertaen to outline the current economic, demographic and socioeconomic situation within the Town of ja. sing tatistics anada, anadian usiness ounts, nalyst data and metroeconomics’ labour force projections, a community profile was created that forms the basis for understanding Ajax’s relative strengths and opportunities. The community profile is presented in infographic form, followed by an analysis of the ey findings. The full economic base analysis is included in the esearch tudy eport appendi.

nsight – Town of ja conomic evelopment ction lan age

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nsight – Ton of Ajax conomic evelopment Action lan age

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Ajax Advantage: Rapid population growth has ensured municipalities that make up Durham Region, Ajax’s population aAjax large Advantage: talent pool Rapid population now and over the growthnext has20 years ensured municipalities that make up Durham Region, Ajax’s population a large talent pool now and over the – next 20 years – – – Ajax’s population is also extr Ajax’s population is also extr Consistently applying a lens of inclusion and diversity in planning and decision making will ensure Town of Ajax services, programming, relationships, and partnerships reflect the community’s diversity and leverage resulting growth opportunities.

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oling ousing ptions Ajax is preominantl mae up o singleetache , semietache an ro houses ith such a high proportion o housing mae up o these categories, there are limite apartment options, ith onl o ellings eing in apartments compare to in ntario omine ith the high proportion o oner occupanc compare to in ntario, the Ajax housing market is primaril mae up o singleamil an one ellings Accoring to the ensus, the meian alue o ellings in Ajax as ,, hich as slightl higher than the Durham Region meian alue , ut consieral less hen compare to other peripheral municipalities to the cit o oronto Accoring to economic moelling aniol Data ining, the meian alue o ellings ha risen to , in Ajax an , in Durham Region Recent increases in the A an ntario housing market, as a hole, hae continue to push the selling price o homes higher an higher he oronto Real state oar reporte that the aerage ear to ate sales price or single etache homes as ,, ithin the area an , ithin the area or an oerall aerage o ,, he Durham Region Association o Realtors reporte the aerage ear to ate price o all singleetache homes in Ajax as , or the same perio hile Ajax housing prices hae increase, the on still enjos a er competitie cost to entr in the A or those looking or singleetache housing options ien the scope o the eallion eelopment at at al uare, hich ill ring thousans o rentals an cono units to market in the near term, Ajax ill continue to proie a strong alue proposition or irsttime singleamil home uers an an emerging suppl o housing options or oung proessionals in the onton igh ousehol ncome eels he meian total househol income or Ajax as , in , hich as higher than the Durham Region at , an signiicantl higher than ntario at , conomic moelling or igures shows that Ajax’s median income had risen to $104,997, with Durham Region’s rising to $98,665. These strong househol income numers are somehat mute the higher incomes in neighouring municipalities in ickering an Ajax Advantage: A hit eian total househol incomes in Ajax hae increase variety of housing rom to , hich is similar to the rate o increase in oth Durham Region an the roince o ntario options coming soon – At the iniiual leel, the meian total income as ,, more residents hich represents an increase o just rom the to choosing to live in ensus, hile the region sa an increase an the proince a Downtown Ajax. increase ne potential explanation or the lo iniiual income groth an total househol income groth more in line ith the regional an proincial igures coul e the increase numer o persons in a househol rom to persons arger househol sie coul e an inicator o more income earners per househol as ault chilren ace greater arriers to entering the housing market

httptrehomecomilesmarketstatsmarketatchmp httpurhamrealestateorgpshousingnoemerp D nsight – on o Ajax conomic Deelopment Action lan age

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trong moment rowth moment ndustr hie the anasis o the industries and occuations that residents o Ajax wor in is imortant, it tes the story of the workforce’s employment rather than the employment available within Ajax. or this reason, tatistics anada sti roides the most accurate inormation on emoment ace o wor. ensus data indicate that emoers roided a tota o 9,195 jos at ocations within the town o Ajax in 016, u rom ,045 in 001, or an asoute gain o 6,150 and a ercentage gain o 6.7. n other words, jos emoment ace o wor within the Ajax grew at ess than ha the 6. gain o its population over the same span. Nevertheless, Ajax’s employment gain of 26.7% was twice that o the Region at 1.7 and more than twice that o the roince as a whoe at 11.7. t shoud e noted that emoment ace o wor numers do not incude emoed ersons residing within Ajax who hae ‘No Fixed Place of Work’ or don’t reort to a reguar worace ocation at the start o a shit. The economic actiities occurring in an communit can e diided into those that are and those that are . ▪ economic ase industries roduce goods that are shied to marets outside the communit agricuture, orestr, ishing and manuacturing the roide serices to isitors or temorar residents o the communit hotes, tourism attractors, seciaied hositas, coeges and uniersities or the roide serices to usinesses outside the communit seciaied inancia, roessiona, scientiic and technica serices. ▪ ouation sering industries roduce serices that rimari meet the needs o residents in the communit retai, medica, rimar and secondar education, and ersona and goernment serices. emoment exansion can ead to the recruitment o worers rom outside the area, worers who, in turn, ring with them souses and other deendents. er new exortased jo rings with it additiona ouation gain. This ouation growth, in turn, dries growth in the demand or actiities such as retai, education, heath, recreation, etc. And the growth in these ouation sering jos, in turn, eads to the urther recruitment o worers rom outside the area and, in turn, to additional population growth. In Ajax’s case, the expansion of exportased emoment ma not drie ouation growth to the same extent as it tica might e due to the high roortion o the wororce that commutes out or wor. eertheess, the increase in these jos can he suort the aread attractie case or iing in Ajax, roide oca emoment oortunities, and increase the actiit rate coser to the icia an target o one jo or eer two residents. hen ooing at the industria distriution o jos within Ajax comared to that o ntario as a whoe, Ajax’s shares exceeds those of the province by the widest margins in retail trade (3.7 percentage points), transortation and warehousing .0, manuacturing 1., arts, entertainment and recreation 1., education 1., ood and accommodation 1.0 utiities 0.7 and whoesae trade 0., whie its shares a short o the roince the widest margins in goernment .4, roessiona, scientiic and technica serices .7, inormation and cuture 1.1, agricuture 1.0, inance and insurance 1.0, heath and socia serices 0.9 and other usiness serices 0.8.

os in Ajax incude on those with a ixed ace o wor. D nsight – Town o Ajax conomic Deeoment Action an age 11

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ource tatistics anada, ensus 26 In 26 there were . million jobs on a place of work basis in the reater olden orseshoe. m estimates . million of those jobs were exportbased jobs with their industrial distribution as follows ▪ anufacturing , ▪ Agriculture 37, ▪ Finance, insurance and real estate , ▪ overnment 36, ▪ Professional, scientific and technical ▪ Information and culture 3, services 6, ▪ Accommodation and food 33, ▪ ealth and social services 6, ▪ ther business services 2, ▪ ransportation and warehousing 7, ▪ onstruction 2, ▪ Wholesale trade , ▪ Arts, entertainment and recreation 7, ▪ etail trade 2, ▪ tilities , ▪ ducation , ▪ ining 6,

tatistics anada Place of Work data is only available for 26. The total number of jobs is calculated on a ‘place of work’ basis and does not include those employed within the GGH with ‘No Fixed Place of Work’. Insight – own of Ajax conomic evelopment Action Plan Page 2

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Geographically 427,000 of the GGH’s 1.1 million export base jobs were located in Toronto, 152,000 in ississaua in auhan in Hamilton in arkham in rampton and in Waterloo. These seen municipalities alone accounted for or of the . million economic base jobs within the GGH. n other words those industries that are the enines of rowth for the entire GGH are heaily concentrated in only a few of the area’s municipalities. Ajax accounted for 3,700 of the area’s economic base jobs in 2016, with manufacturin accountin for of that total and ariculture and utilities accountin for the rest. The list of economic base jobs within the GGH suests significant opportunities for the expansion of Ajax’s economic base lie in such areas as professional scientific and technical serices information and culture finance and insurance health and social serices and other business serices. ach of these industries accounts for a sinificant number of economic base jobs within the GGH but each is underrepresented on the job front within jax when compared to the proince as a whole. The fiure below tabulates the job ains made by industry in jax since and proides job totals for each industry for each census year. er the entire span from to ▪ The total number of jobs by place of work rew by . ▪ anufacturin fell by jobs ▪ Finance insurance and real estate rew by jobs ▪ etail trade rew by jobs ▪ Transportation and warehousin rew by jobs ▪ ducation rew by jobs ▪ ccommodation and food rew by jobs ▪ rts entertainment and recreation rew by jobs ▪ Health and social serices rew by jobs ▪ Professional scientific and technical rew by jobs ollectiely the losses and ains across the aboe nine industries accounted for of the oerall job ain of in jax since .

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Agriculture, forestry 160 165 175 140 ining, oil and gas 0 10 0 0 tilities 255 240 315 430 onstruction 15 770 35 1,010 anufacturing 5,560 3,25 3,125 3,45 holesale trade 35 1,345 1,40 1,235 etail trade 3,55 4,40 4,400 4,600 Transportation, warehousing 70 70 1,30 1,740 nformation, culture 365 35 350 430 inance, insurance, real estate 1,035 1,30 1,665 2,120 rofessional, scientific, technical serices 5 1,150 1,420 1,60 ther business serices 710 30 55 25 ducation 1,00 2,245 2,20 2,650 Health, social serices 2,415 2,400 2,25 3,120 Arts, entertainment, recreation 255 675 75 65 Accommodation, food 1,665 1,655 2,100 2,30 ther serices 1,065 1,250 1,305 1,315 Goernment 650 510 65 50 ource tatistics anada, ensuses of 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 ooing at the more recent past, and especially the period following the 200 global recession, the figure aboe suggests Ajax is already maing major strides in achieing job growth in many of the GGH’s ey exportbased industries and in many of the industries where historically the Town has been underrepresented when compared to the proince, most notably in professional, scientific and technical serices finance, insurance and real estate and health and social serices. sing proincewide estimates of real Gross omestic roduct per worer by industry in 2016 and applying those estimates to the number of persons employed in each industry in Ajax that year estimates the Ajax economy produced 3,362 million of G in constant 2012 dollars in 2016. The major contributors to that total were manufacturing 42 million, real estate 47 million, finance and insurance 264 million, wholesale trade 237 million, education 234 million, construction 22 million, retail trade 216 million and health and social serices 215 million. mployment by ccupation High leels of populationbased employment categorie Ajax with etail alesperson, ashiers and ood ounter Attendants, itchen Helpers and related support occupations maing up three of the four

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hhest otos teo fo o esttes ee of the tsotto osts steth of the o e fo the hh ees of eoetete to the seto et hoese e es sot t es te Hes ee so to eoet otos th te hes tsot t es es esete se sess ots sesses e s te f the tot sesses thee ee sesses tht eote h eoees o ss of the sess ot t fo sesses th eoees tes tht eoe etee to eoe ofesso setf teh sees et te e the stes th the est e of sesses th eoees ofesso setf teh sees e estte et es ostto e the stes th the est e of sesses thot eoees oto otet ss s ese of the ete oetto of st seto ot to etf es of steth otet stes he oo t the oto otet for businesses with employees in Ajax, there were a few industry sectors where LQ’s in Ajax were sft oe the o eh t ete oetto th o e eete o os hese stes e to ees ooto oo ees ofesso etf eh ees oet eoh oetos oete oet Goth etos e of o Ge the e of the et ess t the fe eo ttes the tte ee of eoet o st t estte fo oete fo fo e the et ee hhee eoet oe oets tot eoet e of o ese fo estte to of o hese rojections also assume employment in Ajax’s economic base industries will grow at the tes oete fo those stes oewide, and they assume employment in Ajax’s community se stes o e t t the tes oete fo the oee hese es ee to e fthe efe the eo t of h s t of ts oto eoet oetos o th fte ess t

eee Canada Business Counts uses information from the Statistics Canada’s Business Register. The tot sesses e ssfe sesses ot ssfe sesses of etete se oote th of evenue). Because of changes to Statistics Canada’s ethooo st ssfto these fes e ot et oe oe te test oetos ee etoeoos sest sht ete s of eet oto eet eoe fo sest ee oe ots ot to th e o

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Total all industries Agriculture, forestry . ining, oil and gas . tilities . Construction , , , . anufacturing , , , . holesale trade , , , . Retail trade , , , , . Transportation, warehousing , , , . nformation, culture . inance, insurance , , , . Real estate , . rofessional, scientific, technical services , , , . ther business services , , . ducation , , , , . ealth, social services , , , , . Arts, entertainment, recreation , , . Accommodation, food , , , , . ther services , , , . overnment , , , . Source ver this span, the population of Ajax is projected to increase up to in from estimates. Over this period, Ajax’s projected population growth should drive a similar rate of growth in its communitybased jobs. The projected gains in population serving jobs account for most of the increase in total employment by place of wor in the town. The figure above indicates the following ▪ The largest gain among the major industries over the to span will occur in health care and social assistance ,), stemming from overall population growth and from the ageing of the

n the case of suburban municipalities that are part of a metropolitan area such as Ajax) the population potential depends on the municipality’s internal economic base expansion. t also depends on the pace of growth in jobs in the urban core of the metropolitan area to which its residents can commute. Ajax’ population growth potential is significant because jobs in nearby major employment centres lie Toronto, aughan and ississauga are growing uicly. The greatest constraint on population growth in Ajax is its capacity for, and its willingness to accept, residential expansion. metroeconomics projections have assumed Ajax favours growth.

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population already residing in Ajax. hree new longterm health care facilities in development will provide close to beds. ▪ Other major gains will occur in retail trade ,, accommodation and food services ,, educational services ,, transportation and warehousing , and professional, scientific and technical services . he projections suggest the significant historical erosion of employment in manufacturing and agriculture is now over. he goodsproducing sectors are not about to undergo major employment reversals rather, the levels that currently exist are expected simply to hold steady in the years ahead. n contrast, the Ajax economy will continue to witness significant gains in service sector jobs across a wide range of services, including technologybased services. ocal initiatives directed toward broadening the economic base of the Ajax economy could significantly alter the projections. igure should be considered a “business as usual” projection based on the assumption that Ajax achieves job growth over the next decade at a pace that might otherwise be expected given expected trends by industry province wide. One of the objectives of the conomic evelopment Action lan is to increase the growth of the export base employment sectors beyond the expected increases.

rojections do not reflect the recent Amaon announcement.

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usiness and ommunit onsultation he conomic evelopment Action lan or the own o Ajax builds on the results o the economic base analsis as well as a review o the existing policies documents and ramewor provided b the own o Ajax and regional strategic plans and studies his situational analsis las the oundation or the conomic evelopment Action lan n order to ensure that the action plan relects both the historical and projected data as well as the realit o the business and staeholder communit a robust consultation process was undertaen to inorm the inormation received and relect on the aspirations or the next ive ears he ull staeholder engagement results can be ound in the appendix with a summar o each engagement activit presented below taeholder nterviews uring the summer o a series o conidential interviews were conducted with e staeholders to identi and inorm emerging issues or urther investigation and validation through the research and engagement phase o the conomic evelopment Action lan hese interviews were conducted with own o Ajax sta administration members o ouncil as well as business and communit partners rom across the region he conidential nature o the interviews provided both internal and external staeholders with an opportunit to share their eedbac on the current state o the Ajax econom areas o strength challenges and most importantl the opportunities that the elt could be capitalied on through the conomic evelopment Action lan he ull interview engagement results can be ound in the appendix with a summar o the e emerging themes and issues presented below based on a series o common uestions What are the Town’s advantages or attracting businesses and uture business growth and investment ▪ Ajax’s location is commonly referenced as a strength. Being strategically located along the and highwas provide eicient access to and rom the A and on to other marets both in anada and the nited tates roximit to oronto also provides access to the amenities o an international cit including arts entertainment and earson nternational Airport ▪ conomic development sta are well regarded b the business communit and ouncil he level o engagement and number o events and programs the municipalit oers were recognied b staeholders usiness staeholders had a high level o amiliarit with the conomic evelopment team the wor that the do and their willingness to help ouncil itsel was positivel viewed b the business communit as partners and proponents in conomic evelopment taeholders expressed conidence that economic development is a priorit or ouncil and that sta are wellpositioned to deliver on this mandate ▪ Ajax and urham egion as a whole are becoming more snonmous with technolog and innovation through public sector investments and partnerships with the private sector hile Ajax had previousl been regarded as somewhat lagging in the A

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artnershis with ostsecondary the emerging A sector the exloration of an interconnected innoation h and oerall inestment in roadand infrastrctre that the Town has aroed hae ositioned Ajax for the changing economic landscae and to start eing considered as a tech commnity if the inestments can lead to jo creation in the sector. ▪ Ajax’s lakefront contributes to the high quality of life and attractiveness of the community for residents. Ajax’s lakefront is unique among GTHA municipalities because it has not een commercially deeloed nor is it the site of indstrial deeloment and is rimarily enjoyed as a recreational sace. What are the major arriers to economic growth in the commnity ▪ A large roortion of the worforce leaes Ajax eery day to wor in other commnities rimarily the ity of Toronto and other TA mnicialities. ighly silled workers and professionals leaving Ajax and commuting into Toronto represent a ‘brain drain’ of sorts as the talent and innoation they reresent are tilied y firms otside of Ajax. ong rofessionals were referenced as a cohort where the aeal of woring downtown Toronto was esecially realent. ▪ Ajax has a lac of land aailale for greenfield deeloment de to its sie the existing ildot of the emloyment land within the mnicial ondaries and mch of the northern and eastern sections of the mniciality rotected from deeloment nder the reenelt. The acant land that does exist within the mniciality is riately held withot mch deeloment actiity. emand for land is high with many crrent greenfield landowners holding and not deeloing. ▪ There is a nmer of areas that are constrained y aailale sericing caacity with the downtown eing most commonly cited. ncreased sericing and caacity are largely deendent on er leels of goernment rham egion roince of ntario with limited aility for Ajax to roceed on its own. ▪ taeholders strggled to articlate the ale roosition or how the Town is defined from an economic deeloment ersectie esecially as comared to other TA mnicialities. taeholders exressed a lac of a clear ision of what differentiates or defines Ajax. The lac of a clear ision and ale roosition also extended to the two Bsiness mroement Areas BAs within Ajax as staeholders exressed a desire for a reiew of the ale of the BAs along with their focs accontaility and transarency. What economic deeloment and commnity deeloment oortnities or trends is the commnity missing ot on ▪ The deeloment of a cohesie downtown area with a comelling reason to visit was identified as a missing component to Ajax’s economic development. While other GTHA mnicialities hae een inesting in their downtown and reestalishing them as a h of retail residential and entertainment, due to servicing constraints, Ajax’s downtown redevelopment has een slow and contines to e the site of low density stri laas and srface aring lots. While the downtown has a BA intended to sort reitaliation it has een historically ineffectie in leading the irancy that is eing exerienced in other TA downtowns.

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▪ The lack of commercial office development was cited as a missed opportunity. ignificant development of this type of employment in municipalities to the north and west of Toronto were referenced with particular mention of ississauga and arkham. ▪ There were a number of mentions of the lack of compelling venues and amenities that would keep young people in the community and spending their disposable incomes locally. While there was a recognition that Ajax could not provide the level of entertainment that competes with Toronto, the development of concentrated areas for younger demographics, including trendy shopping, entertainment, cafes and restaurants, was referenced as a missing component that also may be contributing to an outcommuting workforce. ▪ Ajax’s development has historically catered to car culture, and the inability to navigate the Town without owning a car was seen as a major barrier to young workers who are not interested in owning a vehicle. any communities are focusing on walkable and pedestrianfirst development where the use of a car is not required, and stakeholders expressed a desire for Ajax to adopt pedestrian first principles and advocate for increased transit connectivity. owntown and ickering illage have the pedestrian infrastructure in place, but a lack of attractions and businesses conducive to foot traffic need to be addressed to encourage more streetlevel activity. What key considerations need to be reflected in the Town’s economic development strategy ▪ ne of the key considerations that were expressed was the need for the examination of the current oning bylaws to allow flexibility, especially for recognied areas to encourage mixeduse development to accommodate liveworkplay communities. As Ajax looks to encourage density and to make the best use of the limited employment land that is available and the redevelopment of ageing industrial areas, there must be a consideration for new uses that may be proposed, including vertical agriculture. ▪ treamlining of the development and approval process was highlighted as a point of concern. There was not a clear consensus as to whether the approval process itself was slower or more cumbersome than other municipalities or whether it was a lack of understanding by the development community about the process. There was a consensus that the Town could look to create pathways for express development processesred tape reduction where possible. ▪ The current status of the downtown was consistently cited as an area that the conomic evelopment Action lan must address. The current composition of the downtown is dominated by singlestory plaas and parking lots and a mostly uncoordinated business community despite the presence of a A. takeholders expressed a desire to see a plan and reimagination of Ajax’s downtown and more tools to enable revitalization, including intervention by the Town of Ajax, particularly as it relates to the viability of the owntown A. any As across the province have evolved and taken on more sophisticated roles and responsibilities, while others have found it more efficient for the municipality to offer services directly to businesses across their jurisdiction as opposed to isolated areas. ▪ The need to support small businesses through spaces for business acceleration and incubation was a key component that emerged through the interview process. Ajax’s economy is primarily made up of small businesses. The recent Gordon oods investment was referenced as an example of a recent large employer investing in Ajax, but even those large employers will require small businesses that support the supply chain or provide services to the company.

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▪ With the high outcommuting workforce and a large number of local employment opportunities in the retail sector stakeholders expressed the need for increased job growth in Ajax. There have been recent investments in transportation and logistics but these industries do not provide a high density of jobs when compared to the amount of physical space they take up. There was a desire to develop incentives for targeted industries technology enabled firms creative industries business services that drive employment growth especially in the professional scientific and technical sectors. ▪ everal significant transportation projects in urham egion will have a significant impact on the economic development potential of Ajax. . takeholder Workshops Three stakeholder workshops were held on eptember at the Town of Ajax municipal office. The sessions were segmented to capture input from a broad range of stakeholders and included one business and community session one staff session and one session targeted at small and medium enterprises and high growth companies with locations in Ajax. The sessions included an economic overview of Ajax’s economy followed by an interactive discussion facilitated by rik ockhart of the ueens xecutive ecision entre. Attendees were asked to consider several questions related to Ajax’s current and future economic opportunities in both ndividual and small group discussions to explore the initial economic findings and emerging trends and issues. sing collaborative technology the sessions utilized a realtime brainstorming evaluation and prioritization exercise focused on specific opportunities and challenges. The full stakeholder workshop results can be found in the appendix with a summary provided below What are the good news stories and key areas of strength for the economy of Ajax ▪ ultiple postsecondary institutions in the egion ▪ ew logistics companies with the potential to build a cluster across the egion ▪ Ajax active in technology space A partner with urham ollege ▪ iversity of cultures residents and business offerings ▪ conomic developmentminded ouncil What do you consider to be the greatest opportunities for the Town of Ajax to sustain its economic growth in the coming years ▪ owntown redevelopment mixeduse live work play model with a new or expanded community improvement areas ickering illage owntown ▪ The economic developmentfocused ouncil presents an opportunity to further reduce red tape and rethink municipal incentives through the updating of community improvement plans ▪ Target and specialize in technology i.e. obotics A cybersecurity and connect any proposed innovation hubs with other tech hubs in the region What challenges are limiting economic growth in Ajax ▪ egulatory roadblock red tape and perception of a lack of urgency

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▪ etter coordination etween levels of overnment and some cometin riorities witin and etween municialities in te eion lookin for rowt ▪ ack of a common vision of wat Ajax is and would like to e leadin to a need for clarity and suort of riorities and secific actions needed ▪ esources money sace staff udet allocation for economic develoment rorams and services nline ommunity urvey An online survey was availale on te own of Ajax wesite durin etemer and ctoer of e survey rovided an oortunity for memers of te ulic and usiness owners wo were not ale to attend te ulic worksos to rovide inut into te conomic eveloment Action lan e survey questions were similar to tose asked durin te inerson worksos Altou te survey was romoted trou te own of Ajax newsletter and social media it received a limited numer of resonses in art due to several concurrent surveys in te community for te cororate strateic lan and oter oraniational strateies A total of individual resonses were atered trou te online survey from residents of Ajax five currently workin in Ajax and five workin in oter A municialities Altou te samle is small it does rovide some reflection on the community’s perceptions en asked to rate te level of satisfaction wit te quality of services in Ajax te community ranked te ulic lirary recreation facilities and services retail soin environment community festivals and events ealtcare services and waste manaement as areas were tey were more satisfied tan unsatisfied ousin coices education usinessrelated services usinessrelated events transortation infrastructure lannin and develoment and emloyment services received neiter a satisfied nor dissatisfied response. The Town of Ajax’s corporate strategic plan wic was conducted concurrently received a reat deal of community inut on service areas as well as secific recommendations on economic develoment and usiness services e results of te cororate strateic lan were reviewed and consolidated as art of te ackround document review eleone usiness urvey A usiness satisfaction survey was comleted via A omuterAided eleone nterview wit usinesses located in Ajax e random selection of te usinesses and scientific aroac ensured tat te results ave a i level of accuracy and statistical sinificance in reresentin te usiness community in Ajax rom a statistical ointofview tis samle results in a marin of error of aroximately wit a confidence interval of times out of usinesses were asked aout teir industry sector te numer of emloyees sales and lans for teir usiness as well as teir satisfaction wit oter unique factors of doin usiness in Ajax e comosition of te usiness resonses included all sectors ownersi structures and ae of usinesses oeratin in Ajax e usiness resonses also reresented usinesses ranin from te very small selfemloyed to te very lare emloyees A full outline of survey resonses can e found in te aendix A snasot of te usiness survey and te key inuts it rovided into te conomic eveloment Action lan follows

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business factor, ‘Municipal property taxes’

Using the derived importance methodology, business’ overall satisfaction is correlated to the

‘Availability of funding programs for business and property improvement.’ ‘Municipal property taxes,’ ‘Availability of skilled labour’ and ‘Development charges and offsite levies’ and ‘Development/building permit process’ rounded out the top five.

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Availability of funding programs for business and property improvement Municipal property taxes . Availability of skilled labour . Development charges and offsite levies . Development/building permit process . Availability of unskilled labour Availability of property for purchase or lease . pportunities to collaborate ith postsecondary institutions for . D and sourcing talent Availability of adeuate housing . uality of public transit service . ocal roads and streets . Availability of health and medical services . nternet service . rovincial roads and highays ellular phone service . ater availability .

ne of the important features of the telephonebased business survey as the ability to identify the future plans of businesses through the identification of green and red flags. Armed ith this intelligence on specific business plans, conomic Development staff are ellpositioned to follo up and provide customied resources to ensure the best possible outcome for a business to expand in Aax or potentially mitigate a closure, donsiing, sale or relocation.

MD nsight – on of Aax conomic Development Action lan age

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▪

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▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ Ajax’s lakefront contributes to the high quality of life and attractiveness of the ▪ ▪ Tech’s presence in the region is an asset ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ – ▪

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▪ Durham Live on Ajax’s border ordon ood ervice and Aaon represent assive investents in the area apitaliing on increased traffic and supply chain opportunities associated ith these investents can increase their econoic ipact in Ajax ▪ The completion of Highway 412’s Lake Ridge Road Interchange and future interchange at ossland oad ill further connect Ajax businesses and residents ith the region and ajor eastest transportation corridors along ighay and nhanced public transportation along ajor northsouth routes ithin Ajax including fro the ode through to pton can help connect counities Aspirations ▪ ncreased rates of orkforce retention keeping youth and young professionals in the counity rovide higher levels of local eployent to eet the groth of the population ▪ An innovation hub virtual or physical is a driving force behind increased entrepreneurship and innovation ithin Ajax The buildout of an innovation hub ill create a inicluster of technology cybersecurity A A and achine learning businesses ▪ Ajax is the unicipality of choice ithin the TA for failies based on the high quality of life ith a ide variety of entertainent restaurants and aenities for failies and young professionals ▪ usinesses and the Ton ebrace the live ork play indset and support and encourage developent that reflects this onton is envisioned as the epicentre of this shift fro car culture and bedroo counity to coplete counities ▪ everage technology and start to be considered a leader aong the art ities conversation in the TA The conoic evelopent epartent can be at the forefront of ipleenting ne technologies to further enhance their position as a leader and innovator isks ▪ ontinued lo assessent groth and lo eployent industries taking up uch of the liited available space for developent ▪ peculation on lands – as Toronto prices continue to rise risk of developers holding Ajax lands and sitting on the over the long ter rather than developing the to eet current eployent groth needs ▪ n the increasingly copetitive retail sector sall and independent businesses that don’t have the marketing budgets or the internal resources to conduct business developent activities on their on fall victi to changing retail landscape A lack of vision and innovative action through the As leads to further isolation and businesses turning inards ▪ There is the potential for a loss of oentu and optiis that currently exists aong the existing business counity toards the ne ouncil

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Results ▪ The Town of Ajax sees steady assessment of industrialcommercial growth that supports population and increasing service level reuirements mployment in higherorder industries and exportbased industries contributes to increased D and jobs for residents ▪ aintain a high level of overall satisfaction among existing businesses with increased performance among the highest priority ranked factors The current level of enthusiasm for ouncil and the appreciation of the work in the conomic Development office is maintained over the course of the Action lan ▪ Attract a significant head office investment to raise the profile of the town as a viable location within the THA and leverage the competitive cost environment ▪ uccessful proof of conceptbusiness case and development of an innovation hub virtual or physical as a key driver of entrepreneurship and business acceleration within Ajax 41 Determining trategic oals and riorities ased on the research the ARR Assessment and consultation with the business community and stakeholders a series of strategic goals were developed and priorities were established The strategic goals are a result of the refining and answering the questions, ‘where do we want to go’ and ‘how do we get there?’ These strategic goals identify what the communities must do to achieve their vision and act as milestones along the way Informed by the situational analysis and the consultation with the community the strategic goals are the building blocks for the conomic Development Action lan hile the list of strategic goals based upon the initial consultation process was extensive a number of goals and aspirations rose to the forefront and were verified by the roject teering ommittee based upon their knowledge of the community their expertise and their capacity as partners in economic development to implement the related actions

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trategic oals oal eaders in usiness etention, ansion and ttraction usiness retention and eansion rogramming is a critical feature of an effective economic develoment strategy is designed to strengthen the relationshi etween eisting usinesses and the community to enale their future growth in a Traditional rograms involve meeting with usiness owners and decisionmaers on an ongoing asis through an inerson interview rograms may e segmented y industry, usiness sie, location or may e conducted on a more general level naling the growth of small and medium enterrises s refers to those usinesses that have less than emloyees mall usinesses are classified y ndustry anada as those having etween emloyees, with medium usinesses having etween and emloyees n addition to uilding on the successful aased usiness and entrereneurs, attraction efforts are designed to draw in new comanies, entrereneurs and visitors to add to the local economy and sur investment and o creation rowth sectors in a, including advanced manufacturing, transortation and logistics, and rofessional services, are most liely to occur among small and medium usinesses as oosed to large scale industrial emloyers relocating to a naling growth among eisting usinesses through activities hels usinesses create and reserve local emloyment ocal usinesses also offer a vital contriution to the local ta ase and increasing their share of the overall ta ase can hel lead to the greater financial sustainaility of the municiality as a whole esearch and the eerience of economic develoment leaders have demonstrated that efforts sent on nurturing and enaling growth among eisting usinesses rovide a much more effective return on investment in terms of oth time and resources than ursuing new usinesses through investment attraction efforts lthough statistics differ from urisdiction to urisdiction, the most commonly cite statistics from across orth merica attriute of net new os to eisting usinesses s are the acone of any local economy s nationally mae u of all usinesses with emloyees, with considered small with less than emloyees n a, s reresented over of all usinesses with emloyees with ust two large emloyers in manufacturing, two in ulic administration, one in arts, entertainment and recreation and one in health care and social assistance high concentration of businesses in ‘Accommodation and Food Services’ and

ey mall usiness tatistics – anuary httswwwicgccaeicsitensfenghhtmloint

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‘Professional, Scientific and Technical Services’ are dominated by small businesses and te rot of bot industries are reiant on bein abe to attract orers o ma current be commutin out for or Aa aread as a ood start on retainin and roin businesses of a sies e on of Aa current as a ver i eve of business satisfaction based on te statistica sinificant business surve tat as conducted for A ased on te resuts of te surve businesses ere bot ver satisfied it Aa as a ace to do business and ad i eves of satisfaction it man of te individua business factors itin te on conomic deveoment staff administration and ounci ere a e rearded b te business communit as eressed trou a more ositive business outoo comared to monts ao since te municia eection and a ositive outoo over te near term net monts everain te i eves of business confidence and otimism and romotin te overa business satisfaction eves can e to drive investment and socase Aa as a reat ace to ro a business ue to te eistin servicin constraints imited maretabe saces for reenfied deveoment and rimari rivate onersi are scae industria attraction ma be imited under te current circumstances it Ss main u a are ortion of emoers in Aa enabin teir rot trou rorams and activities is essentia to te onterm rot of te overa Aa econom ie tere ave been some arescae investments in Aa incudin ordon Food Service Amaon and te emerin rot of uram ive on te icerin border as a mutivenue entertainment and soin centre tese are emoers i reuire Ss in te form of suiers contractors and trades to suort teir rot onoin oerations and su cains Focus on S rot b understandin teir uniue needs and connectin tem it eac oter and arer emoers can e maintain stron rot in te oca econom beond ust ouationbased emoment Strentenin oca su cains can e to create oca obs and ensure tat sinoff emoment and investment is retained in Aa usiness retention and eansion is aso cose ined to business attraction Attractin comementar businesses for strateic roin sectors and deveoments is an essentia comonent of te conomic eveoment Action an e buidout of uram ive in icerin on te Aa border rovides an oortunit for suort businesses and comementar tourism roduct deveoment An innovation ub can aso serve as an attractor for businesses visitors and taent As a business case for an innovation ub virtua or sica continues to be deveoed consideration soud be iven to incororatin a broad rane of tecnoobased activities tat incude tec tourism and ostin events articuar in te A robotics and cbersecurit sace Attractin tourism roducts suc as otes destination dinin and retai as e as oter suort services for an innovation ub virtua or sica and uram ive can everae te resence of tose faciities and create obs for Aa residents Attractin businesses tat are reiant on eoe as oosed to andintensive businesses is a e feature of te Action an usiness retention eansion and attraction efforts focus on Ss everain maruee initiatives and roin emoment in sectors ere Aa as demonstrated strent and oortunities Aa as eerienced rot in te transortation and oistics su cain due to its strateic ocation aon Highway 401, Highway 407. The completion of Highway 412 interchanges will further enhance Ajax’s cometitive advantae ere is te otentia for furter rot in tis sector articuar in te areas of smaer distribution centres to accommodate te rot of onine retaiin and ustintime

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manufacturing, which is focused on smaller inventories and more freuent truc transportation. The urham egion ompetitiveness Study identified the eepSea port in shawa as a competitive advantage to businesses within the egion, but the study highlighted the disadvantage that eastern GTHA municipalities faced with regards to airport access. With the Region of Durham’s position and support of the Federal Government’s report, the Toronto East airport was cited as a major factor for existing businesses plans to expand and will most certainly be a ey factor in the attraction of new businesses and further enhance Ajax’s already strong locational advantages. The provides several anticipated sectors of growth using a land needs perspective. The growth sectors from the and the AP both focus on people, technology and innovation as ey drivers of growth. ncouraging smaller footprints and more vertical warehouse, logistics and distribution businesses, as opposed to large scale distribution centre locations, has the benefit of preserving the limited employment lands and delivering higher employment densities. Attracting advanced manufacturing that relies on technology and a silled worforce, smaller and more compact goods movement businesses, and office sector development finance and insurance, professional, scientific and technical services, real estate) are areas where the CELR’s focus on employment land and the EDAP’s focus on driving the growth of jobs for residents of Ajax closely align. The outlines some of the locations where this growth is liely to occur Transit ode, entral mployment Area, and the AP provides recommendations on activities to support this development. Accommodation food and arts, entertainment and recreation, are strong performers and projected growth sectors for Ajax, and they play a vital role in attracting and retaining worforce and visitors. Tourism product development is a contributor to the overall uality of life and uality of place considerations for visitors and residents. Tourism products and entertainment options are also vital to the attraction and retention of young talent to Ajax. Support and encouragement for niche tourism businesses can leverage the return on investment of new and existing festivals, events and efforts to bring people into Ajax and increase their spending within the community, all to create local employment. Ajax can leverage its momentum in tourism product development i.e. hotels, banuet, golf courses, casino, heritage preservation areas, and film locations to attract further investment. Additionally, supporting business retention and expansion of existing tourismrelated businesses will play a ey role in growing destinations, including Picering illage and owntown Ajax. .2 oal 2 nnovators in usiness ncubation and orforce evelopment nnovation is the application of new ideas or inventions into a good or service that creates value. t is often described as the intersection of invention and commercialiation. Providing support to businesses and individuals that are involved in the innovation space involves ensuring the reuired resources are available to enable new businesses and new ideas to grow and succeed in Ajax. The resources may be physical space, access to capital and funding, access to talent or networing opportunities between lie minded firms and other creatives.

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nnovation is also closely associated with worforce development and a businesses ability to scale their business. As new technologies and innovations emerge, access to talent will be a differentiator when attracting innovative firms and spurring job creation through the development and commercialiation of homegrown innovations. Today’s economy is increasingly driven by innovation, technology and entrepreneurs who can turn an idea into a business with the right support. nnovation creates jobs and wealth and is driven by people, entrepreneurs, research and creativity. Durham Region is emerging as a hotbed of innovation and is building an ecosystem that supports new ideas and enables businesses to ramp up. The Region contains Durham College, ntario Tech niversity, and Trent niversity Durham, which are ey partners in developing the talent pipeline and applied research that can support business growth and commercialiation of new ideas. Leveraging these education and research assets is essential to further developing the growth of technology and higherorder employment within Ajax. The innovation ecosystem in Durham is well developed and growing. nnovation centres include the par Centre in shawa, in Whitby, and Durham College’s AI Hub, among others. These innovation centres and accelerators provide startup support and resources that support Ajax’s recent efforts to determine the potential for an innovation hub in the community. As the Town moves forward with researching a business case to validate this effort, it should loo to provide a madeinAjax solution that supports local businesses and ideas as a component of the larger ecosystem. This could ensure that Ajax is competitive in the innovation space over the long term. Preliminary research suggests the Town has an opportunity to establish a niche in the ecosystem in the areas of cybersecurity and A. Another critical and differentiating aspect of the Town may be in the area of technology training. Having a training hub as part of the regional innovation ecosystem could help cement Ajax’s position as the goto jurisdiction for talent and innovators looing to tae a handson approach and tae advantage of the industryleading partnerships and facilities being proposed. Having an innovation hub that has the potential to attract and foster the creation of technologies and products will create value and higher levels of local economic base employment that is currently dominated in the GTHA by the City of Toronto, ississauga and other peripheral municipalities. As businesses become increasingly focused on talent and Ajax businesses have identified silled labour as a priority through the business survey, the more access to technology, innovation and support that Ajax can provide will help it to be attractive to new and existing businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. Access to talent, affordable space and a strong support system can help existing small businesses scale up operations and help retain some of the current outflows of worers to other GTHA municipalities. n the absence of a regional or satellite postsecondary campus in Ajax, an innovation hub with associated brics and mortar or online training facilities could provide space for increased partnerships with universities, colleges and private training organiations that fosters a learning environment for residents and students and talent pipeline for Ajax businesses.

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The goal of transforming Ajax into a leading jurisdiction for innovation and talent also reuires a strong support infrastructure for the current and future orforce tiff competition from the City of Toronto and other THA municipalities ith more established professional and social netors means that Ajax must continue to push out messages that the community is emerging as a vibrant place for young professionals and families to locate or relocate after years of commuting out for employment or leisure The Durham egion Competitiveness tudy reported that Durham rans th in the digital media sector in terms of the available labour force and existing business base The study highlights that the egion is home to more digital media businesses than aterloo Durham also has loer operational costs than or, eel, aterloo and Halton, and has relatively loer costs of entry for digital media startups hen looing at land and development costs Durham egion also rans nd in competitiveness in the sectors, defined as nergy, the nvironment and ngineering ith one of the loer office development costs in the THA and the loest commercial tax rates of H comparator municipalities, Ajax and the region has the potential to attract innovative professional service and technology firms to add to the groing cluster of activity and talent pipeline from ntario Tech niversity, Durham College and the creation of an innovation hub Attracting, retaining and developing the innovative orforce of tomorro for Ajax reuires a combination of formal orforce development initiatives as ell as softer netor development Ajax must actively nurture and promote the ton as a destination for talent any of the leading tech jurisdictions in Canada and the have been successful in not only developing the environment and ecosystem here businesses and startups can develop and gro, but they also have a strong focus on creating the social environment here young talent, entrepreneurs and innovators find lieminded individuals, social netors and a collaborative peer group or Ajax to continue to emerge as an attractive location for innovators and talent, the Ton must play an active role in fostering partnerships, delivering programming and offering uniue opportunities to engage young professionals and technologyintensive firms oal upporters of Attractive lace Development lace development and placemaing is a community and economic development tool that loos to capitalie on local assets to create appealing places for people to live, or and play lacemaing and place development often reuires looing at locational assets and features in a ne ay and actively oring to change existing attitudes and perceptions through mareting, planning and policies that encourage community development and public participation The Ton of Ajax has tremendous place maing potential that can be supported through the conomic Development Action lan Ajax has several strategic locations here public and private sector investments have contributed to a reneed sense of place at ayly uare as a gateay to the donton and the area around the tation are a fe of the examples of here strategic policies, investments and partnerships could contribute to place development These strategic locations can exemplify the live, or, play philosophy but ill also create connections across the ton of Ajax as transit, pedestrianfriendly infrastructure, and public spaces are encouraged everaging and continuing to build these uniue communities ithin

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amenities into downtown will help to transform Ajax’s core and make it more attractive to visitors and contribute to the Town’s placemaking efforts. With the attraction of technology The consultation process and economic analysis revealed that a large portion of Ajax’s workforce

36 | 2021 Economic – Development Action Plan104

Ajax’s BIAs, the involvement of the associations in marketing and community events alone may not provide the optimal return on investment for businesses or the Town and have limited effectiveness in place making. ack of decisive action could result in marketing and promotion of the status uo and business as usual rather than a reimagining which the A recommends and the entral Ajax ntensification ervicing and Transportation AT study will look to achieve. any economic development offices have taken on this place making role and the Town of Ajax can look at ways to bring this function inhouse to help create continuity and alignment of placemaking efforts across the Town’s emerging centres of economic activity beyond just owntown and ickering illage. The establishment of a ‘Win this Space’ competition, programs for enhanced accessibility including mobility ramps and even smartphoneenabled beacons that alert visually impaired customers when they are nearing a store are some of the ways that economic development departments are offering programs and services previously limited to As more broadly across the community. Ajax has a number of other areas beyond downtown that also reuire attention from the conomic evelopment Action lan to leverage their growth potential and ensure that they contribute to placing development within Ajax. The Transit tation ixedse Area has been designated for a higher density of employment in immediate proximity to the transit station with the development of residential to follow. restige employment lands along ighway and adjacent to asino Ajax are the site of considerable interest. ickering illage with its proximity to urham ive will continue to provide opportunities for business growth and tourism along with challenges related to increased traffic and congestion. conomic evelopment needs to be active across the Town and avoid getting narrowed in on areas with As at the expense of businesses throughout the town. The ommercial mployment and eview has identified a supply of vacant land and the consultation process has identified the need for Ajax to actively define its future growth. The province has also designated a rovincially ignificant mployment one south of ayly treet West within the entral mployment Area to protect employment lands. The designation is only the first step and active policy review and development goals are reuired to spur higherorder employment growth in these opportunity areas. A handson approach is reuired in the downtown corridor and key growth areas to attract new investment new businesses and create the vibrant public and pedestrianfriendly spaces that define Ajax as a community with character. trategic investments leadership and a willingness to take bold action when opportunities arise should inform the development of the downtown. The entral Ajax ntensification ervicing and Transportation AT trategy has been initiated to address this desire for increased employment and residential density and the conomic evelopment Action lan and engagement by conomic evelopment staff with the existing business and development community in the area can help inform the ultimate vision of the AT trategy for the owntown. . oal hampions for rganiational eadiness to upport rowth and evelopment This goal reflects an overarching consideration for the success of the conomic evelopment Action lan A. or the Town of Ajax to achieve the economic development goals that were developed in consultation with businesses the community and stakeholders from across the region the conomic evelopment section must have the necessary resources technology and support across the

nsight – Town of Ajax conomic evelopment Action lan age 37 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan105

organiation to deliver on the A rganiational readiness also refers to the ability of staff across departments to embrace a growth mindset An organiational culture that embraces a high level of customer service, understanding and appreciation of business investment and economic development will help increase investor and developer confidence The corporate strategic plan highlighted the priority of dedicating resources to maintain excellent service delivery in response to growth and changes in legislative reuirements ompetition for growth and investment within the TA is fierce The urham egion ompetitive Study identified several areas where urham egion, including Ajax, raned relatively lower compared to other regions primarily associated with its distance to international crossings and earson Airport rganiational readiness and service excellence can be one factor that helps to differentiate Ajax among these competing jurisdictions Accessing services is one of the most important ways that a business or entrepreneur interacts with its local government A positive customer service experience can be the difference between pursuing an opportunity in the Town of Ajax or potentially looing at another jurisdiction perceived to be more businessfriendly or receptive The consultation process, including the business survey, has suggested that Ajax’s Council and staff are well regarded as progressive and focused on economic development This positive momentum in the community presents the ideal time to provide the resources reuired to implement the A and ensure Ajax is at the forefront of economic development As Ajax’s population and labour force continue to grow, economic development in Ajax must be resourced accordingly In addition to increasing resources to meet the reuirements of the A, there is also an opportunity to maximie existing economic development resources through realigning existing staff time and focus Actively managing the Town’s real estate portfolio, including transactions unrelated to economic development, means that less time is available for pursuing strategic investments or opportunities in other areas. Administration and management of Ajax’s two Business Improvement Areas BIAs is also an area where operational efficiencies can be attained The consultation process revealed that much of the BIAs current efforts are limited to locationbased mareting and administrative activities As economic development organiations shift their focus towards placemaing and ensuring connections across communities, a more robust Townled effort and coordinated approach can potentially provide a better and more comprehensive return on investment rganiational readiness also refers to having the processes and procedures in place to manage new and existing development applications and business intelligence effectively and efficiently within and across departments This case management approach starts even before a developer or business approaches the Town with an application or proposal The riority™ program has proved to be an extremely successful and effective tool for expediting projects with significant investment and employment criteria The success of the program can be further enhanced by incorporating innovative best practices and technological solutions to help businesses and entrepreneurs to navigate through some of the licensing, application and permit processes more conveniently online elping businesses with self serve and online options can mae interactions with conomic evelopment staff more impactful and, most importantly, save investors valuable time

B Insight – Town of Ajax conomic evelopment Action lan age 38 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan106

The consultation process revealed that some businesses were frustrated with both the number and sequencing of various components of the development process. ‘Development charges and offsite levies’ and ‘Development/building permit process’ were both identified as priorities for the business community. A refocused and revamped riority™ program that includes the use of leadingedge technology and mareting of its success stories can help to elevate the already awardwinning program. Integrating riority™, BR+E activities and business attraction efforts through a customer relationship management C tool will ensure that no development, success story or potential investment goes unrecognied. The exceptionally high levels of overall business satisfaction and the high regard for economic development staff and Council suggest that businesses already view the Town as showing leadership in the future of the community. As the conomic evelopment section taes on a greater role within the broader innovation ecosystem, increased employment density targets and the strategic opportunities outlined in the EDAP, increased resources and capacity must be considered to maintain the Town’s solid reputation in the economic development space.

39 | 2021B Insight Economic – Town of Development Ajax conomic evelopment Action ActionPlan107 lan age

. Action Plan The Economic Development Action Plan is underpinned by the strategic goals, intended to anchor all of the ensuing actions on the part of the Town of Aa over the net five years. The goals are a result of prioritizing and validating the Town’s overarching vision for the community, alignment with the corporate strategic plan as well as the desired outcomes of the economic development strategic planning process. t should be noted that the list of actions is a prioritied starting point based on community input and research at a point in time. t is by no means an ehaustive or comprehensive list of all the potential actions for the Town of Aa or its economic development partners. ew actions will emerge and will need to be assessed against the priorities of this Plan. The goals and actions are presented in the following manner ▪ – The desired outcome that emerged from the strategic planning process and a statement of the aspirations of Ajax’s stakeholder community. ▪ – The specific direction the Town, its partners, and its staeholders will undertae to combat the essential issues or opportunities that must be addressed over the length of the Action Plan. ▪ – The timeframe for implementing the Action. ear stated indicates when actions are recommended to be started based on the level of priority and alignment with Ajax’s Strategic Plan or other planning eercises. ▪ – The identification of select leads and internal/eternal partners that can support economic development obectives. ▪ – Benchmars that demonstrate successful results from implementing actions. ▪ Connection to Ajax’s Strategic Plan 2018 onverting goals into an action/implementation plan requires a structure that facilitates understanding the compleities of economic development planning, the capacity of the Town to implement actions and the ability and capacity of partner organiations within the community and the region. The framewor serves as a vehicle for breaing down abstract goals and ideas into actionable steps that can bring about the desired result. The timing is indicated by the actual or proected year in which an activity is to be started. These timelines are based upon Ajax’s 2018 trategic Plan and other studies and plans that are anticipated over the lifetime of the Economic Development Action Plan. An annual review and report on Action Plan should be undertaen to inform ouncil and the enior anagement Team of the status of actions as well as any updates to proposed timelines. D Response The preparation of the Economic Development Action was completed ust as the impact of D pandemic was starting to be felt by our business community. Reflecting on this situation and recogniing the shifting circumstances associated with the provision of aid by senior levels of government, several actions within the Economic Development Action Plan, especially related to business retention, have been prioritied for early implementation. Additionally, several economic recovery actions have been

DB nsight – Town of Aa Economic Development Action Plan Page 40 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan108

included based on Ajax’s unique business climate and emerging practices from municipalities as they respond to the unprecedented impact of 1. ecovery efforts and associated programming will continue to emerge based on the needs of the local business community.

41 | 2021 nsightEconomic – Town ofDevelopment Ajax conomic evelopment Action PlanAction109 lan age 1

oal eades in usiness etention xansion and Attaction

Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear S Sort an eeloent

date and conduct a ne innoatie taeted annual conomic onnectin xand ou business etention and exansion oammin to eeloment diital communications state onoin comlement eula business outeac to include a nescast odcasts blos ideo announcements and social media accounts onduct a taeted o stateic locations to identi aea conomic nestin seciic callenes and ootunities uested aeas include eeloment acilitate ootunities o idton ton eional ente onton and icein mixeduse intensiication illae ojects alon eional coidos and majo tansit outes nestin onduct a taeted o subsements o te oeall conomic business communit it a ocus on locall oned businesses eeloment omote inestment and it less tan emloees intensiication alon aood Aenue beteen ia and inston oad onnectin onduct a biannual sue to identi oeall business ndetae custome seice satisaction and tac oess oe time onside statisticall conomic and satisaction sues to siniicant and consistent metodolo to ensue eeloment aue eomance and comaabilit and tac oess e iae ecetions

nsit – on o Ajax conomic eeloment Action lan ae

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Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear Action Plan’s business survey to ensure expansion takes place ▪

–

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Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear everae existin stron partnersips it local an reional eain econoic evelopent business support an counity conoic nae it overnent noin oraniations evelopent netorks boars an associations to avance ▪ nsure tere is a stron reerral process it trackin Partners A priorities trou enterprise to ensure a soot process an AP P easure outcoes e ubpot alesorce onnectin evelop ontinue te series o business orksops an seinars it conoic a ocus on topics tat are key business rot enablers tecnoloy prorain or onoin evelopent yout seniors an businesses ▪ Anel nvestor netorks an opportunities or alternative Partners park Anel it our counity partners business inancin etork ura ▪ Artiicial intellience opportunities or sall business ollee ntario ec

eet it lare eployers in te eion to unerstan teir eain conoic supply cain reuireents an connect te it Aaxbase nae it overnent onoin evelopent s ere possible netorks boars an P associations to avance ▪ reate a A conoic evelopent ountable priorities

conoic onnectin evelop aintain a centralie ebpae it inoration an links to evelopent capain to encourae onoin business rant an support unin opportunities tat is custoers to use eeback available trou te on o Aax ebsite Partners A tools to provie reular input park Anel etork on services an proras

nsure Aax businesses continue to ave access to inancial conoic usiness ecovery support an recovery prora inoration ro overnents evelopent an inancial institutions Partners

nsit – on o Aax conoic evelopent Action Plan Pae

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Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear S Attraction

landing program under the ‘Priority’ branding

▪

–

113 45 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan

Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear egion P P neting pdate the inentory o eet ith landoner in the employment area to identiy ommerial and employment barrier to land beoming maretready land and ae eiting dentiy potential program that ould be intituted to onomi poliie to enure e are enourage deelopment eg ronield eelopment apitaliing on opportunitie or rehabilitationremediation Planning P groth

netigate and upport oning update to relet ne and neting emerging indutrie ie ertial armingurban arming tablih oning permiion or ertial arming in a oris eeloent

nure that tourim road ignage and promotion that help neting eiting buinee and pur omplementary tourimrelated nhane gateay and update buinee i inluded a the ayinding trategy eole Planning elome ignage to the on ranportation uing ne deign guideline ▪ dentiy ey gateay inluding Piering illage and the onomi onton ith enhaned ignage eelopment onneting ▪ Piering illage and arterial road leading to urham ie Partner urham eute a iretional ayinding program to guide ▪ oad leading into a aino egion urham ourim and lin reident and iitor ▪ aterront area and maor arterial road leading to the around on rereation

46 | 2021 night Economic – on o Development a onomi eelopment Action tionPlan Plan 114 Page

Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear Market Ajax’s hotel/convention spaces and any future

47 | 2021 Economic – Development Action Plan 115

Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear ▪ identify areas of strenth or clusters of activity for ecreation Active aret our touris strateies to increased prootion and econoic ipact to assist rans copleent local econoic usinesses to reound fro the pandeic restrictions artners entral developent ▪ identify and uild on our assets ike infrastructure lake ounties ouris access natural environent sports facilities Ajax ons urha onnectin Ajax asino etc ouris artner ith touris and sport oraniations to support ajor ▪ identify aps in assets for further consideration conferences and sportin ▪ eestalish the ouris orkin roup events

articipate/ost an annual touris syposiu for local conoic onnectin operators featurin speakers est practices and netorkin evelopent artner ith touris and sport opportunities artners entral oraniations to support ajor ounties ouris conferences and sportin urha events ouris onnectin upport and facilitate the potential ipleentation of a A conoic nvestiate a possile Municipal Municipal Accoodations ax MA that supports and evelopent Accoodation ax rora funds local touris initiatives inance ecreation

evie options to ipleent a touris strea throuh onnectin A pact Ajax that encouraes ne events for positive econoic evie the MA Ajax ecreation ipact ounity upport rora to conoic consider ne support streas ▪ Assist festival or event oraniers that rin people into evelopent the donton for the counity

48 | M nsiht – on of Ajax conoic evelopent Action lan 116 ae 2021 Economic Development Action Plan

Priorit Alignent it 20182022 Actions ea an Partners iing Ajax Strategic Plan ear Enhance the Town’s ▪ and Region’s Film asset databases ▪ ▪ ambassador’s program (i.e., similar to Ontario by Bike) ▪ ▪ e Perorance nicators ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

–

49 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 117

oal nnoators in Bsiness ncbation and orkorce eelopment

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear An nnoation as a catalst or artnersis

. Form a small committee o local indstry eperts to work with eading . () ollaborate Economic eelopment sta to research and prepare a report with partners to potentially to oncil on the costs and anticipated retrn on inestment establish an innoation hb to create an innoation hb in a. This incldes Economic in a – a proect where opportnities to proide testing and training or small bsiness eelopment technology, training and deelopment and ensre linkages to other regional bsiness artners knowledge will intersect. accelerators and priate inancing networks ndstry Eperts ▪ Ealate the tiliation o mnicipallyowned srpls nest rham properties rham ollege ▪ escribe the elements necessary to ensre a sccessl Ontario Tech and iable enterprise niersity ▪ etermine the best location or the hb and the BoT opportnity to create a irtal innoation in the interim ▪ Deliver a report for Council’s consideration

Economic onnecting . eelop eelopment technology programming or yoth, seniors and . eerage social media relationships with park entre and ommnications bsinesses with or to promoteshare inormation and eents taking place artners commnity partners. within the region park entre E

50B | nsight 2021 – EconomicTown o a EconomicDevelopment eelopment Action ction Plan lan 118 age

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear eadin Collaorate conoic it partners to potentiall artner it Dura eion and te rovince to ost inound Developent estalis an innovation u deleations and failiariation tours for tecnolo advanced in a – a proect ere anufacturin and loistics copanies artners Dura eion DC tecnolo trainin and nolede ill intersect

nsre Ajax sinesses ae access to te tecnolog training an talent tat te nee

conoic Developent Connectin Develop Counications roote free access to inforation and resources trou te tecnolo prorain for on of a esite and continue to deliver relevant artners out seniors and usinesses it our inforation sessions o counit partners CD Dura conoic asforce

Deliver an annual counitide suit on conoic Connectin Develop entrepreneursip ilitin te state of te sector trends Developent tecnolo prorain for fundin opportunities counit perforance and career out seniors and artners CD opportunities usinesses it our Dura counit partners Collee ntario ec

nvestiate partnersips it transportation and loistics conoic Connectin industr to strenten te roin sectors ailit to adopt Developent Develop tecnolo innovation artners Dura prorain for out

51 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 119 D nsit – on of a conoic Developent ction lan ae

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear

▪ –

stalis Ajax as te goto lace or talent an ong roessionals

▪ Highlight Ajax’s young and diverse ▪

52 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 120 –

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear our ounity artners

onoi nvesting eveloent uort and roote youth artners A eloyent y roviding A urha aessile eloyent nhaneontinue ith uext and add siilar rograing egion loal servies and oortunities to attrat train and retain talent in Ajax usinesses loal shool oards urha ollege ntario eh niversity

or ith loal usiness and industry to address aute orer onoi usiness eovery shortages as a ay to unover otential laour needs eveloent onoi usiness eovery eveloent etor and onnet ith returningdislaed ostseondary artners ntario students ith loal oortunities to or and study eh urha ollege hool oards e Perorance nicators ▪ o seaing engageents or sta and the ayorounil at regionalrovinial onerenes ▪ oial edia etris and engageent ▪ o entrereneurs and usinesses assisted ▪ he inreased ativity rate o eloyent ▪ o artiiants in uext and other talent attration initiatives

nsight – on o Ajax onoi eveloent Ation lan age 121 53 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear nsre onton Ajax is eeloe a lace to lie or an la

54 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 122

–

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear ▪

▪ ▪

–

55 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 123

Alignent it 20182022 Priorit iing Actions ea an Partners Ajax Strategic Plan ear

Connecting Ajax’s Communities

sit that services the ‘communities’

56 | 2021 Economic – Development Action Plan 124

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea romote the roaan investments ithin the on o a conomic as a cometitive avantae or attractin resients an or eveoment rom home roessionas ommunications

ntrouce riorities or hsica imrovements to the uic conomic reamsaces active transortation ihtin an sinae eveoment noin ithin the emoment areas to enhance connectivit to ransortation aacent neihourhoos an the onton annin articiate an suort a ainin sinae strate that

incororates usiness an aces

Ceate saces o oung oessionas tec taent an ceaties to conege Develop a rotating ‘After Dark’ program that focuses on conomic rinin an eein eoe in icerin iae ater hours eveoment ith a ocus on roessionas current commutin out or or artners

conomic eveoment uort enhancement o oca etorin ter events to ra in the usiness communit artners other netorin rous nvestiate the eveoment o artnershis ith roert conomic oners that create saces or nontraitiona tenanc ithin eveoment icerin iae onton an other strateic ocations artners rivate ▪ uort or coorin saces anoners rea

57 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 125 nsiht – on o a conomic eveoment ction an ae

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea ▪ ‘PopUp’ business locations estate agents

ork ith commercial lanlors an realtors to ientif D usiness ecover conomic alternativeshort term tenanc options to fill vacancies left Development D e eomance nicatos ▪ of usinesses contacte in strategic area ▪ of attenees at netorking events in ickering illage ▪ hsical an streetscape improvements in the emploment areas ▪ rogress on igha interchanges ▪ nhance routes an northsouth pulic transit options ▪ ecure funing from upper levels of government for ke infrastructure proects that increase economic evelopment capacit

58 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 126 D nsight – on of Aa conomic Development Action lan age

o pions o niion einess o uppo o n eeopen

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea onoi nesin eeopen eeop innoie pies Pnnin eisie in ooe n business n noion eeopen o posiion Deliver a ‘Best in Class Experience’ by incorporating new eies enoo n oos enbe poeni inesos n ousees s ees n eeopes o onu inii ses o eeopen n Pnes uiin esoue o esiens buiin ppiion poesses no peiin inesiion epen u businesses n seoes eion eeopen onine e e Pnnin Po U pspnninpoou ppos o onsuions e uii opnies onseion uoi

Upe n eie e ein o e Pioi P po nesin o pooe e einee po in e eion n nne e Pioi P beon onoi Po o seine n ▪ nsue suessu ppins e poie onine i eeopen epeie ppos o ne esionis Pnnin eisie eeopen n noion ▪ n onine n upbe p euin suessu eies ppins n ep o ee eness o e ip o ouniions e po

▪ Poie suessu ppins i seeee ein eis ise e poie o e po e Pioi P bne epo n o buiin sins

nsi – on o onoi eeopen ion Pn 127 Pe

59 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea ▪ nvestigate opportnities to atten site selection conerences an traesows to proote te progra

Deicate aitional areting resorces to proote te ig Connecting level o bsiness satisaction econoic evelopent Conicate an celebrate oent generate by Concil an sta as a copetitive Econoic te goo wor being one by avantage Developent te own Enhance the ‘Ajax Advantage’ brand/campaign and deliver to a Conications wier aience increase te exposre o te bran to Concil an resients

Develop an econoic evelopent an torisocse Econoic eaing conications an social eia strategy tiliing a variety Developent Engage wit governent o social eia plators Conications networs boars an ▪ ocs on saring econoic evelopent initiatives associations to avance gronbreaings an bsiness openings an oter priorities ilestones ▪ Ensre reglar posting scele an content creation ▪ everage partnersips wit te Boar o rae egion etc

vocacy an spport or provincial ning partnersip to ayor an Concil nvesting aress capacity isses relate to te rter evelopent o C Econoic pate te inventory o te rovincially igniicant Eployent one sot o Bayly Developent coercial an eployent an srroning te ransit station artners Dra lans an assess existing egion policies to ensre we are capitaliing on opportnities

60 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 128 DB nsigt – own o ax Econoic Developent ction lan age

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea ▪ ommnicate organiational aarene o available or groth maretable and nmaretable emploment land to promote invetment and expanion

denti action to enhance integration and recognition or the A oncil enior role o economic development acro the organiation and anagement eam increae role in polic development Economic evelopment denti organiationide innovation implemented dring A oncil enior ine ecover that can be carried orard a an Ajax Advantage anagement eam and competitive dierentiator

ontine to be a leading economic development organiation Economic eading in proce improvement and innovation evelopment lanning A Engage ith government ▪ Appl a mart itie len to initiative ithin Economic egilative and netor board and evelopment and acro the organiation normation ervice aociation to advance prioritie

A Economic nveting evelopment evelop a eal Etate trateg to manage or mnicipal propertie to Explore the trctre and tool reired to acilitate eective eectivel erve or hort and eicient real etate portolio management and longterm economic goal

nveting Examine revene orce to

night – on o Ajax Economic evelopment Action lan age

61 | 2021 Economic Development Action Plan 129

Aignment it ioit iming Actions ea an atnes Ajax tategic an ea

e eomance nicatos ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

130 62 | 2021 Economic – Development Action Plan

131

132

Contents

Introduction ...... 3 About this Report ...... 3

1. Document Review ...... 4 Durham Region Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2021 ...... 4 Durham Region Competitiveness Study, 2019 ...... 5 Town of Ajax Tourism Attraction Plan, 2013 ...... 5 Durham Economic Development Partnership (DEDP) Four-Year Strategic Plan ...... 6 HR Alliance Report, 2018 ...... 6 Ajax Economic Development - Overview ...... 7 Quality Places Growth, Ajax Forward Official Plan Review, Growth Plan Implementation Study Final Report, 2010 ...... 7 Ajax Strategic Plan, 2018-2022 ...... 8 Commercial and Employment Land Review ...... 9

2. Economic Base Line Analysis ...... 12 2.1 Economic Base Analysis ...... 12 2.1.1 Population and Demographic Characteristics ...... 12 2.1.2 Dwelling Characteristics ...... 15 2.1.3 Income ...... 17 2.1.4 Education ...... 20 2.1.5 Mobility ...... 21 2.1.6 Labour Force ...... 22 2.1.7 Employment by Industry ...... 26 2.1.8 Employment by Occupation ...... 32 2.1.9 Commuting Patterns ...... 35 2.1.10 Employment by Place of Work (Jobs in Ajax) ...... 37 2.1.11 Employment Projections for Ajax by Place of Work (Projected Job Growth in Ajax) ...... 43 2.1.12 Business Counts ...... 45

3. Consultation ...... 49 3.1.1 Interviews ...... 49 3.1.2 Stakeholder Workshops ...... 50

3.1.3 Online Community Survey ...... 51 3.1.4 Telephone Business Survey ...... 53

Introduction The background report serves as the basis of the Town of Ajax’s economic development strategy. This report includes a review of background studies, the Economic Base Analysis and Economic Forecasts and Local Impacts of Market Trends. The report focuses on relevant socio-economic indicators – demographics, income, workforce, and business climate for the Town of Ajax. These findings will be tested and affirmed through community engagements to identify the opportunities and priorities of the region. About this Report The approach employed in the completion of this report involved the following sections: Section I – Document Review A review of the Town of Ajax’s existing planning documents and policies to determine the level of support and strategies relevant to economic growth. Section II – Baseline Analysis A sector overview and baseline analysis including an assessment of current labour force, employment, and business trends in the Town of Ajax to identify existing and emerging areas of economic opportunity. Section III – Economic and Demographic Trends and Prospects for the Town of Ajax This section of the report reviews past trends in population and economic growth in the Town of Ajax, identifies the key industries driving growth and assesses the prospects for growth in the area over the next 5 to 10 years.

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1. Document Review A detailed review of all relevant municipal reports and policy documents was conducted. Documents reviewed include: ▪ Durham Region Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2021 ▪ Durham Region Competitiveness Study, 2019 ▪ Town of Ajax Tourism Attraction Plan, 2013 ▪ Durham Economic Development Partnership (DEDP) Four-Year Strategic Plan ▪ HR Alliance Report, 2018 ▪ Ajax Economic Development - Overview Durham Region Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2021

Purpose: This presentation delivered in January 2018 outlines the Region’s Economic Development actions to date and planned actions for the period. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Region’s economic development mission is “To work with others to build innovation, business growth and economic opportunities for Durham Region.” ▪ Sectors that were identified as being of strength include; ▪ Agri-business ▪ Energy, Environment, Engineering ▪ Health Sciences ▪ Innovative Technology ▪ Manufacturing ▪ Tourism ▪ Region has experienced steady overall job growth from 2010-2015 (224,255 to 240,191 or 7%) ▪ Town of Whitby has Innovation Hub, Oshawa focused on urban innovation and Pickering looking at incubator/makerspace in new downtown ▪ FDI has been focused on Brazil, Germany, China and the US ▪ Identified opportunities included the Highway 407 extension, the possibility of an airport for the eastern side of the GTA ▪ Challenges identified across the region include the need for better data on shovel ready land, skill shed analysis and competitiveness

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▪ Durham Region has a low job rate to employment with 1 job for 3 residents compared to other GTA region municipalities ▪ Limited supply of residential rental accommodation ▪ Durham Region is excluded from some federal and provincial funding including the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund and the federal Community Futures programming Durham Region Competitiveness Study, 2019

Purpose: Commissioned by the Durham Economic Development Partnership, this report looks at the competitiveness of Durham Region in comparison to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Durham’s relative competitiveness is looked at in key target sectors (i.e., agriculture and agri- business sector; health industries; digital media; energy, environment, and engineering; and advanced manufacturing ▪ From 2011 to 2016, the Region had stronger rates of employment growth relative to other municipalities in the GGH in the primary sectors (e.g., agriculture), construction, and transportation and warehousing. ▪ From 2011 to 2016, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, information and cultural industries, and utilities saw slower rates of growth. ▪ Industrial gross floor area for Durham was 3% of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) compared to its population of 9% ▪ Durham’s share of the GTHA major office market represents 2% of its overall total gross floor area. Areas north and west of the City of Toronto experienced growth between 3-8%. ▪ Between 2011 and 2017, Durham accounted for about 1% of the GTHA’s industrial development while the industrial employment base (i.e., number of jobs) decreased by 1.4%. ▪ Between 2011 and 2017, the City of Toronto was the site of over half of all major office industrial growth, while 25% was in Peel, 12% in Halton, 11% in York and 1% in Durham. ▪ Durham features some of the lowest employment land prices, utility costs, and industrial development charges of the GTHA municipalities Town of Ajax Tourism Attraction Plan, 2013

Purpose: This plan was developed to identify the Town's capacity to host either major recurring or one- time tourism events. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Plan was developed in part due to the opportunity presented by the 2015 Pan/Para Pan Am Games ▪ Specific focus was placed on the waterfront and Sportsplex Park as sites for hosting events ▪ Previous history of tourism related events had been planned and organized by Town staff ▪ Report recommends staff pursue itinerant events and locally created events.

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▪ Softball Canada and Baseball Canada events are targeted for Sportsplex Park ▪ Ajax waterfront was identified as having potential for events but lacking in infrastructure such as electricity, flat surfaces and potable water required for hosting large numbers of people and parking ▪ Cycling events were identified as a target due to the waterfront trails, limited need for infrastructure.

Durham Economic Development Partnership (DEDP) Four-Year Strategic Plan

Purpose: This report to Regional Council outlines a four-year plan for the DEDP which includes economic development staff from across Durham Region municipalities. The plan is the result of sessions held with staff and informed by senior administration and members of council across the region. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Vision of the plan was that “Durham Region will be the most prosperous and innovative region in North America” ▪ The economic development mission was identified as “to work with others to build innovation, business growth and economic opportunities for Durham Region.” ▪ Identified sectors of strength for the region were tourism, agri-business, manufacturing, innovative technology, health sciences and EN3 (energy, environment and engineering) ▪ Plan highlights the entrepreneurship and innovation hubs in the region with Whitby, Oshawa and Pickering highlighted ▪ Foreign Direct Investment for the region targets Brazil, Germany, China and the US ▪ Need of information on shovel ready lands identified ▪ The regions low job growth compared with population growth identified

HR Alliance Report, 2018

▪ Purpose: This report by the Durham Workforce Authority is a collaborative between employers and HR professionals and the result of a Local Employment Planning Council pilot project in partnership with the Clarington Board of Trade, Ajax Economic Development Department and Agilec who created the Durham Workforce Alliance. The report looked to gain qualitative data from community consultations. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Job seekers in the area generally lacked basic employability skills ▪ Work ethic was identified as being poor among young people ▪ Employers felt that applicants lacked experiential learning but also felt that it was not their responsibility to provide this

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▪ Legislative changes are challenges for employers to both keep up to date with as well some challenges with minimum wage changes ▪ General workforce challenges were noted along with specific challenges recruiting for the cannabis sector in Clarington

Ajax Economic Development - Overview

Purpose: This document outlines the role and activities undertaken by the Town of Ajax Economic Development section. The report outlines the sections activities in regard to business retention and expansion, new business attraction, marketing and outreach Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Business retention and expansion are increasingly important for monitoring trends and facilitating efforts to maintain existing businesses ▪ Quality of place and talent attraction are key features of emerging drivers in economic development

Quality Places Growth, Ajax Forward Official Plan Review, Growth Plan Implementation Study Final Report, 2010

Purpose: The implementation of the Provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe to establish a policy framework for intensification to suitable places and in appropriate built forms. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Estimated population to 2031 was 137,670 for Ajax ▪ Study process included background research, examination of opportunities, exploring and testing options and recommendations ▪ The study was conducted with planning, engineering and urban design consultants ▪ Durham Region OPA identified 54% as target within built boundary ▪ Identified areas include Uptown Centre (Kingston/Bayly) Downtown Centre (Bayly/Harwood) as regional centres with Kingston Road, Salem Road, Westney Road and Bayly as regional corridors. ▪ Some of the principles of the study include a coherent urban structure, transit-oriented design, active grade related uses, green development. Public realm improvements should accommodate social and recreational activities and parking should be appropriately buffered and underground or in rear of buildings wherever possible. ▪ The study looked at low density parcels in Uptown Ajax, Downtown Ajax, Regional Corridors, single story commercial with extensive parking, vacant and abandoned buildings ▪ Areas in proximity to the Ajax GO station, Downtown Centre, Uptown Centre, Village Centre and Mid Town Corridor are expected areas for intensification

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▪ Downtown Centre (Harwood Avenue/Bayly) is intended to be the commercial, community, administrative, cultural hub which is pedestrian oriented, mid-rise to tall buildings with mixed use and active public spaces. It is also the site of rapid transit routes. Complex ownership has made redevelopment difficult. Downtown also requires infrastructure investment to accommodate growth. ▪ Uptown Centre in its current form is the retail centre of Ajax with destination, big box and lots of surface parking lots. It is envisioned that mid-rise to tall residential would be developed with public space and parking to create a more complete community. ▪ The Ajax GO Train Station represents an important opportunity to build upon the locational advantages of the area. The area is envisioned as a high-density mixed-use node, anchored by employment uses. ▪ Pickering Village is full of heritage assets and buildings, mature trees and intimate streetscapes. It is envisioned to maintain this heritage and incorporate low-mid rise development for local shopping with a Community Improvement Plan in place ▪ A development corporation is contemplated as a method for incentivizing redevelopment with the example of Brampton Downtown Development Corporation. Other potential options for executing the intensification strategy are the development of a parking authority and marketing activities. ▪ A Town-wide CIP is recommended to achieve the overall objectives of the intensification

Ajax Strategic Plan, 2018-2022

Purpose: This draft document outlines the overarching vision for the Town of Ajax through to 2022 Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ The three main focus areas for the strategy are investing in our community, connecting our community and leading in our community ▪ Top 22 by 2022 recommendations which related to economic development included: ▪ Develop a Housing Strategy to identify housing and affordable needs and propose recommendations to support our community. ▪ Invest in Town resources to maintain excellent service delivery in response to growth and changes in legislative requirements. ▪ Collaborate with partners to establish Innovation Village in Ajax – a project where technology, training and knowledge will intersect. ▪ Identify transportation solutions in the north-east of Ajax to support the projected growth in that area. These include widening of Rossland Road, and the future interchanges at Salem Road and Highway 407 and Rossland Road and Highway 412 ▪ Review our festival and event offerings to introduce new programming ▪ Update the inventory of commercial and employment lands and assess existing policies to ensure we are capitalizing on opportunities for growth.

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▪ There are a number of tourism recommendations including wayfinding signage and investigating a Municipal Accommodation Tax. ▪ Some of the stated goals of the strategic plan include economic diversification ▪ Enhance gateways to the Town using new design guidelines and update welcome signage. ▪ Implement a cash-in-lieu of parking tool in Downtown Ajax and Pickering Village. ▪ Investigate the potential for a Municipal Fairground and identify infrastructure requirements to host signature events and live entertainment. ▪ Enhance the Priority Path Program to streamline and expedite approvals for new development ▪ Promote investment and intensification along Harwood Avenue between Highway 401 and Kingston Road.

Commercial and Employment Land Review Purpose: This draft document provides an in-depth analysis of the current and projected commercial and employment land needs for the Town of Ajax. The document focuses on the current policy context, trends and competitiveness of the Town’s current supply through to 2041. Key Takeaways and Economic Considerations: ▪ Recommended protection of existing employment land supply ▪ Encourages policies to encourage and develop a range of shovel-ready parcels for medium to larger sites ▪ Encourages working with landowners to bring lands to market ▪ Focus on quality of life investments when looking at employment areas to enhance attractiveness ▪ The study identifies the areas near Church Street and Bayly as an area for further study due to the development of Durham Live ▪ Encourages urban design policies within employment lands Summary of Findings

The reviewed policies and documents have been analyzed comparatively to uncover areas of thematic overlap. The policies have been catalogued according to common themes to observe patterns – in essence, to find the “common threads” among them. The following observations are important, as they highlight themes that are strongly represented in the current policy framework internally, and where there is alignment with external policies in areas of importance. Further, it allows the identification of gaps that exist where key themes and areas of importance do not currently have prominence in the municipal policy framework. If these gaps represent key objectives or priorities that are identified through the research and community engagement process, they heighten awareness for further examination to ensure effective alignment with future priorities.

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The common threads identified among the policies and documents examined above include: ▪ Regional Collaboration ▪ Innovation ▪ Employment and Population Growth ▪ Housing Affordability ▪ Workforce Challenges (Retention) ▪ Downtown and Key Growth Areas

The figure below presents a common threads matrix, showing the association between each theme relative to the documents it has been identified in via a series of check marks. A single check mark (✓) indicates the document has some content relating to the theme, but it is not a primary focus of the document, while a double check mark (✓✓) indicates there is a primary focus on the theme.

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Figure 1: Common Threads Analysis of

Document Regional Innovation Employment Housing Workforce Downtown and Collaboration and Population Affordability Challenges Key Growth Growth Areas Durham Region Economic Development Strategy and Action ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ Plan 2017-2021 Durham Region Competitiveness

Study, 2019 ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ Town of Ajax Tourism Attraction

Plan, 2013 ✓ ✓ ✓✓ Durham Economic Development Partnership (DEDP) Four-Year ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ Strategic Plan HR Alliance Report, 2018 ✓ ✓ ✓✓ Ajax Economic Development - Overview ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ Quality Places Growth, Ajax Forward Official Plan Review,

Growth Plan Implementation Study ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ Final Report, 2010 Ajax Strategic Plan, 2018-2022 ✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓ Commercial Employment Land

Review 2019 ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓

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2. Economic Base Line Analysis 2.1 Economic Base Analysis The economic base analysis presents an overview of the socio-economic, labour force and industry composition in the Town of Ajax. The results are derived from the following sources: ▪ Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2016 ▪ Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2011 ▪ Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Counts, December 2018 ▪ Metroeconomics Economic and Demographic Projections ▪ EMSI Analyst ▪ Manifold Data Mining, 2018 Note on Data: Where possible, Manifold Mining Data has been incorporated based on 2018 economic modelling and estimates. Since this data presents a snapshot in time and relies on different sources than the Census, comparison with Statistics Canada data over time has been used in a limited manner in this report and noted when done so. The Town of Ajax is presented in comparison to other GTHA towns and cities, as well as the broader areas such as the Durham Regional Municipality, and the Province of Ontario.

2.1.1 Population and Demographic Characteristics This section of the report reviews past trends in population growth in Ajax and assesses the prospects for growth in Ajax over the next 5 to 10 years. Population Trends in Ajax Ajax is one of many suburban municipalities surrounding the city of Toronto. Toronto is the economic focus of the Greater Toronto Area (the GTA, which includes Toronto, Durham, York, Peel and Halton) and of the Greater Golden Horseshoe (the GGH, which includes the GTA plus 11 other regions extending from Niagara and Haldimand to the South West and Waterloo to the West to Simcoe to the North and to Northumberland to the East). A total of 112 municipalities define the GGH (including several First Nations Reserves). Among the 112, Ajax ranked 17th in terms of total population in 2016. Over the last 15 years the population of Ajax increased by 62.3 percent, from 73,753 in 2001 to 119,677 in 20161. Over that period Durham Region’s population grew by 27.4 percent and Ontario’s by 17.9

1 Ajax’s population and comparisons over time throughout this study is based on Statistics Canada’s 2016 Census data unless otherwise indicated and does not include any provisions for the undercount. The resulting calculations may cause some discrepancy with other calculated population figures for the same period.

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percent respectively. Metroeconomics estimates that the population of Ajax was 127,900 in 2019. For the purposes of comparative analysis, Statistics Canada data has been used. It is evident that Ajax has grown significantly faster than both the Region and the Province since 2001. The 62.7 percent population gain accomplished by Ajax from 2001 to 2016 was the largest achieved within Durham among its eight constituent municipalities. Whitby was second (46.9 percent) and Clarington third (31.8 percent). The absolute gain in population of 45,924 achieved by Ajax over that span was the largest among the eight and single-handedly accounted for a third of Durham’s overall gain over the 2001 to 2016 period. Population growth rates of that magnitude are achieved primarily by the in-migration of people. Migrants are typically younger people – aged 18 to 39 – whether they are moving from another part of Ontario, another part of Canada or another part of the world. As a result, the age distribution of Ajax’ population is relatively young compared to that of the province as a whole as illustrated in Figure 2: .

Figure 2: Five Year Age Groups as Percent Share of the Total Population in 2016, Population of Ajax (Blue Line) and Ontario (Blue Bars)

Ontario Ajax 9.0

8.0

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0 100 + 100 0 to 4 to0 9 to5 10 to 14 to 10 19 to 15 24 to 20 29 to 25 34 to 30 39 to 35 44 to 40 49 to 45 54 to 50 59 to 55 64 to 60 69 to 65 74 to 70 79 to 75 84 to 80 85 to 89 to 85 94 to 90 99 to 95 Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2016

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The population of Ajax in every five-year age category under 60 years of age exceeds that of the province as a whole with the exception of those aged 25 to 29. The share is especially higher among adults aged 35 to 59 – the family-oriented age cohorts – and among children under 20 – the offspring of the family-oriented adults. In other words, a significant proportion of Ajax is a community of family- oriented residents. Figure 3: demonstrates the growth of Ajax compared to selected GTHA municipalities over the past 10 years. Of particular note, Ajax’s growth rate in population outpaced that of the neighbouring municipalities of Pickering and Whitby while only being exceeded by Milton among comparators.

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Figure 3: Total population change in Ajax, ON 2006-2016.

Durham Year Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Ontario RM 12,160,2 2006 Census 90,167 87,838 53,889 164,415 111,184 561,258 82

12,851,8 2011 NHS 109,600 88,721 84,362 175,779 122,022 608,124 21

13,448,4 2016 Census 119,677 91,771 110,128 183,314 128,377 645,862 94

Most Recent Pop 9.2% 3.4% 30.5% 4.3% 5.2% 6.2% 4.6% Growth rate

Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey, 2016 Census Profile

In terms of the age of the population, the town of Ajax’s median age in 2016 was lower than that of most of the comparator communities, the province of Ontario and the immediate neighbouring communities of Whitby and Pickering, again trailing only Milton among comparators. The median age for 2018 was estimated to be unchanged from 2018 at 37.4 years according to Manifold Mining Data. Figure 4: Median Age of Population, Town of Ajax, ON 2016

Year Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario

Median age population 2011 36.2 40.7 34.1 41.8 37.6 39.2 40.4 Median age population 2016 37.4 41.6 35.3 43.3 39.5 40.2 41.3

Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey, 2016 Census Profile

2.1.2 Dwelling Characteristics The majority of the housing in Ajax are made up of single detached, followed by row houses, semi- detached house, and apartment in a building that has five or more storeys. The share of people living in single-detached houses is higher in Ajax compared to the to the province, but slightly lower than Durham Region.

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Figure 5: Occupied dwellings by type, percentage of overall population, Town of Ajax 2016

Type of dwellings Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Single-detached house 65.8% 60.7% 58.6% 51.5% 69.8% 66.8% 54.3% Apartment in a building that has five or more 5.7% 8.5% 4.5% 16.2% 7.3% 6.8% 17.2% storeys Semi-detached house 5.7% 7.6% 10.4% 4.4% 2.9% 5.5% 5.6% Row house 15.1% 13.9% 21.7% 18.6% 12.7% 10.7% 8.9% Apartment or flat in a 3.7% 5.7% 0.8% 1.1% 1.9% 3.8% 3.4% duplex Apartment in a building that has fewer than five 4.0% 3.4% 3.9% 8.0% 5.2% 6.2% 10.1% storeys Other single-attached 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.2% house Movable dwelling 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.3% Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile In Ajax, most of dwellings are occupied by owners, the share of people renting dwellings only represent 13.8% of the town’s residents. In addition, the share of owners is higher than both broader comparators (Durham and Ontario). Manifold Data modelling for 2018 indicated no change in the renter and owner percentages for the town of Ajax. Figure 6: Occupied dwellings by type, percentage of overall population, 2016

100% 13.8% 12.6% 14.1% 23.6% 16.7% 18.8% 80% 30.2% 60% Renter 40% 86.2% 87.4% 85.9% 76.4% 83.3% 81.2% 69.7% Owner 20% 0% Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario

Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile Median value of dwellings in Ajax has grown approximately 50.2% between 2011 and 2016, this is similar to Durham Region, which experienced an increase of 49.8%. Median values suggest that houses in Ajax are more expensive compared to the province. However, compared to the comparator communities, Ajax dwellings were the least expensive. The Town of Ajax also recorded one of the lowest median rent costs in 2016 among town and cities used as comparators. However, the median rent cost in the Town is higher compared to Durham Region and

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the province. The estimated value of dwellings based on 2018 data indicates that Ajax’s dwellings have increased to $565,311 and Ontario dwellings have increased to $435,785. Figure 7: Average dwelling and shelter costs of dwellings

Durham Characteristics Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Ontario RM Median value of dwellings ($) – 333,633 349,486 420,324 399,402 341,505 300,595 300,862 2011 Median value of dwellings ($) – 501,102 550,323 598,650 589,996 501,324 450,398 400,496 2016 Median monthly shelter costs for 1,050 1,203 1,207 1,056 974 927 892 rented dwellings ($) -2011 Median monthly shelter costs for 1,146 1,376 1,615 1,302 1,112 1,083 1,045 rented dwellings ($) -2016 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey Profile, 2016 Census Profile.

Recent increases in the GTA and Ontario housing market, as a whole have continued to push the selling price of homes higher and higher. The Toronto Real Estate Board and Durham Region Association of Realtors report on the number of sales and average prices within each category. Figure 8: Average Home Price, November 2019

Toronto 416 Toronto 905 Toronto Total Ajax Durham Detached $1,360,246 $943,494 $1,044,138 $726,605 $673,137 Semi $1,067,027 $703,272 $837,573 $604,882 $508,010 Townhouse $763,298 $634,450 $666,744 $455,875 $430,697 Source: Toronto Real Estate Board, Durham Region Association of Realtors

While Ajax housing prices have increased, the town still enjoys a very competitive cost to entry in the GTHA for those looking to enter the housing market where supply exists.

2.1.3 Income In 2016, the median individual income of Ajax’s residents was higher than the provincial median amount. Despite being higher than the provincial benchmark, Ajax’s median individual income was lower than the comparator municipalities. Median individual income experienced the lowest growth, around 0.4% in Ajax, compared to 8% in Durham Regional Municipality and 10% in Ontario. This slow growth of individual median incomes compared with the higher growth in household income could be the result of an increased segment of the population, particularly recent graduates living at home longer while working entry level or contract positions and looking to enter the housing market or find their own accommodation. The average

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number of persons per household increased from 3.1 to 3.2 persons over the same time. Using 2018 data estimates, the median population continued to experience slow growth at an estimated $36,295.

Figure 9: Median total individual income in the Town of Ajax, ON 2010-2015

Characteristics Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham Ontario RM Median total income 35,981 34,548 41,885 38,486 38,188 34,996 30,526 in 2010 among recipients ($) Median total income 36,107 38,466 42,682 42,551 42,242 37,755 33,539 in 2015 among recipients ($) % change 0.4% 11% 2% 11% 11% 8% 10% Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey Profile, 2016 Census Profile. Shifting to the subject of median household income, Ajax’s median income has grown 10% since 2010. Ajax experienced a slightly smaller growth compared to the Region and Ontario. Ajax’s median household income is $7,115 higher than the median household income in Durham Region, and $22,662 higher than the provincial median house income. Again, using 2018 estimates, median household income was estimated at $104,997 with median household income at the provincial level at $79,939.

Figure 10: Median total household income in the Town of Ajax, ON 2010-2015

Durham Characteristics Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Ontario RM Median total income of 88,262 89,796 95,898 82,494 94,685 81,119 66,358 households in 2010 ($) Median total income of 96,949 99,701 104,730 93,588 103,809 89,834 74,287 households in 2015 ($) % change 10% 11% 9% 13% 10% 11% 12% Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey Profile, 2016 Census Profile

In terms of individual income distribution, shows that the town of Ajax has the largest share of people with income under $10,000 in comparison to the other areas, and a smaller proportion of people with income over $100,000.

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Figure 11: Individual income distribution, percentage of overall population, 2016

9% 10% 13% $100,000 and over 14% 12% 11% 9% 3% 4% 5% $90,000 to $99,999 4% 4% 4% 3% 4% 4% 5% $80,000 to $89,999 5% 5% 4% 4% 5% 5% 6% $70,000 to $79,999 5% 6% 6% 5% 6% 7% 7% $60,000 to $69,999 7% Ontario 7% 7% 7% Durham RM 8% 8% Whitby 8% $50,000 to $59,999 8% 8% Burlington 8% 8% Milton 10% 10% 9% Pickering $40,000 to $49,999 9% 9% 9% Ajax 10% 11% 10% 9% $30,000 to $39,999 10% 9% 9% 9% 13% 12% 10% $20,000 to $29,999 11% 10% 11% 12% 17% 15% 14% $10,000 to $19,999 13% 13% 15% 16% 15% 15% 15% Under $10,000 (including loss) 13% 15% 16% 17% 0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18% 20%

Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile

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2.1.4 Education Education attainment can be looked at as an important descriptor of labour force capacity. Figure 12 summarizes skilled labour proportions for comparator areas, which is composed of those people that have completed an apprenticeship, trade certificate, or college or university degree, diploma or certificate. By 2016, the proportion of skilled labour aged 25 to 64 years was higher in Ajax in comparison to Durham Region and the province, and lower than communities like Milton, Whitby and Burlington. Figure 12: Proportion of population (ages 25 to 64) with post-secondary or apprenticeship education (skilled labour)

Year Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario

Skilled Labour 2011 67% 67% 73% 72% 70% 64% 65%

Skilled Labour 2016 67% 68% 74% 73% 69% 64% 65%

Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile Figure 13: shows that the town of Ajax has a larger share of people with college, CEGEP or other non- university certificate or diploma compared to the province. Ajax shares similar proportions to communities in Durham Region, with differences between 1 to 3 percent. In terms of university education above bachelor level, the town ranks above Durham Region, but below Ontario. Figure 13: Highest level of education attainment (ages 25 to 64), % of the population, 2016

Ontario 10% 24% 6% 25% 2% 32% Durham RM 9% 27% 7% 30% 2% 25% Whitby 6% 25% 6% 30% 2% 31% Burlington 5% 21% 5% 28% 2% 39% Milton 5% 21% 5% 25% 3% 42% Pickering 6.9% 25.0% 5.9% 28.1% 2.7% 31.4% Ajax 8.2% 25.3% 5.6% 27.7% 3.0% 30.2%

No certificate, diploma or degree Secondary (high) school diploma or equivalency certificate Apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma College, CEGEP or other non-university certificate or diploma University certificate or diploma below bachelor level University certificate, diploma or degree at bachelor level or above

Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile

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The major fields of study in the town of Ajax are business, management and public administration, followed by architecture, engineering, and related technologies. These are also the main three fields of study among all comparators. Figure 14: Major field of study (ages 25 to 64 years), percentage of the population, 2016

Pickerin Burlingto Whitb Durham Ontari Major field of study Ajax Milton g n y RM o Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% No postsecondary certificate, diploma or 44% 43% 36% 38% 42% 46% 45% degree Education 3% 3% 3% 4% 4% 3% 3% Visual and performing arts, and communications 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% technologies Humanities 3% 3% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% Social and behavioural 7% 8% 9% 9% 8% 7% 7% sciences and law Business, management and 14% 14% 16% 15% 13% 12% 12% public administration Physical and life sciences and 2% 2% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% technologies Mathematics, computer and 3% 3% 4% 3% 2% 2% 3% information sciences Architecture, engineering, 10% 11% 12% 11% 11% 11% 11% and related technologies Agriculture, natural 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% resources and conservation Health and related fields 7% 7% 7% 8% 8% 8% 8% Personal, protective and 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% transportation services Other 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile

2.1.5 Mobility The movement of people within a community or to the community from somewhere else constitutes mobility. Statistics Canada tracks this in two ways, by asking if a household has moved within the past year and asking if a household has moved within the past five years. As of 2016, most people in Ajax, Durham Region, and Ontario had either stayed where they were five years earlier or moved somewhere in the same geography. By 2016, Ajax had an important share of migrants (internal and external) with

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21%. Manifold Data estimates for 2018 indicate that Ajax’s population is extremely diverse with 39% of all residents being immigrants (not Canadian citizen by birth) and 32.7% of immigrants having come to Ajax since 2001. Additionally, 92.1% of all immigrants to Ajax were 44 years and under at the time of immigration compared to 90.6% at the provincial level. The immigration of a young and diverse cohort into Ajax has helped fuel the younger age demographic with 48.7% immigrating from Asia, 28.8% from the Americas excluding the United States)

Figure 15: Mobility characteristics 5 years ago, 2016

2.6% 2.1% 3% 2% 2% 100% 6% 4%

90% 18.2% 17.8% 16% 17% 18% 12% 80% 26% 11.8% 13% External migrants 70% 14.0% 17% 15% 20%

60% 18% Internal migrants 50% 40% Non-migrants (i.e. moved within same 68.3% 67% community) 30% 65.2% 65% 65% 63% 51% Non-movers 20% 10% 0% Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario

Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile

2.1.6 Labour Force The total population of Ajax in 2016 was 119,677. Of that total 95,540 were aged 15 and over. Persons 15 and over are defined as the labour force source population since it is the group from which most labour market participants are drawn. Of that group of 95,540, 61,865 people worked and another 5,550 were seeking work. Thus, Ajax’s labour force totaled 67,415 in 2016 (that is, the Town’s employed plus its unemployed). Ajax’s labour force participation rate, therefore, was 70.6 percent (labour force as a percent share of labour force source population) while its unemployment rate (unemployed as a percent share of its labour force) was 8.2 percent. By way of comparison the participation rate in Ajax exceeded the province wide average of 64.7 percent by 5.9 percentage points (likely reflecting the relative young age profile of its residents as younger people are more active in the labour force than older people) and the Town’s unemployment rate exceeded the province wide average of 7.4 percent by 0.6 percentage points. Estimates using 2018 data indicate that the participation rate was 70.0% with and unemployment rate of 6.35%. It is evident that while participation rates seem to have stayed generally the same, unemployment rates are much more volatile to the overall economic conditions beyond the town of Ajax. Of particular interest here is that 61,865 residents of Ajax were employed in 2016 while employers provided jobs to less than half that number within Ajax at 29,195. In other words, Ajax, like most of the

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suburban communities of the GTA and the GGH, is a major supplier on a day-to-day basis of workers to employers in municipalities other than those in which they reside. Of the 61,865 residents of Ajax who held jobs in 2016, 7,175 of the job holders had no fixed workplace address. Such people typically work in construction, on-site service or delivery types of occupations. Of the 50,725 remaining employed Ajax residents only 9,565 worked in Ajax and 3,700 of them worked at home. Between 2011 and 2016, the Town of Ajax labour force grew by 4,350 people, from 63,065 to 67,415, which represent an increase of 7%. This growth surpasses the growth experienced by all other comparators; with exception of Milton whose labour force grew by 24%. High levels of in-migration which contributed to the overall growth of the working age population contributed to the labour force growth in Ajax. Figure 16: Labour force size, 2011-2016

Labour Force Size Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario 6,864,99 In the labour force 2011 63,065 50,775 48,055 98,785 68,575 337,945 0 7,141,67 In the labour force 2016 67,415 51,835 59,815 101,650 70,295 352,750 5 Net (+/-) 4,350 1,060 11,760 2,865 1,720 14,805 276,685 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey; Census Profile, 2016 Unemployment rates have decreased in all areas between 2011 and 2016, except for Whitby. Ajax saw an unemployment decline of 0.5%. Participation rate is pivotal because out of the total people qualified to enter the labour market (aged 15 and over) it says what proportion is either employed or actively looking for employment. Participation rates have fallen in all the areas analyzed. The town of Ajax had a participation rate fall of 2.3%. Note that people looking for work can also include those receiving employment insurance.

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Figure 17: Labour force status, percentage of population, 2011-2016

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario Participation rate 2016 70.6 68.1 74.2 68 69.4 67 64.7 Participation rate 2011 72.9 69.8 76.7 68.8 72.2 69.2 65.5 Unemployment rate 2016 8.2 8 5.6 5.6 7.4 8 7.4 Unemployment rate 2011 8.7 8.4 6 6 7 9 8

Participation rate 2016 Participation rate 2011 Unemployment rate 2016 Unemployment rate 2011

Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey; Census Profile, 2016 Turning to the class of worker, over 88% of the labour force in Ajax work as employees. The town also registered the lowest share of self-employed people with 8.7%.

Figure 18: Class of worker ratio, 2016

Labour force status Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario Employee 88.3% 86.8% 87% 87% 88% 88% 86% Self-employed 8.7% 10.5% 11% 11% 10% 10% 12% Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile Experienced Labour Force A total of 65,400 residents of Ajax worked at some point over the 12-month period prior to the Census taken in the middle of May 2016. This total is higher by 3,535 than the 61,865 Ajax residents who held jobs on the date of the Census; the gap reflects the typical churning of workers that occurs in the labour market on an ongoing basis. The larger number reflects the number of residents of Ajax with recent employment experience.

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Figure 19 compares this group – the experienced labour force, or ELF – to the number of jobs offered by employers in Ajax by industry on the date of the Census in 2016.

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Figure 19 Town of Ajax in 2016, Experienced Labour Force by Industry, Employment by Industry by Place of Work

Exp'd Emp'd Labour Place of ELF less Gap % of Force Work EPOW ELF All industry categories 65,400 29,195 36,205 55 Agriculture, forestry 145 140 5 3 Mining, oil and gas 85 0 85 100 Utilities 1,020 430 590 58 Construction 3,830 1,010 2,820 74 Manufacturing 5,100 3,495 1,605 31 Wholesale trade 2,595 1,235 1,360 52 Retail trade 7,385 4,600 2,785 38 Transportation, warehousing 3,700 1,740 1,960 53 Information, culture 2,425 430 1,995 82 Finance, insurance 6,605 1,465 5,140 78 Real estate 1,375 655 720 52 Professional, scientific, technical services 5,140 1,680 3,460 67 Other business services 3,555 925 2,630 74 Education 4,375 2,650 1,725 39 Health, social services 6,780 3,120 3,660 54 Arts, entertainment, recreation 1,155 965 190 16 Accommodation, food 3,930 2,390 1,540 39 Other services 2,495 1,315 1,180 47 Government 3,705 950 2,755 74 Source: metroeconomics

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Figure 19 reveals that: ▪ The experienced labour force in Ajax exceeded the number of jobs available in Ajax in 2016 across all industries by 36,205. This gap is equal to 55 percent of the total experienced labour force. In other words, employers in Ajax provided jobs equal to just 45 percent of the experienced workers available locally. ▪ There is a gap in every industry with the greatest in mining, oil and gas (100 percent), information and culture (82 percent), finance and insurance (82 percent), construction (74 percent), government (74 percent), professional, scientific and technical services (67 percent) and utilities (58 percent). ▪ The percentage gap in all of these industries exceeds the 55 percent gap across all industries. In other words, a greater than average share of Ajax residents with jobs in these industries must commute to jobs outside of Ajax to pursue their careers.

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2.1.7 Employment by Industry The economic activities occurring in any community can be divided into those that are export-based and those that are community-based. ▪ Export-based (economic base) industries produce goods that are shipped to markets outside the community (agriculture, forestry, fishing and manufacturing); they provide services to visitors to, or temporary residents of, the community (hotels, tourism attractors, specialized hospitals, colleges and universities); or they provide services to businesses outside the community (specialized financial, professional, scientific and technical services).

▪ Community-based (population serving) industries produce services that primarily meet the needs of local residents in the community (retail, medical, primary and secondary education, and personal and government services).

When examining the nature of Ajax’s workforce and employment base, the nature of employment, whether economic base or as population-based is an important consideration. Of the figure below, Ajax has larger proportions of its labour force concentrated in retail trade and health care and social assistance which are primarily community based or population serving. Ajax also has an important percentage of its labour force working in professional, scientific and technical services which can be both export and community based depending on the nature of the business. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting were the sectors that employed fewer people in the town of Ajax and the Durham Region, with shares below the one percentage point in these geographies. Although theses are export or economic base jobs, there is little possibility of increases in these sectors. These low relative levels of employment can be attributed to the primarily urban nature of the town and limited activity is expected in this sector over the long-term.

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Figure 20: Employed labour force by industry, percentage of labour force, 2016

Industry (NAICS) Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Industry - NAICS2012 - not 3.0% 2.7% 2% 1% 2% 3% 2% applicable 11 Agriculture, forestry, 0.2% 0.3% 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% fishing and hunting 21 Mining, quarrying, and 0.1% 0.1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% oil and gas extraction 22 Utilities 1.5% 1.4% 1% 1% 2% 2.1% 1% 23 Construction 5.7% 7.6% 6% 5% 7% 8% 7% 31-33 Manufacturing 7.6% 6.7% 10% 10% 7% 8% 10% 41 Wholesale trade 3.8% 4.2% 7% 6% 4% 4% 4% 44-45 Retail trade 11.0% 11.0% 12% 12% 12% 11% 11% 48-49 Transportation and 5.5% 4.5% 6% 4% 4% 5% 5% warehousing 51 Information and 3.6% 3.5% 3% 3% 3% 3% 2% cultural industries 52 Finance and insurance 9.8% 8.9% 8% 7% 7% 6% 5% 53 Real estate and rental 2.0% 2.2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% and leasing 54 Professional, scientific 7.6% 8.5% 9% 9% 8% 7% 8% and technical services 55 Management of 0.31% 0.4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% companies and enterprises 56 Administrative and support, waste 5.0% 4.9% 4% 4% 4% 5% 5% management and remediation services 61 Educational services 6.5% 7.7% 8% 8% 9% 8% 7% 62 Health care and social 10.1% 9.7% 8% 10% 10% 10% 11% assistance 71 Arts, entertainment 1.7% 2.0% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% and recreation 72 Accommodation and 5.8% 4.7% 5% 6% 6% 6% 7% food services 81 Other services (except 3.7% 3.9% 3% 4% 4% 4% 4% public administration) 91 Public administration 5.5% 5.1% 5% 5% 6% 6% 6% Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey; Census Profile, 2016

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The figure below shows the number of people working in each North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector for 2011 and 2016. Most notably, declines are evident in wholesale trade (-500); followed by utilities (-290); and public administration (-205). Sectors that saw notable growth over this period include transportation and warehousing (+875), educational services (+770), and retail trade (+690). 2018 estimates have been included which seem to reinforce the trends within these sectors. Figure 21: Employed Labour Force by Industry (Number of People), change 2016 and 2011

Ajax 2018 Net (+/-) Industry (NAICS) Ajax 2011 Ajax 2016 estimates 11-16

Total 63,065 67,415 4,350 72,340 Industry not applicable 2,125 2,035 -90 2,238 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 105 145 40 189 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 95 85 -10 133 22 Utilities 1,310 1,020 -290 1,249 23 Construction 3,430 3,830 400 4,094 31-33 Manufacturing 5,040 5,100 60 5,422 41 Wholesale trade 3,095 2,595 -500 2,839 44-45 Retail trade 6,695 7,385 690 7,744 48-49 Transportation and warehousing 2,825 3,700 875 3,947 51 Information and cultural industries 2,560 2,425 -135 2,616 52 Finance and insurance 6,240 6,605 365 7,018 53 Real estate and rental and leasing 1,170 1,375 205 1,614 54 Professional, scientific and technical services 4,590 5,140 550 5,516 55 Management of companies and enterprises 45 210 165 273 56 Administrative and support, waste management 2,805 3,345 540 3,550 and remediation services 61 Educational services 3,605 4,375 770 4,644 62 Health care and social assistance 6,615 6,780 165 7,097 71 Arts, entertainment and recreation 960 1,155 195 1,358 72 Accommodation and food services 3,450 3,930 480 4,165 81 Other services (except public administration) 2,410 2,495 85 2,764 91 Public administration 3,910 3,705 -205 3,872 Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey; Census Profile, 2016, Manifold Data Mining 2018 Despite the insight gleaned from the above, further analytical tools allow for an assessment of industry competitiveness relative to the overall province, and these can prove insightful for understanding what industries make sense to promote for further growth or monitoring for potential declines.

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A location quotient analysis explains which industries employ a competitively higher proportion of people than the province. A score of 1.25 or greater represents a sector of relative strength, a score between 0.75 and 1.25 represents a sector that is on par with the province (1.0 represents perfect parity), and a score below 0.75 represents a sector of comparative weakness. Also pertinent are the trends over time and their direction, which indicate that potential opportunities or threats need to be addressed. Figure 22: Employment location quotient (LQ) analysis – concentration of employed labour force by industry

LQ LQ Industry (NAICS) Strength Strength Change Trend 2011 2016 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and 0.11 Low 0.15 Low 0.04 Growing hunting 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas 0.34 Low 0.28 Low -0.07 Declining extraction 22 Utilities 2.50 High 2.13 High -0.37 Declining 23 Construction 0.89 Moderate 0.85 Moderate -0.04 Declining 31-33 Manufacturing 0.79 Moderate 0.79 Moderate 0.00 No change 41 Wholesale trade 1.10 Moderate 1.02 Moderate -0.09 Declining 44-45 Retail trade 0.97 Moderate 1.00 Moderate 0.03 Growing 48-49 Transportation and warehousing 1.00 Moderate 1.19 Moderate 0.19 Growing 51 Information and cultural industries 1.56 High 1.45 High -0.11 Declining 52 Finance and insurance 1.86 High 1.84 High -0.03 Declining 53 Real estate and rental and leasing 0.95 Moderate 1.01 Moderate 0.06 Growing 54 Professional, scientific and technical 0.98 Moderate 0.96 Moderate -0.02 Declining services 55 Management of companies and 0.75 Moderate 1.80 High 1.05 Growing enterprises 56 Administrative and support, waste 0.99 Moderate 1.05 Moderate 0.06 Growing management and remediation services 61 Educational services 0.79 Moderate 0.88 Moderate 0.09 Growing 62 Health care and social assistance 1.04 Moderate 0.95 Moderate -0.09 Declining 71 Arts, entertainment and recreation 0.73 Low 0.83 Moderate 0.10 Growing 72 Accommodation and food services 0.90 Moderate 0.87 Moderate -0.03 Declining 81 Other services (except public 0.89 Moderate 0.89 Moderate 0.00 No change administration) 91 Public administration 0.93 Moderate 0.94 Moderate 0.02 Growing Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile. Adapted by MDB Insight *Although some companies have a high concentration, the total number of people employed in the sector might be small (see Figure 21) The Commercial Employment Land Report highlights a number of sectors that where location quotients have continued to follow an upward trend according to 2019 job estimates. Of particular note, manufacturing has experienced an uptick to an LQ above 1.0, retail trade is solidly above 1.0, transportation and warehousing are a solid area of strength (above 1.5) as are arts, entertainment and

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recreation. Information and cultural industries have experienced a significant drop to sit significantly below 1.0 as have finance and insurance, real estate, rental and leasing and professional, scientific and technical services.

Figure 23: presents the results of another analytical tool called a shift-share analysis. The shift-share articulates the factors which drive changes in employment through three primary considerations: ▪ Reference Area Growth Effect: The impact that changes in the overall broader economy at the provincial level have had on local employment in each sector, leading to an increase or decrease in local employment. ▪ Industrial Mix Effect: The impact that changes among different industries of the economy have had on local employment in a given sector, leading to an increase or decrease in local employment). ▪ Differential Shift: The impact that local factors have had on increases or decreases in local employment (i.e. changes that cannot be explained by those in the reference area growth effect or industrial mix effect). The data below indicates the following: ▪ Overall, changes in the labour force were driven by growth in the reference area growth effect (i.e. growth of Ontario’s economy), and by changes in the local factors under the differential shift (1,939). Small declines were driven mostly by industry changes. In total, the gains and declines resulted in a net gain of 4,445 new jobs for the Town of Ajax. ▪ Increases were most evident in transportation and warehousing and educational services (due to a mix of all provincial, industry and local factors). ▪ Declines are most evident in wholesale trade and utilities (due to industry and local factors). Figure 23: Ontario/Town of Ajax – Shift Share Analysis

North American Industry Area Growth Industrial Mix Differential Total Classification System Effect Effect Shift Agriculture, forestry, fishing and 5 -4 39 40 hunting Mining and oil and gas extraction 4 3 -17 -10 Utilities 57 -200 -147 -290 Construction 149 335 -84 400 Manufacturing 219 -322 163 60 Wholesale trade 135 -482 -152 -500 Retail trade 291 -3 402 690 Transportation and warehousing 123 78 674 875 Information and cultural industries 111 -140 -106 -135 Finance and insurance 271 9 85 365 Real estate and rental and leasing 51 39 115 205

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North American Industry Area Growth Industrial Mix Differential Total Classification System Effect Effect Shift Professional, scientific and technical 200 311 40 550 services Management of companies and 2 38 125 165 enterprises Administrative and support, waste management and remediation 122 141 277 540 services Educational services 157 51 562 770 Health care and social assistance 288 309 -432 165 Arts, entertainment and recreation 42 -19 173 195 Accommodation and food services 150 349 -19 480 Other services (except public 105 -100 80 85 administration) Public administration 170 -537 162 -205 Total 2650 -144 1939 4445 Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile. Adapted by MDB Insight *Calculation does not include “not applicable industries* Looking at the location quotient and shift share analysis in tandem provides a number of interesting observations for the period: ▪ Finance and insurance continue to be a strong sector for Ajax, driven primarily by both overall growth of the sector and unique local factors ▪ Utilities continues to be an area of relative strength despite notable declines in the industry as a whole ▪ Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services are an emerging industry in Ajax driven by overall growth as well as unique local factors ▪ Transportation and warehousing are an industry with significant locally attributed growth and emerging as an industry of strength ▪ information and cultural industries were still relatively competitive on a provincial level despite some declines in overall employment ▪ Retail trade is an emerging industry with high locally attribute growth ▪ Moderate or high competing sectors experiencing growth include real estate and rental and leasing; management of companies and enterprises; educational services; and public administration. ▪ Notable declines are evident in utilities; information and cultural industries; and wholesale trade.

A more detailed analysis of the employed labour force shows the industries at the 4-digit level in the town of Ajax shows that full-service restaurants, and depository credit intermediations are the

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industries with the largest number of local labor force employed.

Figure 24: Top 20 Industries (4 Digit NAICS) by Employed Labour Force in Ajax, ON 2016

NAICS Ajax Durham Ontario 7225 Full-service restaurants and limited service eating places 3,285 17,540 381,940 5221 Depository credit intermediations 3,225 10,140 161,980 6111 Elementary and secondary schools 3,075 19,710 333,045 9130 Local, municipal and regional public administration (9131 and 9139) 2,105 12,605 160,735 6220 Hospitals (6221 to 6223) 2,085 10,590 211,285 5415 Computer systems design and related services 1,460 5,425 133,265 5241 Insurance carriers 1,230 4,145 61,335 4451 Grocery stores 1,165 6,890 147,065 2382 Building equipment contractors 1,145 9,085 121,570 6230 Nursing and residential care facilities (6231 to 6239) 1,125 6,650 142,195 5617 Services to buildings and dwellings 1,050 6,930 135,180 5171 Wired telecommunications carriers 995 3,350 41,580 2211 Electric power generation, transmission and distribution 925 6,785 40,185 6244 Child day-care services 905 4,220 71,850 5242 Agencies, brokerages and other insurance related activities 820 3,000 56,735 9120 Provincial and territorial public administration (9121 to 9129) 805 4,210 70,655 2383 Building finishing contractors 770 4,435 84,845 4461 Health and personal care stores 770 3,465 76,115 4481 Clothing stores 770 3,040 70,355 2361 Residential building construction 765 5,590 113,195 Source: Statistics Canada; Census Profile, 2016

2.1.8 Employment by Occupation

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Figure 25 shows the percentage of the labour force employed by occupational category in 2016. Occupations in sales and service have the highest percentage of labour force employed in Ajax, followed by businesses, finance and administration occupations.

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Figure 25: Employed labour force by occupational category, percentage of labour force, 2016

Durham Occupations (NOC) Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Ontario RM Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Occupation - not applicable 3% 3% 2% 1% 2% 3% 2% 0 Management occupations 11% 13% 15% 15% 13% 11% 11% 1 Business, finance and administration occupations 19% 19% 18% 17% 17% 16% 16% 2 Natural and applied sciences and related occupations 8% 8% 10% 8% 7% 6% 7% 3 Health occupations 6% 6% 5% 6% 6% 6% 6% 4 Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services 11% 12% 12% 13% 14% 12% 12% 5 Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport 3% 3% 2% 3% 3% 3% 3% 6 Sales and service occupations 23% 21% 21% 23% 22% 23% 23% 7 Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations 12% 12% 11% 9% 12% 14% 13% 8 Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% 9 Occupations in manufacturing and utilities 4% 3% 4% 3% 3% 4% 5% Source: Statistics Canada; 2011 National Household Survey; Census Profile, 2016 The figure below shows the number of people working in each occupation as defined by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) for 2011 and 2016. Occupations that experienced major growth in Ajax include sales and service (+2,135); trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (+1,570) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (+1,035). Occupation that experienced declines between 2011 and 2016 include business, finance and administration occupations (-480); management occupations (-395); and natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations (-110).

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Figure 26: Employed labour force by occupational category (number of people), 2011-2016

Ajax Ajax Occupations (NOC) Net (+/-) 2016 2011 Total 67,410 63,065 4,345 Occupation - not applicable 2,030 2,125 -95 0 Management occupations 7,495 7,890 -395 1 Business, finance and administration occupations 12,485 12,965 -480 2 Natural and applied sciences and related occupations 5,170 5,050 120 3 Health occupations 3,880 3,630 250 4 Occupations in education, law and social, community and government 7,305 6,270 1,035 services 5 Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport 1,775 1,615 160 6 Sales and service occupations 15,820 13,685 2,135 7 Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations 8,320 6,750 1,570 8 Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations 515 625 -110 9 Occupations in manufacturing and utilities 2,615 2,470 145 Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile A deeper look at specific occupations shows that retail salespersons, cashiers and retail and wholesale trade managers are the largest occupations by employment in Ajax (total number of jobs). In Ajax, the average hourly wage for these occupations range between $15 to $24, in which the top two do not exceed $16; this might have a connection to Ajax low median individual income Figure 27: Top 10 employment by occupational category (4-Digit NOC). Town of Ajax 2019

2015 2019 % NOC Description Change Jobs Jobs Change 6421 Retail salespersons 1,346 1,433 87 6% 6611 Cashiers 975 959 -16 -2% 0621 Retail and wholesale trade managers 898 917 19 2% Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related 6711 support occupations 806 831 25 3% 4214 Early childhood educators and assistants 631 766 135 21% 7511 Transport truck drivers 614 751 137 22% 7452 Material handlers 578 722 144 25% 4032 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers 679 656 -23 -3% 6622 Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers 583 640 57 10% Secondary and elementary school teachers and 4030 educational counsellors, n.e.c. 588 607 19 3% Source: EMSI Analyst. 2019 In terms of available position, Vicinity Jobs (a job posting and labour market aggregator) showed that

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during the last year (November 1, 2018 to October 31, 2019), a total of 3,139 job postings were recorded in the town of Ajax. On the other hand, a total of 7,685 job seekers were recorded during the same period. This means job seekers in Ajax exceeded the number of job postings by 4,546. From the total number of job postings, a total of 1,444 postings identified an industry sector; 22% of these postings were in retail trade. In terms of job seekers, 2,284 job seekers identified the industry sectors they were looking for; 21.2% of these job seekers were looking for employment in the accommodations and food services.

2.1.9 Commuting Patterns The study on commuting patterns measures the import and export characteristics of a region’s workforce. A high percentage of outside labour force working in the community depicts the attraction of the region for nearby communities. In contrast, if majority of the workers in the community leave for their work (export of labour force) than it may hint towards lack of proportional opportunities in the community. In the Town of Ajax, 81.2% of its residents’ commute to a different census subdivision to work; this percentage is higher than in all the comparators.

Figure 28: Commuting destination for employed labour force

Commuting destination Ajax Pickering Milton Burlington Whitby Durham RM Ontario Total 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Commute within census subdivision (CSD) of 18.9% 19.6% 27% 42% 26% 27% 58% residence Commute to a different census subdivision (CSD) within census 19.2% 11.8% 13% 18% 29% 28% 16% division (CD) of residence Commute to a different census subdivision (CSD) and census 61.7% 68.4% 60% 40% 45% 45% 25% division (CD) within province or territory of residence Commute to a different 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.7% province or territory Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile The analysis from the 2016 Census suggests that about 15,705 people commute to Ajax from other geographies to work, mostly from Whitby, Oshawa and Toronto.

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Figure 29: Place of residence of the people commuting to Ajax, ON 2016

Place of Residence Total Ajax, T 9,565 Whitby, T 3,995 Oshawa, CY 3,630 Toronto, C 2,145 Pickering, CY 2,050 Clarington, MU 1,875 Markham, CY 445 Kawartha Lakes, CY 265 Scugog, TP 255 Uxbridge, TP 160 Other Communities* (16 other communities) 885 Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile The major daily destinations for these 50,725 employed Ajax residents were Toronto (24,170), Ajax (9,565), Pickering (4,900), Markham (3,035), Whitby (2,255), Oshawa (2,025) and Mississauga (1,085). These seven municipalities, including Ajax, accounted for 47,035 of the 50,725 destinations of employed Ajax residents in 2016, or for 93 percent. Figure 30: Commuting destination of people commuting from Ajax, ON 2016

Place of Work Total Toronto, C 24,170 Ajax, T 9,565 Pickering, CY 4,900 Markham, CY 3,035 Whitby, T 2,255 Oshawa, CY 2,025 Mississauga, CY 1,085 Vaughan, CY 995 Richmond Hill, T 535 Clarington, MU 375 Others* (21 other communities) 1470 Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile In addition to the above commuter pattern data, net import/export of labour was studied by industry to better understand what sectors people are coming or leaving to work in. The results show the following: ▪ The town of Ajax is a net exporter of workers (25,240). Most workers leave to work in industries such as finance an insurance (4,725); health care and social assistance (2,880); and professional, scientific and technical services (2,825).

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Figure 31: Net import/export of workers Ajax, ON 2016

Industry (NAICS) (-/+) Total -25,240 11 Agriculture 45 21 Mining -60 22 Utilities -455 23 Construction -670 31-33 Manufacturing -1,065 41 Wholesale trade -985 44-45 Retail trade -1,865 48-49 Transportation and warehousing -840 51 Information and cultural industries -1,645 52 Finance and insurance -4,725 53 Real estate and rental and leasing -510 54 Professional, scientific and technical services -2,825 55 Management of companies and enterprises -150 56 Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services -1,350 61 Educational services -1,065 62 Health care and social assistance -2,880 71 Arts, entertainment and recreation 45 72 Accommodation and food services -1,090 81 Other services (except public administration) -810 91 Public administration -2,330 Source: Statistics Canada; 2016 Census Profile 2.1.10 Employment by Place of Work (Jobs in Ajax) While the analysis of the industries and occupations that residents of Ajax work in is important, it tells the story of the workforce’s employment rather than the jobs available within Ajax. Census data indicates that there was a total of 29,195 jobs at locations within the Town of Ajax in 2016, up from 23,045 in 2001, for an absolute gain of 6,150 and a percentage gain of 26.7 percent. In other words, jobs within the town grew at less than half the 62.3 percent gain of its population over the same span. Nevertheless, the Town’s 26.7 percent increase in jobs was twice that of the Region at 13.7 percent and more than twice that of the province as a whole at 11.7 percent. Within Durham, however, Whitby (with an absolute gain of 11,980) and Clarington (7,080) saw larger absolute job gains over that 15-year span, while Clarington (43.8 percent), Uxbridge (43.3 percent) and Whitby (40.0 percent) each posted larger percentage job gains. Over that span jobs in Oshawa decreased by 5,655 or by 9.8 percent. Among the 112 municipalities that define the GGH, Ajax ranked 24th in terms of total employment by place of work.

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The industrial distribution of jobs within Ajax is compared in Figure 32 to that of Ontario as a whole. The Town’s shares exceeds those of the province by the widest margins in retail trade (3.7 percentage points), transportation and warehousing (2.), manufacturing (1.3), arts, entertainment and recreation (1.3), education (1.2), food and accommodation (1.0) utilities (0.7) and wholesale trade (0.2), while its shares fall short of the province by the widest margins in government (-3.4), professional, scientific and technical services (-2.7), information and culture (-1.1), agriculture (-1.0), finance and insurance (-1.0), health and social services (-0.9) and other business services (-0.8).

Figure 32: Employment by Industry by Place of Work, Ajax (Dark Blue Bars) and Ontario (Light Blue Bars). As a Percent Share of Total Employment by Place of Work in 2016

Ajax Ontario 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0

Agriculture, forestry Mining, oil and gas Utilities Construction Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation, warehousing Information, culture Finance, insurance, real estate Professional, scientific, technical services Other business services Education Health, social services Arts, entertainment, recreation Accommodation, food Other services Government

Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2016

For the GTA and the GGH as a whole population growth occurs when employment within the export

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based industries of the area is expanding.2 In the absence of high unemployment export-based employment expansion leads to the recruitment of workers from outside the area, workers who, in turn, bring with them spouses and other dependents. Every new export-based job means a population gain of at least one, and possibly two or more people. This population growth, in turn, drives growth in the demand for community-based activities such as retail, education, health, recreation, etc. And the growth in these population serving jobs, in turn, leads to the further recruitment of workers from outside the area and, in turn, to additional population growth. The GGH is Canada’s and Ontario’s most important economic growth area because its economy is so diversified achieving major gains both in its goods producing and in its tradable services producing economic base industries. In 2016 there were 4.1 million jobs on a place of work basis in the GGH3. metroeconomics estimates 1.1 million of those jobs were export based jobs with their industrial distribution as follows: ▪ Manufacturing 454,000 ▪ Agriculture 37,000 ▪ Finance, insurance and real estate 118,000 ▪ Government 36,000 ▪ Professional, scientific and technical ▪ Information and culture 35,000 services 96,000 ▪ Accommodation and food 33,000 ▪ Health and social services 65,000 ▪ Other business services 25,000 ▪ Transportation and warehousing 47,000 ▪ Construction 20,000 ▪ Wholesale trade 44,000 ▪ Arts, entertainment and recreation 17,000 ▪ Retail trade 42,000 ▪ Utilities 8,000 ▪ Education 41,000 ▪ Mining 6,000

Geographically 427,000 of the GGH’s 1.1 million export base jobs were located in Toronto, 152,000 in Mississauga, 69,000 in Vaughan, 40,000 in Hamilton, 34,000 in Markham, 34,000 in Brampton and 27,000 in Waterloo. These seven municipalities alone accounted for 783,000 (or 69 percent) of the 1.1 million economic base jobs within the GGH. In other words, those industries that are the engines of growth for the entire GGH are heavily concentrated in only a few of the area’s municipalities. Ajax accounted for 3,700 of the area’s export base jobs in 2016 with manufacturing accounting for 3,500 of that total and agriculture (140) and utilities (70) accounting for the rest. In other words, Ajax, most GTA-GGH suburban communities (except for the seven noted above) is not a major contributor to the economic base of the greater metropolitan region. Figure 32 and the list of export base jobs within the GGH suggests significant opportunities for the

2 The export-based industries in an area as a group are often referred to as the economic base of the area. The terms export-based industries and economic-base industries are used interchangeably throughout this report as they refer to the same concept. 3 The total number of jobs is calculated on a ‘place of work’ basis and does not include those employed within the GGH with ‘No Fixed Place of Work’.

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expansion of Ajax’s economic base lie in such areas as professional, scientific and technical services; information and culture; finance and insurance; health and social services; and other business services. Each of these industries accounts for a significant number of economic base jobs within the GGH but each is underrepresented on the job front within Ajax when compared to the province as a whole.

Figure 33 tabulates the job gains made by industry in Ajax since 2001 and provides job totals for each industry for each census year. Over the entire span from 2001 to 2016:

• The total number of jobs by place of work grew by 6,150 • Manufacturing fell by 2,065 • Finance, insurance and real estate grew by 1,085 • Retail trade grew by 1,005 • Transportation and warehousing grew by 960 • Education grew by 850 • Accommodation and food grew by 725 • Arts, entertainment and recreation grew by 710 • Health and social services grew by 705 • Professional, scientific and technical grew by 695 Collectively the losses and gains across the above nine industries accounted for 76 percent of the overall job gain by place of work of 6,150 in Ajax since 2001. Figure 33 Town of Ajax Employment by Industry by Place of Work, 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2016 and Change from 2001 to 2016

Number Employed Change 01-16 2001 2006 2011 2016 Number Percent Total all industries 23,045 24,415 26,820 29,195 6,150 26.7 Agriculture, forestry 160 165 175 140 -20 -12.5 Mining, oil and gas 0 10 0 0 0 0.0 Utilities 255 240 315 430 175 68.6 Construction 815 770 935 1,010 195 23.9 Manufacturing 5,560 3,925 3,125 3,495 -2,065 -37.1 Wholesale trade 935 1,345 1,840 1,235 300 32.1 Retail trade 3,595 4,490 4,400 4,600 1,005 28.0 Transportation, warehousing 780 870 1,380 1,740 960 123.1 Information, culture 365 395 350 430 65 17.8 Finance, insurance, real estate 1,035 1,390 1,665 2,120 1,085 104.8

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Number Employed Change 01-16 Professional, scientific, technical services 985 1,150 1,420 1,680 695 70.6 Other business services 710 930 955 925 215 30.3 Education 1,800 2,245 2,280 2,650 850 47.2 Health, social services 2,415 2,400 2,825 3,120 705 29.2 Arts, entertainment, recreation 255 675 785 965 710 278.4 Accommodation, food 1,665 1,655 2,100 2,390 725 43.5 Other services 1,065 1,250 1,305 1,315 250 23.5 Government 650 510 965 950 300 46.2

Source: Statistics Canada, Censuses of 2001, 22006, 2011 and 2016

Figure 33 suggests Ajax is already making major strides in achieving job growth in many of the GGH’s export based industries and in many of the industries in which it is underrepresented compared to the province, most notably in professional, scientific and technical services; finance, insurance and real estate; and health and social services. Using province wide estimates of real Gross Domestic Product per worker by industry in 2016 and applying those estimates to the number of persons employed in each industry in Ajax that year metroeconomics estimates the Ajax economy produced $3,362 million of GDP in constant 2012 dollars in 2016. The major contributors to that total were manufacturing ($482 million0, real estate ($478 million), finance and insurance ($264 million), wholesale trade ($237 million), education ($234 million), construction ($229 million), retail trade ($216 million) and health and social services (215 million).

Employment by Detailed Industry for Ajax The 2016 Census provides information regarding the 29,195 jobs located in Ajax not only for the 18 major industries listed (at the 2-digit NAICS4 level) but also for each of 303 detailed industries (at the 4- digit NAICS level). Space here does not permit a tabulation of information for all 303 industries. Instead, Figure 34 (following) lists the 30 industries from among the 303 accounting for the greatest number of employees in Ajax in 2016. This tabulation reveals the following: ▪ 30 of the 303 industries collectively account for 60 percent of all the jobs provided. ▪ Elementary and secondary schools accounted for the greatest number of employees in the Town (2,380). ▪ Full-service restaurants and limited service eating places accounted for the second greatest number (2,135).

4 NAICS refers to the North American Industrial Classification system.

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▪ The next most significant employers were grocery stores (930), hospitals (865) and local and regional administration (795). ▪ The next five most important were aerospace product and parts manufacturing (700), child day-care services (660), warehousing and storage (660), insurance carriers (555) and other general merchandise stores (550). The ten industries listed so far accounted for 34.9 percent of all the jobs available in Ajax in 2016. The next 20 most significant industries as a group accounted for 25.2 percent of all the jobs in Ajax in 2016. Figure 34 Town of Ajax Employment by Detailed Industry by Place of Work in 2016

Cumulative Rank NAICS Code and Industry Number % Share Total 29,195 100 1 6111 Elementary and secondary schools 2,380 8.2 7225 Full-service restaurants and limited service eating 2 places 2,135 15.5 3 4451 Grocery stores 930 18.7 4 6220 Hospitals (6221 to 6223) 865 21.6 9130 Local, municipal and regional public administration 5 (9131 and 9139) 795 24.3 6 3364 Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 700 26.7 7 6244 Child day-care services 660 29.0 8 4931 Warehousing and storage 610 31.1 9 5241 Insurance carriers 555 33.0 10 4529 Other general merchandise stores 550 34.9 11 4411 Automobile dealers 535 36.7 12 7139 Other amusement and recreation industries 530 38.5 13 3363 Motor vehicle parts manufacturing 480 40.2 14 5415 Computer systems design and related services 450 41.7 15 4481 Clothing stores 420 43.1 16 4461 Health and personal care stores 405 44.5 17 8121 Personal care services 405 45.9 18 2211 Electric power generation, transmission and distribution 395 47.3 19 5221 Depository credit intermediation 390 48.6 20 5312 Offices of real estate agents and brokers 380 49.9 21 2382 Building equipment contractors 340 51.1 22 6211 Offices of physicians 320 52.2 23 4841 General freight trucking 310 53.2 24 6230 Nursing and residential care facilities (6231 to 6239) 310 54.3 25 3261 Plastic product manufacturing 300 55.3

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Cumulative Rank NAICS Code and Industry Number % Share 26 4131 Food merchant wholesalers 280 56.3 27 4521 Department stores 280 57.2 28 5617 Services to buildings and dwellings 280 58.2 29 4441 Building material and supplies dealers 275 59.1 30 6213 Offices of other health practitioners 275 60.1

Source: Statistics Canada, Census 2016

2.1.11 Employment Projections for Ajax by Place of Work (Projected Job Growth in Ajax) Figure 35 tabulates the level of employment by major industry (2-digit NAICS) estimated for 2019 and projected for 2024 and 2029 for Ajax. Over the next decade metroeconomics projects total employment by place of work will increase from an estimated 31,159 in 2019 to 41,455 in 2029, a gain of 10,295 or 33.0 percent. These projections assume employment in Ajax’s export base industries – mostly agriculture and manufacturing – will grow at the rates projected for those industries province wide, and they assume employment in Ajax’s community base industries will grow per capita at the rates projected for them province wide.

Figure 35: Town of Ajax Employment by Industry by Place of Work, Estimated for 2019 and Projected for 2024 and 2029

Number Employed Change 19-29 2019 2024 2029 Number Percent Total all industries 31,159 35,971 41,455 10,295 33.0 Agriculture, forestry 123 125 126 3 2.4 Mining, oil and gas 0 0 0 0 0.0 Utilities 501 548 597 96 19.1 Construction 1,089 1,287 1,514 425 39.0 Manufacturing 3,560 3,596 3,630 70 2.0 Wholesale trade 1,154 1,228 1,304 151 13.1 Retail trade 5,068 5,727 6,449 1,381 27.3 Transportation, warehousing 2,003 2,454 2,986 983 49.1 Information, culture 431 489 553 123 28.5 Finance, insurance 1,491 1,663 1,849 358 24.0 Real estate 728 883 1,063 336 46.1 Professional, scientific, technical services 1,865 2,209 2,601 735 39.4

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Number Employed Change 19-29 Other business services 950 1,119 1,311 361 38.0 Education 2,805 3,317 3,899 1,094 39.0 Health, social services 3,418 4,188 5,095 1,677 49.1 Arts, entertainment, recreation 996 1,192 1,419 423 42.5 Accommodation, food 2,541 3,140 3,849 1,308 51.5 Other services 1,397 1,610 1,846 449 32.1 Government 1,041 1,194 1,363 323 31.0 Source: metroeconomics

Over this span the population of Ajax is projected to increase from an estimated 127,900 in 2019 to 173,200 in 2029 or by 35 percent5. Over this period Ajax’s projected population growth should drive a similar rate of growth in its community base jobs which. The projected gains in population serving jobs account for most of the 33 percent increase in total employment by place of work in the Town. Figure 35 indicates the following: ▪ The largest gain among the major industries over the 2019 to 2029 span will occur in health care and social assistance (1,677) stemming from overall population growth and from the aging of the population already residing in Ajax. ▪ Other major gains will occur in retail trade (1,381), accommodation and food services (1,308), educational services (1,094), transportation and warehousing (983), and professional, scientific and technical services (735). The projections in Figure 35 suggest the significant historical erosion of employment in manufacturing and agriculture is now over. The goods producing sectors are not about to undergo major employment reversals, however; rather the levels that currently exist are expected simply to hold steady in the years ahead. In contrast the Ajax economy will continue to witness significant gains in service sector jobs across a wide range of services. Local initiatives directed toward broadening the economic base of the Ajax economy could significantly alter the projections tabulated in Exhibit 5. Exhibit 5 should be considered a “business as usual” projection based on the assumption that Ajax achieves job growth over the next decade at a pace that might otherwise be expected given expected trends by industry province wide.

5 In the case of sub-urban municipalities that are part of a metropolitan area (such as Ajax) the population potential depends on the municipality’s internal economic base expansion. It also depends on the pace of growth in jobs in the urban core of the metropolitan area to which its residents can commute. Ajax’ population growth potential is significant because jobs in nearby major employment centres like Toronto, Vaughan and Mississauga are growing quickly. The greatest constraint on population growth in Ajax is its capacity for, and its willingness to accept, residential expansion. Metroeconomics projections have assumed Ajax favours growth.

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2.1.12 Business Counts Statistics Canada’s Canadian Business Counts provides a record of business establishments by industry sector and size. This data is collected from the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). The Canadian Business Counts data records business counts as either “Without Employees” or “With Employees.” The establishments in the “Without Employees” category include the self-employed (i.e. those who do not maintain an employee payroll, but may have a workforce consisting of contracted workers, family members or business owners). It should be noted that the Canadian Business Counts data use the Canada Revenue Agency as a primary resource in establishment counts; therefore, businesses without a business number or indicating annual sales less than $30,000 are not included. Focusing primarily at the “Sub-Total, classified” numbers and industry breakdowns, the analysis has found that: ▪ 72% of all businesses have no employees, with only 0.3% of business employing more than 100 employees. ▪ 60.2% of all businesses with employees employ 1 to 4 people; this represents 16.6% of total businesses. ▪ Professional, scientific and technical services; and retail trade are the industries with the largest number of businesses with employees. ▪ Real estate, rental and leasing; professional, scientific and technical services; and construction are the industries with the largest number of businesses without employees. ▪ 6 businesses employ more than 500 people; these businesses are in sector like manufacturing; public administration; health care and social assistance; and arts, entertainment and recreation

Note: This section includes all registered companies that have a Goods and Services Tax number, as registered through the Canada Revenue Agency. Results should not be compared directly to existing business directories in Ajax as the criteria for registering are different for both. The Canadian Business Counts data are used primarily so that comparisons can be made to the Provincial Distribution of businesses across the same categories.

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Figure 36: Business counts in the Town of Ajax by industry and business size (number of employees)

Industry (NAICS) Total Ind. Subtotal 1-4 5-9 10-19 20-49 50-99 100-199 200-499 500 + Total 9631 6982 2649 1595 454 329 179 64 16 6 6 Unclassified 1143 903 240 210 17 9 3 1 0 0 0 Sub-total, classified 8488 6079 2409 1385 437 320 176 63 16 6 6 11 - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 29 22 7 1 2 2 1 0 1 0 0 21 - Mining and oil and gas extraction 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 - Utilities 11 8 3 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 23 - Construction 980 722 258 170 46 22 13 6 1 0 0 31-33 - Manufacturing 217 101 116 39 21 21 16 14 3 0 2 41 - Wholesale trade 263 167 96 47 19 15 10 4 1 0 0 44-45 - Retail trade 590 291 299 110 78 60 25 17 5 4 0 48-49 - Transportation and warehousing 824 666 158 132 13 8 5 0 0 0 0 51 - Information and cultural industries 113 87 26 17 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 52 - Finance and insurance 406 310 96 50 18 18 9 1 0 0 0 53 - Real estate and rental and leasing 1304 1242 62 39 12 8 2 1 0 0 0 54 - Professional, scientific and technical services 1413 998 415 377 23 8 7 0 0 0 0 55 - Management of companies and enterprises 56 51 5 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 56 - Administrative and support, waste 487 360 127 72 23 21 8 2 1 0 0 management and remediation services 61 - Educational services 130 87 43 17 8 8 6 4 0 0 0 62 - Health care and social assistance 572 319 253 128 67 43 11 2 1 0 1 71 - Arts, entertainment and recreation 142 109 33 15 4 2 8 1 0 2 1 72 - Accommodation and food services 294 89 205 52 52 50 41 9 1 0 0 81 - Other services (except public administration) 651 446 205 117 47 26 12 2 1 0 0 91 - Public administration 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Counts, December 2018

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The table below presents the distribution of businesses with employees in the Ajax. Besides professional, scientific and technical services; and retail trade. Construction, health care and social assistance and accommodation and food services also have a significant proportion of businesses with employees operating in Ajax. Figure 37: Businesses by industry in Ajax, percentage of total businesses with employees, 2018

Business with Industry (NAICS) employees % Total 2,649 100% 15.67 415 54 - Professional, scientific and technical services % 11.29 299 44-45 - Retail trade % 23 - Construction 258 9.74% 62 - Health care and social assistance 253 9.55% 72 - Accommodation and food services 205 7.74% 81 - Other services (except public administration) 205 7.74% 48-49 - Transportation and warehousing 158 5.96% 56 - Administrative and support, waste management and 127 remediation services 4.79% 31-33 - Manufacturing 116 4.38% 41 - Wholesale trade 96 3.62% 52 - Finance and insurance 96 3.62% 53 - Real estate and rental and leasing 62 2.34% 61 - Educational services 43 1.62% 71 - Arts, entertainment and recreation 33 1.25% 51 - Information and cultural industries 26 0.98% 11 - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 7 0.26% 55 - Management of companies and enterprises 5 0.19% 22 - Utilities 3 0.11% 91 - Public administration 2 0.08% 21 - Mining and oil and gas extraction 0 0.00% Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Business Counts, December 2018 Again, using the location quotient analysis, where 1.25 or greater represents strength, 0.75 to 1.25 represents proximity to the Provincial distribution, and below 0.75 represents low competitiveness, the only sector with the higher concentration of businesses than the province is educational services.

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Figure 38: Business count location quotients (LQ) businesses with employees by industry, 2018

LQ Industry (NAICS) Strength 2018 11 - Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 0.14 Low 21 - Mining and oil and gas extraction 0.00 Low 22 - Utilities 1.05 Moderate 23 - Construction 0.93 Moderate 31-33 - Manufacturing 1.01 Moderate 41 - Wholesale trade 0.78 Moderate 44-45 - Retail trade 1.02 Moderate 48-49 - Transportation and warehousing 0.94 Moderate 51 - Information and cultural industries 0.61 Low 52 - Finance and insurance 0.98 Moderate 53 - Real estate and rental and leasing 0.58 Low 54 - Professional, scientific and technical services 1.18 Moderate 55 - Management of companies and enterprises 0.34 Low 56 - Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services 1.13 Moderate 61 - Educational services 1.34 High 62 - Health care and social assistance 1.02 Moderate 71 - Arts, entertainment and recreation 0.94 Moderate 72 - Accommodation and food services 1.22 Moderate 81 - Other services (except public administration) 0.93 Moderate 91 - Public administration 0.28 Low Source: Statistics Canada; Canadian Business Counts December 2018. Adapted by MDB Insight.

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3. Consultation The consultation process for the Town of Ajax Economic Development Action Plan utilized a broad range of tools and tactics in order to reach stakeholders from across the town, the region and the broader community. The engagement process was designed to solicit input from key decision makers, municipal staff, regional economic development and workforce partners, education and businesses. A variety of methods of gathering input were utilized including interviews, facilitated group sessions, an online community survey, a random telephone survey and engagement through the project steering committee. 3.1.1 Interviews During the summer of 2019, a series of confidential interviews were conducted with key stakeholders to identify and inform emerging issues for investigation and validation through the research and engagement phase of the Economic Development Action Plan. These interviews were primarily conducted over the phone and in-person with Town of Ajax staff, administration, Council as well as business and community partners from across the region. The confidential nature of the interviews provided both internal and external stakeholders with an opportunity to provide their feedback on the current state of the Ajax economy, areas of strength, challenges, and most importantly, the opportunities that they felt could be capitalized upon through the Economic Development Action Plan. The full interview engagement results can be found in the appendix with a summary of the key emerging themes and issues presented below. What are the Town’s advantages for attracting businesses and future business growth and investment? ▪ Location: Ajax is strategically located along the 401 and 407 Highways which provides efficient access to and from the GTA and to markets ▪ Economic Development Team: Economic development staff are well regarded by the business community and Council. The level of engagement and number of events and programs the municipality offers was recognized by stakeholders. Council itself is positively viewed by the business community as partners and proponents in Economic Development ▪ Technology and Broadband investments: Partnerships with post secondary, emerging AI sector, Innovation Village development and overall investment in broadband infrastructure position the Town for changing economic landscape ▪ Lakefront: Ajax’s lakefront contributes to the high quality of life and attractiveness of the community for residents and tourists What are the major barriers to economic growth in the community? ▪ Out-Commuting Workforce: A large proportion of the workforce leaves Ajax everyday to work in other communities (primarily City of Toronto) and other GTHA municipalities. ▪ Land Constraints: there is a lack of greenfield development and new employment land within the municipal boundaries and much of the northern section of the municipality is protected from development under the Greenbelt. ▪ Downtown Servicing Constraints: there are number of areas that are constrained by available servicing capacity with downtown being most commonly cited

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▪ Lack of Clear Economic Vision: Stakeholders struggled to articulate what the value proposition or how the town is defined from an economic development perspective, especially compared to other GTHA municipalities. This lack of a clear vision and value proposition also extended to the BIAs within Ajax What economic development and community development opportunities or trends is the community missing out on? ▪ Downtown Development: The development of a cohesive downtown area with a compelling reason to visit was identified as a missing component to Ajax’s economic development ▪ Office Development: The lack of office, commercial development was cited as a missed opportunity. Significant development of this type of employment in municipalities to the north and west of Toronto were referenced ▪ Arts, Culture, Food and Entertainment District: the development of concentrated areas for younger demographics including trendy shopping, entertainment, cafes and restaurants was referenced as a missing component that also may be contributing to out-commuting workforce ▪ Walkable Communities: Many communities are focusing on walkable and pedestrian-first development where the use of a car is not required What key considerations need to be reflected in the Town’s economic development strategy? ▪ Zoning: Ensure that zoning bylaw allows flexibility, especially for mixed use development to accommodate live-work-play communities ▪ Red Tape: Create pathways for express development processes/red tape reduction where possible ▪ Downtown: There needs to be a plan and reimagination for Ajax’s downtown and more tools to enable revitalization ▪ Small Business: Spaces for business acceleration and incubation ▪ Incentivize Higher Employment Industries: Develop incentives for targeted industries (office, technology-enabled firms, creative industries)

3.1.2 Stakeholder Workshops Three stakeholder workshops were held on September 17-18, 2019 at the Town of Ajax municipal office. The sessions were segmented to capture input from a broad range of stakeholders and included one business and community session, one staff session and one session targeted at small and medium enterprises and high growth companies doing with locations in Ajax. The sessions included an economic overview of Ajax’s economy followed by an interactive discussion facilitated by Erik Lockhart of the Queens Executive Decision Centre. Attendees were asked to consider a number of questions related to Ajax’s current and future economic opportunities in both Individual and small group discussions to explore the initial economic findings and emerging trends and issues. Using collaborative technology, the sessions utilized a real-time brainstorming, evaluation and prioritization exercise focused on specific opportunities and challenges. The full stakeholder workshop results can be found in the appendix with a summary provided below: What are the good news stories and key areas of strength for the economy of Ajax?

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▪ Multiple post secondary institutions in the region ▪ New logistics companies with a potential to build a cluster across the region ▪ Ajax active in technology space, AI, partner with Durham College ▪ Diversity of cultures, residents and business offerings ▪ Economic Development minded Council What do you consider to be the 3 greatest opportunities for the Town of Ajax to sustain its economic growth in the coming 5 years? ▪ Downtown redevelopment - mixed use - live work play model with a new or expanded community improvement areas (Pickering Village, Downtown) ▪ Economic Development focused council presents an opportunity to further reduce red tape and develop municipal incentives (community improvement plans) ▪ Target and Specialize in Technology (i.e. Robotics) and connect with Innovation Hub, Innovation Village and other tech hubs

What challenges are limiting economic growth in Ajax? ▪ Regulatory roadblock, red tape and perception of a lack of urgency ▪ Better coordination between levels of government and conflict of priorities within and between municipalities ▪ Lack of a common vision of what Ajax is and would like to be leading to need for clarity and support of priorities and specific actions needed ▪ Resources (money, space, staff, budget allocation for economic development programs and services

3.1.3 Online Community Survey An online survey was available on the Town of Ajax website during September and October of 2019. The survey provided an opportunity for members of the public and business owners who were not able to attend the public workshops to provide input into the Economic Development Action Plan. The survey questions were similar to those asked during the in-person workshops. Although the survey was promoted through the Town of Ajax newsletter and social media, it received a limited number of responses, in part due to a number of concurrent surveys in the community for the corporate strategic plan and other organizational strategies. A total of 10 individual responses were gathered through the online survey from residents of Ajax, five currently working in Ajax and five working in other GTHA municipalities. Although the sample is small, it does provide some reflection on the community’s perceptions. When asked to rate the level of satisfaction with the quality of services in Ajax, the community ranked Public library, Recreation facilities and services, Retail shopping environment, Community festivals and events, Healthcare services and waste management as areas where they were more satisfied than unsatisfied. Housing choices, Education, Business related services, Business related events, Transportation infrastructure, Planning and development and Employment services received neither a

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satisfied nor dissatisfied response. The Town of Ajax’s corporate strategic plan which was conducted concurrently received a great deal of community input on service areas as well as specific recommendations on economic development and business services. The results of the corporate strategic plan were reviewed and consolidated as part of the background document review.

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3.1.4 Telephone Business Survey A Business Satisfaction Survey was completed via CATI (Computer-Aided Telephone Interview) with 201 businesses located in the Town of Ajax. The random selection of the businesses and scientific approach ensured that the results have a high level of accuracy and statistically represents the business community in the Town of Ajax. From a statistical point-of-view, this sample results in a margin of error of approximately +/-10 with a confidence interval of 19 times out of 20. Businesses were asked about their industry sector, number of employees, sales and future plans as well as their satisfaction with 16 other unique factors of doing business in Ajax. The composition of the business responses included all sectors, ownership structures, and age of businesses operating in Ajax. The business responses also represented businesses ranging from the very small (self-employed) to the very large (100+ employees). The ownership type of a business is a key factor when looking to initiate economic development programming. Locally owned and operated business as well as self-employed businesses are generally more receptive to an intervention from local economic development staff. These types of businesses have local decision makers who are more likely to be influenced by municipal policies and initiatives. Externally owned and operated businesses may be headquartered in another municipality or even another country. Decision making at theses firms can often be the result of national or international business decisions based on global performance or other factors. Figure 39 below outlines the breakdown of respondents by ownership type. Figure 39: Ownership Type of Responding Businesses

25.40% Locally Owned and Operated

43.80% Self-Employed Business

Externally Owned and Operated 30.80%

N=201 The high degree of local ownership and self-employed businesses is a positive factor when considering the potential success of the Economic Development Action Plan. Locally owned businesses translates into local decision making among the business community. Externally owned and operated businesses may represent companies with headquarters or ownership groups outside of Ajax, and potentially outside of Canada. These companies may not have a connection to the community and decisions are more likely to be strictly financially motivated and based on overall business performance or

shareholder value. The high degree of local ownership means that the Town of Ajax is more likely to be able to interface with leadership and influence decision makers. Looking at the age of businesses in Ajax presented in Figure 40, 78.1% of businesses had been in operation for six years or more with 21.9% of businesses being in operation for five years or less. The age breakdown of businesses indicates that Ajax has a good mix of both established businesses as well as newer businesses in the start-up or growth phase. Supporting the new business community with business supports is critical to helping them through the first five years of operation is critical to their long term success. With more than half of all businesses in operation for more than 10 years, efforts must also be dedicated to those business owners that may be looking for succession planning information to help ensure that the business is successfully transferred rather than closed when the owner looks to retire. Figure 40: Years in Operation of Businesses

Years in Operation

51.2%

26.9%

18.9%

3.0%

Less than 1 year 1-5 years 6-10 years More than 10 years

When looking at the industry of businesses responding to the random telephone survey in Figure 41, there is some correlation with the Canadian Business Count data with a high proportion of accommodation and food and retail trade businesses. There is a noticeably higher proportion of businesses which classified themselves as ‘Other Services’ within the telephone sample when compared to the actual industry breakdown according to the business count data. This overrepresentation of ‘Other Services’ is not uncommon when asking businesses to classify their industry according to the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS).

Figure 41: Industry of Business by NAICS

Industry

Other services (except public administration) 29.4% Accommodation and food services 15.9% Retail trade 11.9% Health care and social assistance 7.5% Finance and insurance 7.5% Manufacturing 6.5% Construction 4.0% Arts, entertainment and recreation 3.5% Transportation and warehousing 3.0% Public administration 2.0% Educational services 2.0% Wholesale trade 2.0% Administrative and support, waste management and… 1.0% Professional, scientific and technical services 1.0% Real estate and rental and leasing 1.0% Utilities 1.0% Management of companies and enterprises 0.5% Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 0.5%

The number of employees among surveyed businesses were primarily small to medium with some representation among a few larger firms employee over 100 people.

Number of Employees

63.2%

14.4% 11.4% 8.0% 2.0% 1.0%

1 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20 21-50 51-99 100+

Revenue and Outlook of Respondents When asked about their attitude towards doing business in Ajax now as compared to 12 months ago, 25.9% of businesses were more positive with only 9.0% of business feeling more negative and the remaining 65.2% having no change. The differential of more positive to more negative for businesses in Ajax is 16.9% and when looked at in the context of the high overall business satisfaction, seems to indicate that the current business environment is good. Figure 42: Attitude of Businesses when Compared to 12 Months Ago

Attitude Today vs 12 Months Ago

9.0%

25.9%

65.2%

No Change More positive More negative

Figure 43 indicates that 31.3% of business had increased revenue over the past 12 months with 20.9% experiencing a decrease. Figure 43: Business Revenue over the Past 12 Months

Revenue over the past 12 Months

31.3% 41.3% 20.9% 6.5%

Increased Remained the same Decreased Not sure

Looking forward at revenue expectations over the next 12 months, 50.2% of businesses anticipated higher revenue compared with just 13.9% anticipating lower revenue with the remaining businesses either unsure or expecting similar revenues.

Revenue Expectations over next 12 Months

50.2% 30.3% 13.9% 5.5%

Higher The same Lower Not sure

When asked about their plans for next 24 months, 70.6% of businesses planned to maintain their current operations. Among those businesses anticipating a change, 15.9% planned to expand with 13.5% planning to either relocate, downsize, sell or close. Interventions with those businesses that are planning to make a significant business decision over the next 24 months would be critical to any business retention and expansion efforts. Figure 44: Business Plans for the Next 24 Months

70.6% Plans for next 24 Months

15.9% 6.0% 5.5% 1.5% 0.5%

Maintaining Expanding Relocating Downsizing Selling Closing Operations

Businesses were asked about their overall level of satisfaction with doing business in Ajax as well as their level of satisfaction with 16 individual business factors. The overall business satisfaction is Ajax was extremely high as show in Figure 45. When looking at overall performance, Ajax had a 94% satisfaction level with 59.2% of businesses being very satisfied. On the other side of the spectrum, only 1% of businesses responded that they were very dissatisfied. Figure 45: Level of Satisfaction with Doing Business in Ajax

59.2% 34.8% 5.0% 1.0%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied

Competitive Advantages and Disadvantages Respondents were asked about the competitive advantages and disadvantages of doing business in Ajax. These open-ended questions returned a variety of responses based on the individual experience of each business. The summary tables below provide a summary of the more re-occurring themes of responses. # of What are the competitive advantages of locating a business in Ajax? Occurrences Transit Accessibility 20 Location & Proximity 57 Community Growth 14 Community Characteristics 23 Costs 11 Competitive Businesses 15 N=149 The list of competitive advantages points to the notion that Ajax is ideally situated in proximity to Toronto with good transportation and accessibility while still maintaining a relative cost competitiveness and a sense of community that may not be found in larger, more urban areas within the GTHA. The list of competitive disadvantages points to the Ajax as having some physical constraints to growth, particularly for small to medium businesses. The need for increased servicing capacity to enable commercial, industrial and residential development were common among responses. What are the towns competitive disadvantages? What needs to be done to encourage the types of business/industrial development you would like to see in # of Ajax? Occurrences Infrastructural Improvements 27 Property Tax Rate 14 Housing & Rent 9 Traffic & Congestion 13 GTA Competition and Lack of Small-Medium Buildings 18 N=99

Performance of Business Factors and Derived Importance When looking at the individual factors that helped Ajax to have a high level of overall satisfaction, Figure 46 shows the performance of each individual business factor. The lowest performing business factor, ‘Municipal property taxes’ had a performance score of almost 70%.

Figure 46: Satisfaction of Business Factors in Ajax

Using the derived importance methodology, businesses overall satisfaction is correlated to the performance of each business factor, the level of satisfaction with each individual business factor and the overall satisfaction responses by all businesses to determine the derived importance. Derived importance allows the Town of Ajax to understand which factors they are most likely to have an impact on increasing overall business satisfaction.

The figure below outlines the business factors in priority sequence. Priority is determined through a combination of performance and derived importance. The highest-ranking business factor was the ‘Availability of funding programs for business and property improvement’. ‘Municipal property taxes’, ‘Availability of skilled labour’ and ‘Development charges and off-site levies’ and ‘Development/building permit process’ rounded out the top five.

Figure 47: Priority Ranking of Business Factors

Business Factor Performanc Derived Priority e Importance Ranking Availability of funding programs for business and property 72% 9 1 improvement Municipal property taxes 69% 7.1 2 Availability of skilled labour 71% 7.1 3 Development charges and off-site levies 76% 6.7 4 Development/building permit process 81% 7.1 5 Availability of unskilled labour 79% 6 6 Availability of property for purchase or lease 80% 5.8 7 Opportunities to collaborate with post-secondary institutions 85% 6.7 8 for R&D and sourcing talent Availability of adequate housing 82% 5.6 9 Quality of public transit service 86% 7.1 10 Local roads and streets 86% 6.2 11 Availability of health and medical services 86% 5.6 12 Internet service 87% 5.6 13 Provincial roads and highways 90% 6 14 Cellular phone service 92% 5.6 15 Water availability 97% 5.6 16

Future Plans of Ajax Businesses A component of the telephone business survey included asking businesses about their plans for the next 24 months. Plans included expansion, downsizing, closure, relocation or sale of the business. Engaging with green flag businesses provides an opportunity for Ajax economic development to understand the nature of planned expansions and to take any necessary steps to ensure that the expansion process is smooth and resulting employment or assessment growth benefits the town. Follow up interviews with businesses indicating a planned relocation can uncover whether the relocation is to another location within the town or to another municipality. A business sale may be an opportunity to provide succession planning resources to keep a business open and viable within Ajax. By interacting with businesses with planned closures or downsizing, Ajax economic development are able to implement mitigation strategies or provide any resources that the business requires to potentially prevent the business plans. The table below provides a summary of the triage cases uncovered through the telephone business survey. Also included are businesses with an upcoming lease expiry as it is also a critical time for an intervention as it could also be the precursor to a businesses decision to continue operations, relocate or potentially close if a new lease arrangement is not favourable to their current business conditions.

Figure 48: Future Plans of Surveyed Businesses

Business Plans # of Occurrence % of All Business Expansion 32 15.9% Closure 1 0.5% Downsizing 11 5.5% Relocation 12 6.0% Sale 3 1.5% N=201 There were a significant number of businesses indicating a planned expansion which reflects positively on potential job growth in Ajax combined with only one planned closure. Further follow up with these businesses will help Ajax understand the nature of these plans and whether any interventions from the town’s economic development office can assist. Eight of the relocating business had cited that they were very satisfied with Ajax as a place to do business which indicates that their decision to relocate is based on other outside factors, perhaps relating to availability of space, external considerations or internal business factors.

3.3 Market Trends, Opportunities and Best Practices 3.4 Changing Retail Landscape Emerging retail trends are changing the typical customer experience, shifting consumer demands and forcing retailors to re-examine their brick and mortar and online strategy. Businesses that are wellpositioned for success in this new retail landscape have several factors that contribute to resilience. This includes a strong value proposition, clear brand image and a message that resonates with consumers. They also have a great customer service model that includes a holistic and natural experience across their in-store and online experiences. Greater digitization of retail is a large contributor to the changes which are pushing retail to improve these factors.

Resilience to the changing landscape for a retail business of any size starts by incorporating an online presence into the business plan. Almost every part of a typical shopping journey is being digitized up until the last transfer of goods. This includes consumers now beginning their search for a product or service online which means customers may not find a company or brand if they do not have a functioning, easy- to-use website that is accessible via mobile and desktop. Furthermore, staying on top of digital transformation also demands the move from the obsolete product-centric model to one that is customer- centric. Examples of Resilient Businesses Trends show that most consumers still prefer to try on and purchase apparel in-store. The difference between resiliency and a store-front closure is an apparel company’s ability to add a new online experience that complements their current physical experience that has engaged their customers in the past. Off-price retailers offer a “treasure hunt” experience to consumers looking to find high quality second-hand and off-season goods at slashed prices. This value proposition is not easy to implement online and limits an off-price retailer’s exposure to changes in the industry. Well-known chains and local restaurants which can be found online are fairly protected against e-commerce penetration. The social aspect and experience that diners want overshadows the convenience of ordering in on an app for social occasions.

The Durham Region Competitiveness Study found that region ranked low among GGH comparators in terms of restaurants, particularly in the fine-dining category. While restaurants, especially fine dining are resilient to digital disruption, there is an opportunity for Ajax to provide incentives or address potential zoning challenges with regards to new restaurant development.

Brewing and distilling are in the midst of significant digital transformation fostering Intense competition. On the other hand, digitalization is helping proactive craft breweries implement automation and system adjustments that help establish a competitive edge and help serve todays rapid market demand. The beer market in particular was dominated by a few consolidated producers who controlled the vast majority of beer production. As little as eight years ago, Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors controlled

approximately 90% of the total beer market in the US. From 2002 to 2007, the number of people employed in the industry declined despite strong overall economic growth. From 2008 to 2016, the number of breweries and overall workforce increased even as overall consumption declined due to the explosive growth of craft breweries.6 Recent changes by the provincial government in Ontario have been aimed at increasing the overall competitiveness of the sector and loosening some of the previous restrictions on brewery and winery sales and service to allow for greater expansion of the marketplace.7 Value of Brick and Mortar Stores The topic of the changing retail landscape draws attention to business shifting from brick and mortar stores to online. While this is a common trend the trigger for the shift is caused by the increased importance of the customer experience. As such some online retailers are opening their first store fronts after finding success digitally to provide the holistic experience demanded by their customers. For example, major online furniture store, Wayfair recently started opening physical locations to showcase their furniture and have their consultants help consumers in the early stages of interior design. Online foam mattress-in-a-box maker, Casper opened its third Canadian retail store in July 2019. This New York based online retailer also has plans to open 200 mattress stores in the U.S to allow their customers to test the company’s products and even “book a nap” to experience the products in one of the store’s miniature homes. Furniture stores with showrooms appeal to consumers who like to feel the furniture before bringing it home. This category will straddle its of online and in-store presence but will overall remain heavily focused on brick-and-mortar showrooms. These are just a few examples of how online retailers are leveraging brick and mortar stores to add to their value proposition and consumer-centric business model in today’s rapidly changing retail landscape. Digital Main Street The Digital Main Street (DMS) Program offers an opportunity for new and existing businesses in Ajax to take part in the digital disruption rather than being bystanders to it. Through DMS approved providers, businesses gain access to assessment, training and tools that help them take advantage of online and e- commerce opportunities. The DMS program starts with an assessment to determine a business's readiness to undertake a digital transformation. Following the assessment, the suite of tools and services available include training on increasing web presences, funding for developing an e-commerce platform and even basic online necessities such as internal business photos to help a retail store increase its profile on a basic Google search. Although the program originally started in the City of Toronto, it’s success and support from the Province of Ontario has enabled its expansion into communities such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Port Hope, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay. Each of these cities has embraced the Digital Main Street model to ensure the vitalization of their commercial cores and become local leaders and advocates for the program. A successful Economic Development Action Plan for the Town of Ajax must look at both the movement of retail businesses online as well as supporting the establishment of niche sectors that deliver an experience that cannot be replicated through an online platform.

6 https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2018/01/craft-beer-industry/550850/ 7 https://news.ontario.ca/omafra/en/2019/09/strengthening-and-supporting-ontarios-craft-producers.html

3.5 Emergence of Business Incubation and Acceleration as a Key Feature of Small Business Growth The Ontario economy is currently in a state of transition from a primary goods and service economy to one that is increasingly dependent on small businesses and entrepreneurs that are developing new technologies and using them in innovative ways. The primary drivers for both attracting existing businesses as well as attracting entrepreneurs is becoming less focused on attributes such as development, property and land costs and more focused on quality of life, workforce and supportive business environments. This transition requires new support systems and structures that enable these companies to thrive while growing their local economies. Entrepreneurs and small businesses will establish their new ventures in the communities that provide the ecosystems that they need in order to grow and be successful. Characteristics of Successful Incubators According to the Center for Community & Economic Development of the University of Wisconsin8, some of the characteristics of a successful incubator are: ▪ Clear and well communicated goals: Determining specific goals is essential to developing the application process and communicating the benefits of locating within the incubator to potential tenants. ▪ Incubator management: An incubator manager involved in tenant selection, daily operations, coordination and facilitation of business services can be an invaluable asset to incubator businesses and the key to the incubator reaching its goals. ▪ Business services: These services may include the business plan development, promotional assistance, business networking, technical support, funding for start-up, customer service, accounting and finance. ▪ Shared resources: Shared services can include duplicating and faxing, secretarial, conference rooms, shipping and receiving, warehousing, computer support, insurance, joint purchasing agreements, incubator manager or staff, joint marketing and promotional assistance, high speed Internet service and even an e-commerce website. ▪ Physical space: This vary with the focus on the incubators. Generally low cost and flexible rent is the first thing that attract potential clients. ▪ Financing: The incubator manager or incubator support team should work to gain access to capital for tenants by developing partnerships and pursuing grants and other funding opportunities. ▪ Application and acceptance: The objectives of the business incubator usually determines the application and acceptance process. Understanding that each entrepreneur will have a different skill

8 Center for Community and Economic Development – University of Wisconsin. Seven Components of a Successful Business Incubator. Retrieved from < https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/downtowneconomics/files/2012/08/Seven-Components-of-a- Successful-Business-Incubator.pdf>

set and that all ideas will be at various levels of development will allow the incubator manager or support team to match potential tenants with appropriate business services.

Business Incubation in Durham Region Durham Region is the site of a number of business incubation, acceleration and innovation centres that support new and existing businesses. The current innovation ecosystem in Durham Region is also supported by Durham College and Ontario Tech University that provide applied research, technology and talent that will continue to drive the advancement of new business growth and development. While Ajax businesses can benefit from the existing ecosystem and regional assets, there is also an opportunity to further enhance and solidify the town as a key regional player in the innovation space through the continued build out of Innovation Village. Spark Centre Spark Centre, Durham's Regional Innovation Centre (RIC), provides support to earlier stage and pre- revenue technology start-up companies. Spark Centre acts as a “one-stop shop” providing business coaching and mentorship, learning tools and connections to business and research networks. The centre also offers help with access to investment and funding, ultimately creating jobs and wealth within Durham Region. Spark Centre offers co-working space rentals, and a residency program that allow clients to joint a working environment where start-ups, experts, and incubator staff work side to side. Currently the Spark Centre has partnerships with more than 30 regional organizations, including the Ontario Network of Entrepreneurs, the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creating and Trade, the Durham Region, and the City of Oshawa. The Centre has assisted over a thousand clients over seven year and raised over $14 million in the last five years. The Spark Centre also estimates the creation of more than 200 jobs in the last four years. Whitby 1855 Whitby 1855 is a technology accelerator, funded by the Town of Whitby and the CEO of 360 Insight. The centre offers high potential tech and innovation companies the opportunity to accelerate growth to commercialization. Whitby 1855 has partnered with organization like BDO, Durham College, CBRE, Siskinds Law Firm, and Team MultiCorp.

Despite its short running time, Whitby 1855 has been able to be self-sustainable through a system of space rental and space naming rights. Currently the Centre serves five members that include the Durham Regional Police. The centre offers its member mentorship and activities to support the growth of businesses including workshops on human resources, accounting, patenting and leadership.

3.6 Workforce Attraction and Recruitment Failure to attract and retain top talent is the number-one issue for global CEO’s before economic growth and competitive intensity. A recent study of more than 600,000 researchers, entertainers, politicians,

and athletes found that high performers are 400 percent more productive than average ones. 9 Studies of businesses not only show similar results but also reveal that the gap rises with a job’s complexity. The changing economic and industrial landscape caused by digitalization and the increasing use of technology and data-driven enterprises will require a new type of workforce. The shift towards a knowledge-based and service-driven economy over the traditional goods-producing economy means that talent attraction and retention will continue to be a critical factor for economic and business growth. This competition for talent is a global one and requires businesses to take a broad approach and look across municipal, provincial or national borders.

The opportunity for skilled immigrant talent to bolster Ajax’s next phase of development is further strengthened by the fact that Ajax has historically been a less likely destination for new immigrants than many other communities within the G.T.H.A. region. Recent immigrants (within five years) made up 3% of Ajax’s total population compared to a GTHA average of 6.1% and 7.5% in Mississauga, which had the highest proportion among individual municipalities. Current housing options in Ajax are dominated by low density and owners rather than renters. This profile of housing options suggests there is some potential need for more diverse housing options to accommodate incoming talent and talent attraction strategies. Government of Canada Global Skills Strategy The Global Skills Strategy was launched in 2017 by the Government of Canada to provide a fast and predictable process for companies in Canada to access highly skilled talent from abroad. A collaborative effort across Federal Ministries including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Global Skills Strategy promises processing times of as little as two weeks for companies looking to import highly skilled talent. Applicants for occupations in type 0 (managerial) or skill level A (professional) of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) are eligible to apply for the fast-tracked process. Spouses, common-law partners and children/dependents are also eligible for the two-week application processing turnaround. Additionally, employers making significant investments in Canada are also eligible for a dedicated case manager to assist with the process through the Dedicated Service Channel (DSC) system. Entry into the DSC system requires a referral from an approved referral partner which includes a number of GTHA region municipalities. Exploring enhanced partnership with the Region in the pursuit of referral partner status can provide an opportunity to enhance talent attraction with the accelerated processes that the Global Skills Strategy offers to employers. Vibrant Pittsburgh The City of Pittsburgh has taken a unique approach to their talent attraction efforts over the last number of years. With an emerging tech sector and community, Pittsburgh like many other mid-sized tech cities in the US and Canada have faced stiff challenges when looking to recruit skilled workers, particularly in the tech space. The allure and compensation offered by many Silicon Valley firms has resulted in a struggle for these emerging tech cities to compete, attract and retain the talent they need. Through the

9 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/attracting-and-retaining-the-right- talent

Vibrant Pittsburgh initiative, the City has created programming geared towards attracting and retaining skilled talent based on creating a community first. Through the use of social activities, Vibrant Pittsburgh helps create a supportive network around talent and their families. Events such as games nights, volunteer events and dine arounds at one of the many trendy local restaurants helps new talent feel at home quickly and even encourage others to come through a mentorship program. Organization Level Talent Attraction From providing volunteering opportunities to offering tailored development training packages, there are plenty of non-financial ways to attract the best candidates at the business level that can be shared with Ajax employers to ensure they are using best practices for retaining and attracting top talent10.

• Build a solid company reputation: Invest in marketing that shows prospective employees how great the company is and back it up with a stand-out recruitment process • Company culture: Introduce small, incremental changes to a workplace culture and add employee testimonials to the careers site to provide candidates with a better insight into day-today working life. • Personal relationships: hiring managers should build strong relationships with potential employees. They can do this by investing in interview-focused training and install a structured interview process that allows hiring managers time to develop these relationships. • Personal fulfillment and career progression: Explain the importance of the role within both the immediate team and the wider company, highlighting the opportunities available for employees to make their voices heard. Then help develop existing employees and communicate opportunities for advancement to candidates during the recruitment process.

3.7 Business Retention and Expansion Programming Business retention and expansion (BR+E) programming is an essential feature of any economic development department. Business Retention and Expansion International (BREI) defines it as “In economic development, business retention and expansion is a program designed to strengthen the connection between companies and the community while encouraging each business to continue to grow in the community. Through direct interactions, events, and research, the program seeks to gain insight into business practices, planned future actions, as well as the challenges of targeted companies. Then, to turn this “business intelligence” into value added services, programs, and/or products that address individual and shared company opportunities and problems.”11 Nurturing the growth of local businesses through BR+E activities can create jobs, add to the tax base and foster healthy communities more quickly than investment attraction. Business retention and expansion programming has evolved as the way in which business is conducted has evolved. Traditional BR+E’s have focused on the physical on-site meeting between the economic development officer and C-level executives in order to garner the business intelligence and build a

10 https://www.robertwalters.com/blog/five-ways-to-attract-top-talent.html 11 https://brei.org/what-is-bre/

relationship with local industry. A face to face interview with a business executive is an invaluable experience, coordination and arranging such interviews can be a time consuming and often futile experience as businesses are often hesitant to give up to an hour of valuable time to meet with an EDO without first having an appreciation of the benefits. The sheer number (many without a traditional business location) and size of many businesses also poses a challenge when trying to identify who key decision makers are and how best to reach them. The investment in time and resources to arrange a meeting may have a valuable return on investment if the business is in need of support or resources that the EDO can provide on the spot but often the result of a meeting may be the need for another follow up meeting once the appropriate resources have been sourced or assembled. It is impossible to meet with every business and the amount of time that passes between beginning and ending a traditional BR+E program often makes it difficult to identify and act on emerging issues and common threads before the information becomes dated. New and emerging BR+E practices are being developed that focus on generating information and data more efficiently for both the EDO and the business to more effectively deliver solutions and gain realtime and aggregated business intelligence. MDB Insight has been a pioneer in BR+E through the development of the Triage BR+E platform. The Triage BR+E is designed to deliver a statistically significant view of the business environment as well as focusing and prioritizing the immediate needs of individual businesses and factors affecting the business community as a whole. Through the use of a 7-9 minute random telephone survey, the economic development office can effectively utilize their own limited time and resources to have the greatest impact. The benefits of a Triage BR+E survey are multiple and include: ▪ Maximizes your Time – There are more business owners to connect with than time will ever allow. Triage BR+E ensures that you are spending your time with the cases that matter the most and where you can influence decision-making that is critical to your economy. ▪ Data is Reliable – Sample sizes will be large enough to generate results that can be extended across the community. Outcome action plan recommendations will be representative of what the entire business community wants. Questions are structured to ensure meaningful analysis across many variables. ▪ Actions are More Meaningful – The time to complete Triage BR+E is measured in weeks and not months. As such, action plan recommendations are based on current and highly relevant data. ▪ Real-time Red and Green Flag Notifications – Market research questions are focused on understanding whether business owners are facing opportunities and challenges that require your attention. Learn about them immediately after the interview. ▪ Deeper Reach into your Business Community – No other technique can start conversations with a broader cross-section of your business owners. Engage people you have never engaged before. ▪ Less Expensive – Reach your business owners at a fraction of the cost of a traditional BR+E program. ▪ Built-in Flexibility – The market research can be designed to target the entire business community or segments of it. Understand what you are most interested in ▪ Support your Priorities with Quantitative Evidence – Derived Importance is a quantitative technique that has been used by the private sector for decades to establish priorities. This technique is now available to economic developers. Triage BR+E will measure the degree of importance business

owners place on an issue and their thoughts on local performance – the two elements needed to rank priorities. ▪ Benchmark Performance and Measure It – The first Triage BR+E establishes a benchmark on what your business owners think of aspects of your community’s business environment. Subsequent Triage BR+E market research will tell you the impact of the actions you took. The Triage BR+E is one of the more innovative methods for conducting BR+E with limited municipal resources and increasing demands on the EDO’s time and has been the winner of numerous economic development awards at both the provincial and national levels. OMAFRA also offers some resources and a streamlined questionnaire to municipalities for conducting a BR+E program across the province however, the methodology is based upon the traditional BR+E and is reliant upon a volunteer model.

3.8 Streamlined Municipal Process Tools The development and building permit process are one of the most impactful ways that a municipality has direct contact with an individual business, investor or developer. Planning and development processes are in many cases regulated through provincial and municipal policy and planning regulations governing how development should occur. Multiple departments across a municipality are usually engaged with large investments often reaching across planning, building, emergency services, infrastructure, transportation department and more. Notwithstanding the general rules and policies for development, the way in which a municipality approaches the development process can be a contributing business factor when making an investment decision. A business friendly approach which recognizes and appreciates development as essential for the community’s prosperity and implements positive steps to streamline the multitude of required permits, processes and inspections required to enable an investment can be the difference between the creation of local jobs and assessment or growth in a comparative jurisdiction. With the fierce competition for growth within the GTHA, a streamlined development process can make Ajax even more attractive when combined with the available workforce and strategic location. The City of Hamilton’s Soft Landing Program serves as a strong example for a organization-wide approach to enabling development. City of Hamilton – Soft Landing Program Hamilton’s Soft-Landing Program is designed to help foreign companies locate in Hamilton. Through collaboration with McMaster University, McMaster Innovation Park, Hamilton’s Economic Development Office, and Innovation Factory, Hamilton is able to offer resources to reduce the time, cost and risk of market entry and provide collaboration opportunities for companies. Each partner brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the program with the City leading overall coordination, McMaster providing access to space and research and development support and Innovation Factory providing a network of volunteer mentors with expertise in all sectors of business, including CleanTech, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Advanced Manufacturing, and Life and Health Sciences. A coordinated, full suite of service enabled Hamilton to take advantage of FDI inflow and industry growth sectors. 3.9 Role of Tourism in Economic Development

Tourism plays a huge role in many regional economies. The Ministry of Tourism estimates that tourism receipts in Ontario totalled $34.1 billion in 2016 and represented a 5.4% increase from 2015. In fact, with the exception of 2009, tourism receipts have increased every year since 2007.12 The ten year average increase is 3.7% which indicates that tourism is a growing component of the Ontario economy as a whole and economic development departments are and should be focused on this opportunity. Employment in tourism is also largely an export oriented industry with much of the income coming into the community coming from outside sources rather than population based employment. With so much potential in enhanced tourism efforts, and a globally competitive market, tourism is becoming less focused on advertising events or marketing efforts and more so on unique product development. The emergence of tourism bloggers as key influencers that highlight what is ‘cool’ and trendy often happens before tourism industry professionals or economic developers are aware. Focusing on and enabling product unique product development within the town of Ajax is one method for helping local businesses create these unique experiences and offerings utilizing the existing assets that Ajax has to offer. Tourism Development on Lake Erie Elgin and Norfolk counties along the shores of Lake Erie are two communities that have taken unique approaches to developing tourism products to complement their more traditional marketing and promotions efforts. In the case of Norfolk, the County has established a dedicated Product Development Plan that is focussed on product, service, infrastructure with an emphasis on regional collaboration, integration with Region Tourism Organization 1 (RTO1) and private-sector and community buy-in. The Economic Development department conducts an annual symposium to expose businesses to trends and opportunities in tourism product development. Norfolk also offers incentives including a Façade Improvement Program, Tax Increment Financing Program and Exemptions on Development Charges for roofed accommodation in both their urban, lakeshore and more agricultural areas. Grants to improve facilities, building façade, signage and rehabilitation of spaces in the agricultural and lakeshore areas are considered important to tourism development, given that Norfolk County’s tourism product includes beaches. Elgin County has also taken a proactive approach to tourism product development through the use of a CIP to enable and incentivize businesses to develop and revitalize tourism business locations. In the case of Elgin, the County took specific steps to identify tourism corridors and the lakeshore area. With three main ports and beaches providing the greatest tourist draw to the area, the main arterial roads that provided direct access to traffic coming from the provincial highway, Highway 401, Highway 402 and the city of London were identified as enhanced tourism corridors. Businesses and properties fronting theses roads were eligible for an enhanced set of property and building incentives. These incentives included property improvements (parking, landscaping, signage etc.) and building improvements including both interior and exterior improvements and full-scale redevelopment to tourism related uses (i.e. brewery, event space). The lakeshore area was also designated as an area of further tourism potential with enhanced incentives for businesses with close proximity with a recognition that a large portion of their products and services would ultimately cater to those from outside the community and bring in new money and generate local employment opportunities. With a number of existing tourists draws as well as emerging areas of increased tourist potential, the

12 http://www.mtc.gov.on.ca/en/tourism/receipts.shtml

development of designated tourist corridors and areas with potential for incentives and investment as part of a CIP can help improve and increase Ajax’s overall tourism product. One of the lessons learned from Elgin and Norfolk County’s forays into tourism focused CIPs is that marketing the CIP is just as important as developing it. A well developed and attractive CIP without sufficient uptake can fall flat as has been the case in many municipalities where CIPs have gone underutilized. The Elgincentives website provides a great example of how a successfully marketed CIP can have a dramatic effect on tourism development. The CIP has had tremendous success and since its’ launch in 2015, has seen over 146 projects approved, over $762,629 in grants provided and leveraged over $3.34 million in improvement projects across primarily tourism related businesses.

3.10 The Role of BIAs The concept of the Business Improvement Area (BIA) was first developed in the Bloor West Village area of Toronto in 1970. Faced with the growth of shopping malls and a loss of traffic among main street, mostly independent retailers, the first BIA in Bloor West Village and others were created through legislation within the Municipal Act to provide store owners with the opportunity to use their own funds to implement improvements to the main street including flowers, banners and other aesthetic improvements. Since then, the role and impact of BIAs has shifted and expanded to encompass much more than simple decorative improvements. With over 310 BIAs in Ontario and 84 in the City of Toronto alone, BIAs have undergone an expansion in both their number and impact. The majority of BIAs are represented in Ontario by the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA). The OBIAA provides leadership, best practices and tools for BIAs across Ontario. Through the OBIAA and other partnerships, many BIAs have been involved in a number of programs that have gone well beyond simple promotion and beautification and increasingly providing services to assist existing and businesses adapt to the changing retail landscape and help new businesses establish themselves. The Digital Main Street initiative is on example of how a proactive BIA can help its members to adapt to an increasingly online world. The Digital Main Street program was originally developed in Toronto but has since expanded across the province through a partnership with the OBIAA. The program provides an assessment of main street businesses digital presence, training, tools and access to an online knowledge bank of information on how to implement digital transformation practices across main street businesses. Digital Main Street also provides access to a number of grant programs ranging from $2500 to $10,000 to assist businesses adopt technology and receive one-on-one assistance by a digital service squad. Unfortunately for BIAs within the Town of Ajax, the current Digital Main Street Initiative is scheduled to be completed by March 2020. BIAs who have championed and lead local Digital Main Street initiatives and uptake have helped their members become more well adapted to the changing retail landscape, embrace e-commerce and take advantage of online sales channels to be more resilient and even grow in the face of online competition. A number of BIAs have recently embraced a more active role in delivering support for their members through a ‘Win this Space ’ (WTS) competition. A WTS program is a program designed to encourage entrepreneurship by helping to remove one of the key barriers to entry, a physical space. The first WTS was conducted in Durham region in Uxbridge with the local BIA spearheading the initiative. The WTS was initiated to fill vacant downtown retail space but the program has since evolved to become a proactive effort to generate and support viable business ideas. While each WTS is unique, the primary

features are the same with potential entrepreneurs developing a business plan, engaging in mentorship with existing retail owners and eventually pitching their ideas to a panel for the chance to win subsidized or free rent at a high visibility commercial location. The successful entrepreneurs also benefit from products and services (i.e. printing, signage, etc) from other BIA members and businesses that help bring their business idea to life. Another innovative program being offered by the Yonge - St. Claire BIA in Toronto is the use of ShopTalk Beacons. These devices are connected to a smartphone app and can alert visually impaired pedestrians and customers of a stores location as they passed and even provide information on how to safely navigate the store. BIA’s are becoming more and more active and engaged in supporting business development, entrepreneurship and accessibility than ever before. The days of simply being a cooperative marketing organization have largely passed. BIA’s are most effective when their membership is made up of owner/operators, primarily engaged in retail, sales and specialty services. The local nature of ownership helps to ensure that businesses are engaged in the BIA’s activities and directly benefit from the cooperation and coordination of resources that the BIA can provide. While chain operations, offices and other commercial businesses can be members of a BIA, these types of businesses generally do not have the same level of local commitment and interest that are found with local ownership/operation.

Recognizing when a BIA is no Longer Warranted While there has been a lot of growth in the number of BIAs in Ontario, there has also been a number of BIAs that have either chosen to disband, dissolve or attempt to dissolve when the associations are unable to provide sufficient value. The move to dissolve may be the result of the financial feasibility for members, a lack of leadership or governance stability or simply the changing of the business environment or neighbourhood where they operate. When Port Dalhousie’s BIA voted to disband in 2019 they did so for financial reasons but also due to the changing nature of the neighbourhood. A BIA requires an engaged membership that is invested and representative of the community in order to effectively administer their funds and effectively advocate. These local advocates are usually comprised of business owner/operators. The prevalence of merchants and renters who occupied space within the BIA but did not have a voice also contributed to the board decision to disband.13 Within the GTHA Region, the Bolton BIA board voted to disband in 2018. The move was ultimately stopped by a narrow margin of the membership but demonstrates how BIAs can become victim to volunteer fatigue and other forces that can prevent them from realizing their full potential as business support networks.14

3.11 Building a Creative and Smart City Changes in the global economy have always had a direct impact on the growth and life of towns and cities. The Town of Ajax’s Economic Development Action Plan needs to reflect on the larger global trends that are likely to have a lasting economic impact on the economic performance of the town and the region as communities move towards smarter, more technologically integrated practices and look to

13 https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news-story/9627192-port-dalhousie-bia-says-disbanding-makes-financial- sense/ 14 https://www.caledonenterprise.com/news-story/8893757--bolton-bia-not-disbanding/

attract new types of employment. As Ajax looks to position itself as an innovation leader and as an investment destination of choice within the GTHA, the town can leverage the work of leaders in smart cities and look at ways to attract creative industries and the workforce with skills for jobs of the future. ‘Smart City’ is broadly defined as the use of digital technology, data and the internet of things to enhance the functioning and innovation of a city to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors. The Smart City movement in Canada has been largely influenced by the federal government and the Smart Cities Challenge, which was a competition aimed at encouraging Smart City planning and initiatives across the country. While the Smart Cities Challenge was a limited duration competition, the movement of communities to adopt Smart City technologies continues to grow exponentially among towns and cities of all sizes across the country. Smart cities infrastructure investment opportunities include smart mobility and traffic management, affordable housing and rental properties, smart utilities, and renewable energy, clean energy vehicle charging stations, green buildings etc. While the vision of a Smart City may be a more longer-term goal, instituting smaller infrastructure initiatives such as public wi-fi in key areas can be a way to start. The City of Mississauga provides a GTHA example of how the Smart City concept can be applied to the way services are delivered. City of Mississauga - Virtual Campus and Planning Information Hub The City of Mississauga has embraced the Smart City movement through a variety of initiatives that support business investment and workforce development. Through a partnership with the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) and Sheridan College, the City of Mississauga has made Eduroam available across the entirety of the City’s public Wi-Fi network. Eduroam (Education Roaming) provides secure and seamless internet access to students, faculty and researchers at partner institutions across the world. The entirety of the City has become a virtual campus with access to Eduroam available throughout. The City of Mississauga also maintains a Planning Information Hub on its municipal website. The Planning Information Hub provides a wide variety of publicly available data points on an interactive GIS platform. GIS mapped data can be found on growth forecasts, population and business data and employment data. The Planning Information Hub also provides data on land development and employment land sites including a vacant land registry, pending development applications with status and ongoing municipal infrastructure projects. The City of Toronto’s IMIT Program also provides an example of a municipality that has embraced digital disruption and the growth of creative and smart industries by creating a program to specifically target those industries most affected by shifts away from traditional industry sectors to technology and knowledge-based economies. City of Toronto - Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) Program The City of Toronto has created a targeted incentive program designed to meet the needs of companies at the forefront of the digital disruption movement. The IMIT Program provides incentives of up to 77% of the increased municipal taxes over a 10-year period in the following sectors: Biomedical Operations, Creative Industries, Financial Services, Information and Communications Technology, Manufacturing and Tourist Attractions. Eligible building construction and expansion are generally in one of the following uses: Broadcasting, Call Centres, Computer Systems Design and Services, Convergence Centres, Corporate Office, Corporate Headquarters, Film Studio Complex, Food and Beverage Wholesaling, Office Building, Incubators, Information Services and Data Processing, Scientific Research and Development,

Software Development and Transformative Projects (over $250 million). Through the IMIT Program and three Community Improvement Plans that overlay the city, Toronto has put in place a framework that incentivizes companies at the forefront of digital disruption when making decisions on where to locate or expand their business

©MDB Insight – Town of Ajax- Economic Development Strategy209 | Appendix: Research Report Page 77 The Corporation of the Town of Ajax March 22, 2021 Motion

Land Banking Levy

Moved by: Mayor Collier Seconded by: Regional Councillor Lee

WHEREAS the Town of Ajax is rapidly growing but constrained by a fixed urban boundary and limited greenfield remaining for new development;

AND WHEREAS employment and economic development are a primary focus of Council’s mandate for the 2018-2022 term, laying the groundwork for long-term, sustainable growth toward a community vision supported by appropriate transportation, housing and employment options for residents;

AND WHEREAS some landowners hold on to employment lands over the medium or long-term without plans for development, in order to benefit from increasing land values (known as the practice of land banking);

AND WHEREAS land banking does not assist Council in achieving the best outcomes for Ajax, and action is necessary in order to encourage landowners to work with Planning and Development staff and Council to plan strategic, appropriate development to the 2051 horizon achieving densities and intensification as required under the Places to Grow Act;

THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT:

Staff be directed to investigate a land banking levy and report back financial, legal and strategic implications of a land banking levy program and recommendations for consideration prior to the 2022 budget process.

210 The Corporation of the Town of Ajax March 22, 2021 Motion

Hunt Street to Westney Road Extension

Moved by: Mayor Collier Seconded by: Councillor Bower

WHEREAS Ajax Council believes in sustainable growth, following principles of intensification and density outlined in A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2020, in strategic growth areas including Downtown Ajax;

AND WHEREAS the Town’s downtown area will exceed growth targets, reaching growth numbers in line with GTHA urban growth centres - even without a formal designation - based on applications currently under review alone, helping the Region of Durham grow in a sustainable and transit-supportive way, up to and beyond the 2051 planning horizon;

AND WHEREAS a lack of sanitary capacity in our downtown core is the largest barrier to development for the Town of Ajax. This barrier was identified to Council early in the 2018-2022 term, and has been a central focus of Council’s transportation, growth, and connectivity planning (through the Central Ajax Intensification, Servicing and Transportation Study currently underway) and advocacy (this issue has been flagged for five provincial Ministers, as well as the Region of Durham);

AND WHEREAS the Town’s Transportation Master Plan identified the need for an extension of Hunt Street to Westney Road to support increased transportation connectivity and alleviate servicing constraints in the downtown area, and an environmental assessment and preliminary design for the extension were completed in 2016;

AND WHEREAS 285-289 Hunt St. and 232-234 MacKenzie Avenue (totaling 22.95 acres) have recently been listed for sale, which may present an opportunity for the Town to acquire these lands to advance and prepare for the critical Hunt Street extension;

THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT:

Economic Development staff, in consultation with Transportation, Planning, and Finance, be directed to report back to the May 2021 General Government Committee meeting with a report assessing the scope of property acquisitions required to facilitate the extension of Hunt Street to Westney Road, including the acquisition of 285-289 Hunt St. and 232-234 Mackenzie Avenue, which are currently on the market for sale.

211 The Corporation of the Town of Ajax March 22, 2021 Motion

Hiring Practices

Moved by: Regional Councillor Lee Seconded by: Mayor Collier

WHEREAS best practices in the field of Human Resources (HR) and specifically in hiring processes are continually evolving;

AND WHEREAS the Town has onboarded a new Manager of HR Services and several other expert HR staff in this term of Council;

AND WHEREAS several examples of racism and racial injustice throughout 2020 shone a light on institutional and systemic biases, and the need to actively re-evaluate processes to uncover and eliminate built-in bias;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT HR Services staff be directed to present an update at the May 2021 meeting of Council on process improvements and upcoming initiatives as they relate to the Town’s commitment to inclusive hiring practices.

212 The Corporation of the Town of Ajax March 22, 2021 Motion

Growing the Greenbelt

Moved by: Regional Councillor Dies Seconded by: Councillor Bower

WHEREAS the Greenbelt is an integral component of land use planning across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and in Durham Region, encouraging smart growth and protecting key natural heritage and hydrological features and areas, and agricultural lands;

AND WHEREAS the Town has been and continues to be a supporter and champion of the Greenbelt, to improve the quality of life for the residents of Ajax, Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area;

AND WHEREAS the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) has used a science- based approach to study the watersheds in west Durham, identifying key natural heritage and hydrological features, and have a solid scientific understanding about the current and future health of these watersheds;

AND WHEREAS the Province of Ontario released posting ERO #019-3136 on the Environmental Registry of Ontario seeking feedback on growing the size and enhancing the quality of the Greenbelt;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

1. The Town commends the province for exploring options to increase the size and quality of the Greenbelt;

2. The Town requests that the on-the-ground knowledge and scientific understanding of conservation authorities be leveraged by the province in order to make the best science- informed decisions and remove political bias regarding what lands should be protected by the Greenbelt;

3. Staff be directed to submit comments on the following matters through ERO #019-3136 by the submission deadline: • the addition of the headwaters of the Carruthers Creek (‘whitebelt’ lands in northeast Pickering) into the Greenbelt; • the expansion of the Urban River Valley designation (including Duffins and Carruthers Creeks in Ajax) to include lands studied through a science-based approach for appropriate Environmental Protection;

4. A copy of this resolution be forwarded to Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Rod Phillips, Ajax MPP, Environmental Defence, Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation, Region of Durham, TRCA and local Durham Region municipalities.

213 The Corporation of the Town of Ajax March 22, 2021 Motion

Proposed changes to Minister’s zoning orders and the Planning Act (Bill 257, Schedule 3)

Moved by: Mayor Collier Seconded by: Regional Councillor Crawford

WHEREAS Ajax Council believes in smart, sustainable development that is directed away from and protects natural heritage features and their functions;

AND WHEREAS the Town makes land use planning and development decisions that encourage complete communities and that protect the natural environment consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), and in conformity with the Greenbelt Plan and Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe;

AND WHEREAS the PPS is a consolidated statement of the province’s policies on land use planning and development that provides for appropriate development while protecting resources of provincial interest, public health and safety, and the quality of the natural and built environment;

AND WHEREAS section 3(5) of the Planning Act requires municipal and provincial decisions to be consistent with the PPS;

AND WHEREAS Schedule 3 of Bill 257 (Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021) would remove the requirement for a Minister’s Zoning Order to be consistent with the PPS; reducing the efficacy of the PPS and overall contradicting the intent and principles of the Planning Act and PPS;

AND WHEREAS the provincial government is seeking comments on the proposed changes to Minister’s Zoning Orders in the Planning Act (Bill 257, Schedule 3) until April 3 through ERO posting #019-3233;

THEREFORE BE IT NOW RESOLVED THAT:

1. Ajax Council believes the province should maintain its commitment to land use planning for the long-term benefit of Ontario by upholding its own policies and priorities in all land use decisions; and that all land use planning decisions - provincial and municipal - should remain consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement;

2. Council strongly urges the province to repeal Schedule 3 of Bill 257 (Supporting Broadband and Infrastructure Expansion Act, 2021); and

3. This motion be submitted as the Town’s official comments through ERO posting #019-3233, and distributed to Premier Doug Ford, Hon. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, MPP Rod Phillips, the Ontario Big City Mayors Caucus and the Region of Durham.

214 THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF AJAX

BY-LAW NUMBER 19-2021

Being a By-Law to confirm the proceedings of the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax at its regular meeting of March 22, 2021.

WHEREAS Section 5 (3) of the Municipal Act, 2001, as amended, provides that municipal powers shall be exercised by By-law, unless the municipality is specifically authorized to do otherwise;

AND WHEREAS it is deemed expedient and desirable that the proceedings of the Council of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax at this meeting be confirmed and adopted by By-law.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED AND IT IS HEREBY ENACTED as a By-law of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax by the Council thereof as follows:

1. That the actions of the Council at its regular meeting held on the 22nd day of March, 2021 and in respect of each motion, resolution and other action passed and taken by the Council at its said meeting, is, except where the prior approval of the Ontario Municipal Board or other body is required, hereby adopted, ratified and confirmed as if all such proceedings were expressly embodied in this By-law.

2. That the Head of the Council and proper officers of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax are hereby authorized and directed to do all things necessary to give effect to the said action or to obtain appropriate approvals where required, except where otherwise provided, and to affix the Corporate Seal of the Corporation of the Town of Ajax to all such documents.

READ a first and second time this Twenty-second day of March, 2021.

READ a third time and passed this Twenty-second day of March, 2021.

______Mayor

______D-Clerk

215