The County of Bruce and Bruce Power have formally launched a joint economic development initiative.
An Economic Development and Innovation Summit in Kincardine Wednesday brought together over 50 municipal, regional and provincial economic development professionals.
There were a number of presentations throughout the day, including Bruce Power President and CEO Mike Rencheck, who emphasized that a low-cost energy provider like Bruce Power can have a major, positive impact on local and provincial economies through its multi-year, $13-billion investment program.
The initiative includes the establishment of a regional advisory committee with representatives from Bruce, Grey and Huron counties. The goal of this committee will be to provide input and advice on the development and implementation of a strategy, while also serving as a resource to facilitate opportunities.
"The summit was an opportunity to bring together our broader economic development community to build the foundation necessary to attract and retain business investment in the area," said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power’s President and CEO. "Our partnership with the County of Bruce is only the beginning - it takes local, regional and provincial economic development players with passion, dedication and understanding of the local economic development climate, to help make this happen."
Other presentations included Robert Lavigne, managing director, economic research, OMERS Capital Markets, who provided an overview and outlook of the global and provincial economic climate; Patrick Dillon, business manager, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, who explored the labour market impacts of the Bruce Power investment program; Michael Fenn, former Ontario deputy minister and former chief administrative officer for Burlington and Hamilton, who discussed successful economic development partnerships; and Kelley Coulter, CAO, Bruce County, who provided an overview of the county’s broader economic development strategy and initiatives.
"The summit was a great opportunity to bring economic development players in the region together to advance the initiative and continue our path forward," said Mike Smith, mayor of Saugeen Shores. "We all look forward to working with Bruce Power, the County of Bruce and our colleagues across the region to leverage business investment opportunities in the area that support Bruce Power’s long term investment activities."
