Economic Infrastructure – Contributing to Investment-Ready Communities
Ontario’s tools and resources are available to help build stronger local economies. The Investment
Ready: Certified Site Program is an investment attraction initiative that provides financial and marketing
support to applicants that complete a set of requirements and due diligence for an eligible property.
Those properties that receive a designation provide investors with a greater degree of certainty when
assessing developmental opportunities in Ontario. This includes detailed information about utility-based
servicing, transportation access, and environmental-related concerns. Designated sites will also benefit
from international marketing and promotional campaigns at key global events.
Since 2003, the province has invested more than $167 million in 418 Rural Economic Development
Program (RED Program) projects, generating more than $1.2 billion in local economic activity and
creating more than 35,000 jobs. The RED Program provides up to $4.5 million funding per year for three
years to help communities and regions remove barriers to community development and help promote
economic growth.
Ontario is helping communities develop strategies to strengthen local economies. The Economic
Development Analysis Resources provide data on regional economies and workforces to help build
economic development plans. First Impressions Community Exchange (FICE) reveals the first impression
communities convey to potential visitors, investors and new residents. The Business Retention and
Expansion (BR+E) fosters strategy development which, in turn, supports businesses’ efforts to retain and
create new jobs and opportunities. Downtown Revitalization/Downtown Market Analysis is an initiative
to stimulate reinvestment in traditional downtown districts.
Ontario is a strong supporter of Local Food. Since 2003, the province has invested more than $116
million to support local food. By supporting partnerships and innovation, the Local Food Fund will make
sure more people benefit from the good things that grow in Ontario. The Local Food Fund is designed to
support innovative local food projects that celebrate local food, and help create jobs and economic
growth in Ontario.
The Great Lakes Strategy released in 2012, is Ontario’s first road map to guide the province’s future
actions aimed at protecting the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are vitally important to Ontarians in terms
of drinking water, quality of life, and prosperity. The towns along Ontario’s’ shorelines and beaches are
popular tourist destinations, and the Great Lakes’ waters and watersheds are home to thousands of
species.
Building Together , Ontario’s long-term infrastructure plan provides a strategic framework to guide
infrastructure investment decisions over the next decade. As part of implementing Building Together,
the province launched the Municipal Infrastructure Strategy in 2012. The goals of the strategy include:
making good asset management planning universal, optimizing use of the full range of infrastructure
financing tools, and addressing the structural challenges facing small communities. Finally, the province
has made nearly $200 million available through the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Initiative
1
(MIII) and the Small, Rural and Northern Municipal Infrastructure Fund to help municipalities address
critical infrastructure projects and prepare asset management plans.
Ontario recognizes that accessing high-speed Internet is critical for economic development. That’s why,
since 2007, the province has invested almost $120 million to expand connectivity in rural and northern
Ontario. As a result, 95 per cent of households and businesses in eastern Ontario will have access to
broadband. Meanwhile, 500,000 rural residents and businesses across southern Ontario will also have
Internet access as well as remote communities.
Ontario works closely with municipalities to keep their Official Plans current through a five-year review
process that’s in accordance with the Planning Act. Ensuring these municipal documents are up-to-date
is important to respond to ever-changing market conditions, create high-quality built environments, and
provide flexible and context-relevant standards that can be implemented to support economic
development goals.
A Community Improvement Plan (CIP) is a financial tool that enables municipalities to provide grants
and loans to stimulate private sector investment in targeted areas or across the municipality The
Brownfield Financial Tax Incentive Program encourages the clean-up and re-development of
brownfield properties by providing those eligible properties with tax assistance.
Ontario is committed to ensuring that rural Ontario students have equal access to a high-quality
education. Over the past ten years, funding for rural school boards has increased by $4,607 more per
student – representing a 61.5 per cent increase. In addition, as part of the 2013 Ontario Budget, small
and rural hospitals received $20 million to help transform health care delivery and provide better
integrated care.
2