Recommendations Ahead of Government of Ontario’s 2022 Budget

The following recommendations focus on the collection of better data, addressing Ontario’s housing affordability crisis, and building a more integrated public transit system: 

1. Adopt proactive measures that ensure businesses are able to remain open
   • Implement key actions that will ensure that businesses can remain open by allowing Ontarians to live with the virus, as many other jurisdictions have done around the world 
2. Create a regional economic strategy informed by data
   • Recognize the interconnected nature of our economy by building a regional economic strategy that is based on sound data and is able to track the place-specific impacts of the pandemic 
3. Eliminate exclusionary zoning policies  
   • Address Ontario’s housing affordability crisis by ending exclusionary zoning policies that prevent the building of “missing middle” housing in cities with a population of more than 30,000
4. Implement transit fare and service integration  
   • Invest in fare and service integration to facilitate improved regional transit that delivers better outcomes for businesses and workers 

The implementation of these recommendations by the Government of Ontario will bolster our region’s economic growth at a critical time, while strengthening the region’s housing and public transit infrastructure. As always, we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the Government of Ontario on our shared goal of being a catalyst for business, economic, and regional growth.