Mayor Crombie’s Keynote Address to the Mississauga Chinese Business Association

For Immediate Release | Check Against Delivery

October 25th, 2016

Mayor Crombie’s Keynote Address to the Mississauga Chinese Business Association

Good afternoon, everyone.

Let me begin by thanking the Mississauga Chinese Business Association for the opportunity to address your members.

I would like to recognize Winnie Fung, this organization’s president, and someone who is committed to strengthening relations with Mississauga and China.

My thanks to our event sponsor, Healthy Life Wealth Management…

…and to the staff here at Blue Lagoon Seafood Master.

I also wish to also recognize the Councillors and team of professionals from the City of Mississauga who are present:

• Janice Baker, City Manager and Chief Administrative Officer
• Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works
• Ward 3 Councillor Chris Fonseca
• Ward 9 Councillor Pat Saito
• Ward 10 Councillor Sue McFadden
• Harold Dremin, Manager, Business Investment and Client Services
• Heidi Brown, Manager, Small Business and Workforce Development

October marks Small Business Month.

My office is holding roundtable discussions, along with Heidi Brown, with the Business Improvement Associations from Clarkson, Streetsville, Malton and Port Credit.

• Mississauga is home to over  83,000 small businesses
• 97% of all Mississauga businesses are small business
• The number of small businesses in Mississauga grew by 39% between 2014 and 2015

Many of these businesses are run by hardworking, risk-taking and successful Chinese-Canadian entrepreneurs…

…the very members who make up the Mississauga Chinese Business Association.

Mississauga is home to over 21,000 Chinese new Canadians…

…and over 50,000 residents of Chinese descent.

Chinese, Mandarin and Cantonese are three of the top 10 languages spoken in our community.

Mississauga and China have a strong, proud and enduring relationship.

This Thursday marks the two year anniversary from when the people of Mississauga entrusted me to be their mayor.

In that time, there has been no shortage of meetings, panel discussions and conferences.

When you hit the ground running, you cover a lot of ground.

Whether in Osaka, San Francisco or S?o Paulo…

…there’s no shortage of interest in Canada’s sixth-largest city.

All eyes are on Mississauga...

…especially as a place where businesses can confidently invest, expand and remain ahead of the competition.

I never tire in telling investors that Mississauga is open for business!

For the thirteenth straight year, Mississauga retains its Triple-A credit rating…

…we have a $40 billion GDP…

…we remain a net importer of jobs…

…and the number of companies that choose to do business here continues to grow…

…reaching over 86,000.

This is encouraging but we must always ask ourselves…

…where do we go from here?

How do we continue to grow and prosper?

We are at a critical time in our City’s history.

From the building of transit and making crucial infrastructure investments…

…to planning for intensified developments and density…

…to greater cultural and artistic celebrations…

…and shifting to meet the needs of an ever-changing global economy…

…we are moving Mississauga forward.

We will use our strong foundation to build a complete city.

What is a complete city?

A complete city is one where professionals can find good-paying jobs or take risks and launch new business ventures…

…where a night on the town means staying in town…

…enjoying an acclaimed restaurant followed by a live performance at the Living Arts Centre…

A complete city is where the environment is protected and natural amenities like the waterfront, beaches and greenspaces encourage people to head outside and live healthy, active, lives… 

…where students choose the University of Toronto Mississauga or Sheridan College as their first choice for undergraduate studies and graduate school…

…and should they decide to study elsewhere…

…they have access to reliable, affordable and seamless public transit that gets them to where they need to be.

You should never turn down a job offer because public transit can’t get you there.

A complete city is a place where all people, no matter faith or ethnicity…

…are safe…have dignity…and can confidently participate in civic life…

…where residents are welcomed, invited and encouraged to share and celebrate their diversity for everyone to experience, appreciate and enjoy.

Beyond cultural celebrations, I am firmly committed to leveraging our diversity to access new consumer markets to grow Mississauga’s international reach.

Complete cities have strong, diverse and thriving economies.

Last year, we chose the arrival gates of Pearson International to launch the new Mississauga International Partnership Program Committee.

Winnie Fung was with us for the announcement.

Both the Mississauga Chinese Business Association…

…and the Mississauga Board of Chinese Professionals and Businesses…are represented on MIPP.

Each day a wealth of economic opportunity flows from Canada’s largest airport into our community.

It is critical that we position ourselves to compete effectively in the global market place.

Trade between Canada and China represents billions.

It’s no surprise that one of Prime Minister Trudeau’s first state visits was to China.

Local government does not have the same powers as other levels of government.

We cannot offer tax incentives or sign treaties.

Like entrepreneurs, we must think outside the box.

So how do we achieve this?

My answer has been clear: we build on existing assets…

…strengthen professional networks…invest in knowledge infrastructure…

…and bring people together.

MIPP is already leveraging Mississauga’s international expertise and cultural diversity to help our local economy reach its full potential.

Strengthening connections with global communities will better prepare us to welcome international delegations of incoming trade missions to Mississauga…

…and open our borders to job-creating investments.

During my first year in office, I welcomed the leadership of the Mississauga Chinese Business Association to City Hall to discuss foreign direct investment and retention opportunities.

I made it a priority to immediately meet directly with Chinese Consul General Xue Bing to discuss our strong economic and cultural ties.

If we are going to win on the global stage - we must be proactive to attract businesses and industries in our targeted sectors.

And I look forward to the day when I embark on my first investment mission to China…

…and see firsthand China’s unlimited potential for growth and economic success.

I serve on the board of directors for the new regional economic development agency – Toronto Global.

Toronto Global will champion the economic interests of the 29 municipalities throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

There is strength in numbers.

Toronto Global will help Mississauga press ahead with our international business attraction, retention and investment efforts. 

The Trudeau and Wynne governments have put real funding into Toronto Global to get it up and running.

And I’m proud to say your Council has as well.

We must make investments to realize investment.

The Federal Government remains committed to a policy of free trade…

…this means improving cooperation, reducing regulations and opening access to new and emerging markets.

The Feds are creating the right environment for growth and opportunity.

But Ottawa can’t be expected to know complete details about each Canadian city.

This is where we come in.                                                                                                   

As Mississauga’s ambassador, it’s my job to sell our City nationally and internationally.

Municipalities know how many acres have been zoned for commercial development…

…whether land has the infrastructure in place to get investment flowing and construction underway.

We know how many railways, highways, airports and harbours there are…

…and the reach of these important gateways to help businesses extend their reach.

Last year I undertook an Economic Development Investment Mission to South America.

We held over one hundred meetings, in three countries, over eight days, connecting with hundreds of businesses…

…including Biolab, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Brazil.

I am proud to announce that our investment mission…

…and the ongoing hard work of our economic development staff led by Susan Amring, Director of Economic Development…

…are all paying dividends…

…and that Biolab has chosen Mississauga as home for its new research and development centre!

This state-of-the-art facility will span nearly 13,000 square feet.

It’s a $56 million investment that will create 40 high-paying and high-value jobs, many in research and development.

It will add more than $45,000 annually to our tax base…

…providing important funding that will go toward the quality public services we all rely on.

We secured this new investment because we were on the ground in Brazil…

…making important and lasting connections.

Following our success in South America, we undertook an investment mission to Japan, led in large part by Harold Dremin.

We promoted economic development, forged closer relations and celebrated cultural connections.

For 35 years Mississauga and Kariya have enjoyed a sister-city relationship.

In July Council welcomed Kariya Mayor Takenaka to City Hall to mark this milestone.

Mississauga has over 100 Japanese companies, more than any other city in Canada.

Strengthening our life sciences sector was once again at the top of our agenda.

We met with Osaka Mayor Yoshimura.

Osaka is a global life sciences hub. 

Mississauga is Canada’s second largest life sciences cluster by employment…

…home to over 400 life science companies…

…employing more than 25,000 people. 

Mississauga’s life sciences talent base has grown 25 per cent in the past 10 years.

We shared these success stories with government and business leaders…

…and with representatives from the pharmaceutical industry that achieves billions in revenue annually.

Our meetings allowed us to see first-hand what other governments are doing to support this industry…

…and to hear directly from industry leaders on the role government can play to help them compete.

This idea was at the heart of our Life Science Strategy Roundtable also initiated by our Economic Development Office.

We brought together business, academia and industry associations to answer one question…

…how can we position Mississauga to become the largest and most diverse life sciences cluster in Canada?

The ideas shared have been captured in a new five-year Life Science Strategy.

This strategy is a living document.

It will guide our efforts to maintain Mississauga’s competitive advantage.

The success of the life science industry roundtable…

…has been a catalyst for EDO to undertake and assess opportunities for the development of our information-communications technology sector in Mississauga.

We have a roundtable planned for ICT professionals.

More information will be made available in the coming weeks.

Our partners at UTM are at the vanguard of helping Mississauga maintain and expand its competitive advantage in this important industry cluster.

Under the inspiring leadership of scientist Professor Patrick Gunning…

…UTM is launching the new Centre for Medicinal Chemistry.

This one of a kind Centre has one goal…

…to make unprecedented medical breakthroughs to combat cancer and other lethal diseases.

Professor Gunning and his research team design compounds that kill cancer cells. 

UTM’s rapid growth is proof that our unprecedented 10 year - $10 million dollar grant - to build the Innovation Complex is working.

All governments have ownership to ensure people have access to quality education.

UTM injects over $1.3 billion annually into Peel Region, with the bulk of the share going to Mississauga.

With plans for the Centre for Medicinal Chemistry, this campus continues to assert its own identity and reputation for research excellence.

As we head into Budget 2017, Council must reaffirm its commitment to this unprecedented partnership and potentially life-saving research.

Over the past year, I have worked closely with my various policy taskforces.

My Innovation and Entrepreneurship Taskforce members stressed the importance of connectivity to ignite new opportunities.

This includes connecting students, start-ups and existing businesses…

…with opportunities for networking and access to long-term capital investments.

This is the mandate of our First Look Angel Investor Networking Event.

Last spring, 16 different companies participated including five businesses from the healthcare and life sciences sectors…

…along with venture capitalists eager to invest in promising local start-ups.

Our Taskforce made it clear they want First Look to be a permanent fixture.

Put simply, businesses leaders are actively looking for opportunities to invest in. 

I am proud to announce we will host our third annual angel investor networking event in the spring of 2017. 

A complete city is a connected city…

…connected by an extensive network of reliable, affordable and accessible public transit. 

Mississauga is building a complete rapid transit network that will get you where you’re going in our City, throughout the region and beyond.

Our transit plans are on the move.

I invite you to visit mississaugamoves.com to learn more about all the exciting transit projects we have on the go.

We are reshaping Mississauga and in the process, changing for the better how Mississaugans live their lives.

A big part of Mississauga Moves is the Hurontario LRT.

I recently joined a delegation of councillors and senior staff for a site review of the Minneapolis-St. Paul METRO transit system…

…an extensive network of LRT and bus rapid transit lines.

Minneapolis-St. Paul offers important parallels for our own transit-building efforts.

We engaged engineers, transit planners, urban planners, budget experts, and public servants…

…who are presiding over the expansion, increased ridership and popular support for this important regional public-transit service.

Mississauga will work with Metrolinx to use proven best practices to ensure the successful construction of our LRT and our commitment to build regionally-integrated transit.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul LRT connects people, workers and commuters to important commercial centres.

And so will the Hurontario LRT.

In 2014, Minneapolis-St. Paul expanded their LRT route with the Green Line.

Over $4 billion of investment has occurred along this transit line in the form of housing, employment and community amenities.

Mississauga is already attracting new job-creating investments because of our transit-building commitments.

CIBC Mellon formally opened its new Mississauga office.

More than 150 employees have moved to this new location, with plans to add an additional 500 professional positions.

This location is directly on our LRT corridor, with a station planned within walking distance.

With the help of our Planning and Building staff led by Commissioner Ed Sajecki…

…we broke ground on the new The Mississauga Gateway Centre…

…located at Hurontario and highway 401.

This new 221,000 square-foot LEED gold facility will be home to lead tenant Royal Sun Alliance Insurance…

…and will employ more than a thousand people.

I recently met with SOTI – a globally-renowned enterprise software company with more than 16,000 international clients based in Mississauga.

SOTI has a vision for a new headquarters on Hurontario…a vacant lot chosen in large part because of its proximity directly along the LRT corridor.

Being plugged into an extensive public-transit network means SOTI can reach far and wide to…

…recruit the best…hire the best…and compete with the best. 

Regionally-integrated is about going beyond city limits to become a limitless city. 

All-day, two-way, GO Train service on the Milton and Kitchener lines is in the best interest of Mississauga.

I’m proud to work with a coalition of cities on a plan to make all-day, two-way GO Train service on the Milton Line possible.

Our plan is the Missing Link.

It calls for constructing a new rail route that will connect the Canadian Pacific rail line, just west of Trafalgar, with the already existing Canadian National rail line that runs through Brampton.

The Missing Link will reinvigorate our transit hubs and usher in new development opportunities.

A project of this magnitude also has national and international implications.

Transportation policy is economic policy and the Missing Link is critical to Canada’s economy.

Gridlock costs the GTA’s economy nearly 12 billion annually.

It is a Continental Gateway, allowing for the movement of large amounts of goods to and from the central Canadian market.

The Missing Link continues to be at the heart of our advocacy efforts.

Finance Minister Morneau and Innovation Minister Bains came to City Hall for a comprehensive briefing about our priorities.  

I repeatedly raised it with Ministers Garneau and Sohi, as well as provincial Minister Del Duca and Premier Wynne.

They heard how the Missing Link will unleash long-term benefits that will strengthen Canada’s national economic advantage.

The Missing Link is a blueprint for regional transit, urban revitalization and economic prosperity.

The Province has begun to make progress on the Missing Link.

In June they announced the building of a freight route for CN Rail.

This will open the Kitchener Line for all-day, two way, GO service.

This agreement was the result of ongoing negotiations with CN.

I am confident that the province is having similar negotiations with CP about the future of the Milton Line, which is fundamental to achieving the Missing Link.

We have travelled a long way in a short time.

I remain confident that we will realize all-day, two-way, GO Train service on the Milton Line.

Rail transportation is shaping the way we in Mississauga will move in the future.

Complete cities, are well planned cities.  

In 2015 Mississauga once again issued over 1 billion dollars in building permits.

That’s a 10 per cent increase from the year before.

Over the next two decades, Peel will need to accommodate approximately 150,000 jobs and over 300,000 people.

Our city is no stranger to rapid growth.

We are building a livable, walkable city…

…fully connected by public transit and accessible to quality public services…

…home to mixed-use residential and commercial developments…

…healthy, clean and both green and creative spaces…

…and neighbourhoods that safeguard and respect local history and embody Mississauga’s forward-looking values as an inviting, inclusive and engaging place people choose to be in.

Our urban renaissance is building a bridge from our past, as an edge city…

…and into the future, as a leading edge city. 

Effective urban planning is our responsibility and our legacy to future generations.

It’s how Council will be judged.

The decisions we make today will affect our future in a profound way.

I am proud to work with such a committed Council of professionals who have the best interests of this city at heart.

Residents should be proud of their Council.

We have undertaken a series of comprehensive studies and community consultations…

…forums for residents and business to share their intimate and local knowledge.

Together, we’re envisioning a bright new future, for Mississauga.

Inspiration Lakeview, the Lakeview Waterfront Connection, Inspiration Port Credit, 1 Port Street and the Imperial Oil Lands…

…will change the face of south Mississauga forever.

Under the leadership of Councillor Tovey…

…these plans will usher in exciting new ways for people to fully embrace and appreciate the untapped potential of our sprawling waterfront.

Mississauga still has far too many unrealized views of Lake Ontario.

It’s called Lakeview for a reason! And its potential will be realized.

Under the leadership of Councillors Iannicca and Kovac…

Vision Cooksville, Dundas Connects, and Downtown 21…

…are plans for world-leading residential and commercial communities that will shape Mississauga’s future identity in much the same way Central Park shaped New York’s…

…and how Chicago’s waterfront redefined the Windy City.

And when we say we’re going downtown, it will be to downtown Mississauga.

Last month Rogers Real Estate Development Limited announced a $1.5 billion planned development in Downtown Mississauga.

Amazingly, we secured an investment that is event larger than the LRT!

The development is called M City – a 10-tower, 15-acre, 4.3 million square foot community.

This new multi-billion dollar investment will include over two-acres of public parkland and has been inspired by the City of Mississauga’s own Downtown21 Master Plan.

Big, bold investments are the future of Mississauga.

Councillor McFadden is working to reimagine northwest Mississauga with the The Shaping Ninth Line initiative…

…whereas Councillor Parish is leading the Britannia Farms and MyMalton plans.

Their efforts will ensure distant and emerging neighbourhoods are tightly woven into the fabric of Mississauga’s everyday life…

…that no one is left behind…

…and that communities like Churchill Meadows, Lisgar and Malton are welcoming gateways.

We are building a city where people can find a good-paying job or launch a new business venture of their own…

…where there are new opportunities for investment…

…growth…and economic development opportunity…

…where people can raise a family and have access to first-rate public services…

…undertake an education from kindergarten to medical school…

...enjoy an elevated and unrivalled quality of life…

…and be free to celebrate their faith and cultural identity with their neighbours and the broader community.

We are strategically and thoughtfully planning for a more promising future by engaging the community about how our City will grow…

…and by how our neighbourhoods can bring people together.

This is what makes a complete city. This is the Mississauga we are ready for.

Our potential is limitless and together, I am confident we can build a great City we’re proud to call home.

Thank you!