Advocacy in Action

Local & Regional

PRESERVING EMPLOYMENT LANDS IN A HOUSING CRISIS

Local Government

How has Mississauga become one of Canada’s leading economic centres? After all, the city represents 5% of the province of Ontario’s population and 7% of Ontario’s economic output.

There are many successful sectors locally, including life sciences, aerospace and post-secondary education.

An additional successful sector is the transportation & logistics industry, which is closely connected with Pearson International Airport. Indeed, the airport is responsible for 6.3% of Ontario’s GDP and represents one of the largest employment zones in Canada – a major boost for Mississauga’s economy.

It is in this context that Canada – and especially the GTA – is in a housing crisis. There is enormous pressure to increase the supply of housing and to do so quickly.

With limited land on which to build, Mississauga generally needs to build “up;” that is, build more high rises and fewer single-family detached homes. How can we do this when our infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth? How can we build more housing when there are strict height limitations for buildings in the vicinity of the airport?

For Mississauga and the broader GTA to increase our economic growth, increasing the airport’s output is essential. To do so, businesses that are heavily integrated with the airport need to be close to the airport for ease of access. This is why the Mississauga Board of Trade is very supportive of preserving employment lands throughout the city.

MBOT is actively engaged with this issue at City Hall; indeed, we look forward to a spirited discussion and debate regarding the use (and preservation) of employment lands. To learn more about MBOT’s work on this issue, please email bmcdermott@mbot.com.

PROVINCIAL

PROVINCIAL PLANNING STATEMENT PRESERVES EMPLOYMENT LANDS

Preserving employment lands is essential to Mississauga’s economic future. How can this be done while increasing the supply of housing?

MBOT is very supportive of building more housing, but this must be done in the context of protecting employment lands – especially near Pearson Airport. For businesses that are integrated with the airport, proximity to the airport is essential. It is in this context that the Government of Ontario is proposing to require “municipalities to plan for and protect employment areas that would align with the Planning Act.” Details can be found in the government’s Provincial Policy Statement, the primary provincial land use planning policy document.

FEDERAL

CN/CPKC RAIL STOPPAGE

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and MBOT were actively opposed to the CN/CPKC rail stoppage. In the lead up to the stoppage, we were very supportive of efforts to prevent the stoppage; once the stoppage began, we advocated for its end. The amount of products – including many essentials – that are shipped annually by rail is too much to see disrupted.

When the rail stoppage started, Canadian Chamber CEO, Perrin Beatty, said the following,

“The Government of Canada had the opportunity to prevent an unprecedented shutdown of our Canadian freight rail network and some commuter services in major cities. Unfortunately, it did not act.”

In recent years, consumers and businesses have seen how the supply chain can be disrupted. Whether it has been through bottlenecks in East Asia or the Panama Canal, or through war in hotspots around the world, continuing the supply chain is essential to our livelihoods. We hope that government officials, union leaders and management heed the lessons of recent years and work to avoid supply chain disruptions in the future.