How can the County of Brant become more competitive to attract new businesses and job opportunities?
The County of Brant is anticipated to experience steady employment growth over the next two decades. The County of Brant’s employment base is forecast to reach at least 26,000 jobs by 2041. As part of our land-use planning policies, we are responsible for designating land to be used for businesses and industry that will help fuel our economy as we grow. As we plan for our continued economic development and prosperity, our new Official Plan will:
- designate areas for job growth,
- help us provide jobs for our population growth,
- anticipate the evolving nature of the economy,
- promote investment opportunities, and
- reflect the diverse needs of industries and businesses of all sizes for the long term.
What does economic development and prosperity in the County of Brant look like to you? Below you can learn about key trends and objectives that will help us create economic development land-use policies that enhance the County of Brant's identity as a charming, prosperous, and inclusive place to live, work, and play.
Have your say and stay in the loop as we plan for our future!
Engage With Us!
| Where can I learn more about this topic? |
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Learn more from our Strategic Initiatives Department by clicking here or visiting Invest in Brant |
| Take our survey about Economic Development and Prosperity |
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The surveys for Phase 2 of this project have now closed. To view the results of the survey visit this link. For more ways to get involved, visit www.engagebrant.ca/the-new-official-plan. |
| We have a discussion guide for chatting about economic development and prosperity in the County of Brant - Check it out here |
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Challenges and Opportunities
Included below are a number of key topics and questions that will help us as we form policies to enhance our economic development and prosperity. You can use these topics and questions to help determine what goals and objectives you'd like to see reflected in our Planning policies with the new Official Plan.
| Promoting Investment Readiness |
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A major factor influencing the future competitiveness of the County's economic base is the structure and quality of our Employment Areas (areas that are designated for industry and other employment uses by the Official Plan). In order for the County of Brant to continue to be competitive and attractive to a broad range of industrial and commercial sectors, the County needs to ensure that it offers a sufficient supply and market choice of municipally serviced employment lands. Most notably, this should include a diverse supply of sites in terms of location and size with good transportation access and proximity to major highway interchanges as well as other local/regional transportation infrastructure.
What areas of the County of Brant do you think would best suit these types of employment uses to be made ready for the growth of our employment sectors? |
| The Agricultural Industry |
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The County of Brant is home to approximately 700 farm operations and over 165,000 acres of farmland. Agri-business and food processing opportunities prove an opportunity to deepen our strong agricultural activities, encouraging productivity and flexibility in the agricultural economy. The agriculture and agri-food system encompass several industries, including the farm input and service supplier industries, primary agriculture, food and beverage processing, food distribution, retail, wholesale, and food service industries as well as other on-farm diversified uses. The County also made some recent changes to our land-use policies to make it easier for farmers to diversify their operations. Check out www.brant.ca/OFDU for more information on this initiative. How can we promote farm-to-table opportunities for local food and agriculture while protecting our valuable farmland? |
| A Focus on Tourism |
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The County of Brant's 2019 Economic Development Strategy & Action Plan identifies tourism as one of the three key emerging industries in the County of Brant Economy. In 2019, it is estimated that $2.75 million in direct economic impact was seen as a result of visitors to the County of Brant. The focus of tourism is currently oriented towards those visiting for less than a day from surrounding regions.
How can we promote tourism and local business while protecting our valuable resources like the Grand River, heritage buildings, and agricultural lands? |
| Evolving Technology |
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The County of Brant, similar to the Greater Golden Horseshoe, is experiencing a labour shortage in a wide range of sectors. As we see the impacts of evolving technologies and automation, we need to consider how to promote highly skilled labour as a significant driver for the future of the County's economic growth. As innovation and new business models change and impact our economies, the County of Brant can use its new Official Plan policies to promote community foundations and learning, knowledge-based economic opportunities, and technological advancements that will benefit all residents of the County.
What additional planning policies, tools, and incentives (if any) should be explored and potentially introduced to support the development of the County’s workforce? |
Questions, comments, or concerns? Get in touch with us!
Our contact information is listed below and we look forward to hearing from you.
Contact Us
Official Plan Inquiries
66 Grand River Street North, Paris, ON, N3L 2M2
T: 519-44BRANT
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