Mayor Carter addresses business community virtually with State of the City update

OSHAWA – Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter delivered his State of the City update on October 1 to members of the Oshawa business community during a virtual event hosted by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Carter first addressed how COVID-19 has impacted the City, Oshawa businesses and the community as a whole. He discussed the City’s cost containment strategy and addressed the need for support from the provincial and federal governments to further assist Oshawa’s business community, a task being led by the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force, chaired by Regional Councillor Tito-Dante Marimpietri.

While COVID-19 has had a significant effect on the city, province and country, the Mayor highlighted that Oshawa continues to attract new investment, with nearly $400 million in building permit value in the first 9 months of 2020.

COVID-19 has also inspired many Oshawa-based businesses to pivot their business plans to assist in stopping the spread. Mayor Carter applauded the work of GM Canada, which recently produced its four millionth face mask after launching their Canadian Mask Making room earlier this year; Frère Du Nord for converting its operations to produce personal protective equipment; and, All or Nothing Brewhouse that converted some of its operations to produce hand sanitizer for local health partners.

According to Mayor Carter, one thing is certain: looking forward, Oshawa is and will remain open for business throughout COVID-19 and beyond. Mayor Carter stated that our future is bright. From attracting new business at the airport, new investment at the waterfront to continued growth of post-secondary institutions and other major development activity, Oshawa is not slowing down.

Mayor Carter reminded attendees of the promising change and investment on the horizon in our health, transportation and economic sectors:

  • a new CEO at Lakeridge Health with whom the City will continue advocate for a new regional hospital in north Oshawa in the vicinity of Ontario Tech University and Durham College;
  • further development along Highway 407 East in Oshawa, the deep water port and the Go Train Lakeshore East Extension, making it easier to get to Oshawa, regardless of transportation method;  and,
  • extended services creating thousands of jobs within the Northwood Business Park, in addition to hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars poured into our retail, customer service, transportation and industry, including investments from Metrolinx, RioCan and Panattoni.

The Mayor concluded his State of the City by emphasizing that he is very optimistic for 2021. He reiterated that Oshawa is the right place for business, highlighting opportunities for collaboration and partnership and encouraging the Oshawa business community to continue to persevere during these difficult times.

For more information on Economic Development Services and business and investment news, visit www.oshawa.ca/business.

For updates on the City of Oshawa, visit www.oshawa.ca and sign up for news, alerts and e-newsletters. Stay connected with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and Connect Oshawa.

Isabelle Foley

Isabelle Foley

As Director of Member Success I strive to help members connect and get the most out of their chamber membership. I am an advocate for local businesses and passionate about spotlighting our community's success. Join the growth!

Subscribe

Stay up to date on the latest by subscribing to our newsletter

Related articles