Economic Development and Tourism News |
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Keswick Business Park - Phase 1 to begin fall 2022 |
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Have you wondered about the Town of Georgina’s business park lands on Woodbine Avenue and when development may start? This May, site preparation will begin to prepare for the first phase of the development. Site servicing and the construction of a 370,000-square-foot building that is expected to generate between 200 and 500 jobs will begin in the fall – a tenant has not been announced. This first building will be built along the Woodbine Avenue frontage and will span from Riverglen Drive to Glenwoods Avenue in Keswick.
This is exciting news for Georgina as the business park has the potential to provide significant job opportunities and expand the Town’s industrial tax base.
The 404 Logistics Park is one of the largest available development opportunities within an ideal distance from Toronto, zoned to permit a wide range of industrial uses as well as professional offices. The developer, Panattoni Development Company, which owns more than 200 of the 500 acres of Georgina’s designated business park lands, is an industry-leading commercial real estate development company with more than 35 offices in Canada, the United States and Europe. It is responsible for more than 444-million-square feet of development, specializing in industrial speculative and build-to-suit projects.
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Idea Consultations support entrepreneurs looking to start or grow a business |
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The Town of Georgina has continued its partnership with the Town of East Gwillimbury and York University's YSpace to provide entrepreneurship support. The Idea Consultations program involves free one-on-one consultation services that connect entrepreneurs with YSpace’s entrepreneurship team to understand how the entrepreneurial ecosystem can help business ideas come to life.
The program is open to entrepreneurs 18+ who reside in northern York Region, primarily in East Gwillimbury, Georgina and the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nations. For established business owners or first-time founders, this program is designed to provide entrepreneurs with what they need to start or refine a business.
Entrepreneurs will benefit from:
- Free one-on-one consultation with a business professional
- A defined roadmap aligned to your unique needs
- Access to additional support or mentorship via an ecosystem of volunteers through the local ecosystem of resources
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Open House for Keswick's Secondary Plan |
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The Town of Georgina is reviewing and updating the Keswick Secondary Plan. The primary purpose of the secondary plan is to appropriately manage future growth in a coordinated fashion, which meets the community's needs and its residents.
The Town understands the importance of public and stakeholder engagement in the planning process and encourages feedback and suggestions from anyone who wants to participate. The input received throughout the process will result in a stronger, more effective secondary plan that captures the community's needs and interests.
A Public Open House and Statutory Public Meeting have been scheduled for Wednesday, April 27, 2022, to present Draft #2 of the Keswick Secondary Plan and receive feedback from the public and Council. Registration is required.
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Home-based business, Happy & Co, expands to a storefront location in Island Grove |
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Entrepreneurs Emily Maione and Taylor Straeche took a big step in their business growth, moving from a home-based business to a storefront. Happy & Co. officially opened its doors in April 2022, on the corner of Woodbine Avenue and Metro Road in Island Grove.
During the pandemic, Emily started to dabble in custom graphics. She honed the craft and started Happy & Co., which, today, has built an impressive client base. Its success propelled them to take the next step with a storefront. “The support from this community has been mind-blowing. Everyone wants to show their support,” said Emily. Read more.
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Featured training and networking opportunities |
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Georgina Employability Workshop
Join the Georgina Chamber of Commerce and its partners on April 26 at 9 a.m. for a morning workshop to discuss talent recruitment strategies, tools and resources. Tap into the supply of qualified, ready-to-work talent that represents the diversity of our community. Learn about new, employer-driven training initiatives, subsidies and tools to get your talent needs on time and within budget.
Participants will receive free certificate training on building innovative workplaces through immigrant inclusion. Register.
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Secure Funding for Hiring and Training
Looking for affordable, skilled talent? On April 26 at 2 p.m., Mentor Works will teach the best practices for securing funding for hiring and training talent with your company through government funding. In this session, we will discuss the government funding process and how businesses can access funding and wage subsidy programs that can offset a portion of hiring and training costs by up to 50-83 per cent. Register.
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For a full list of upcoming webinars, visit yorklink.ca.
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Town of Georgina support programs
The Town's business support programs include grants, a development application fee rebate and a patio program. Learn more.
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E-Commerce support
The Digital Main Street shopHERE program helps home-based and commercial businesses create an online store. Join the other 33 Georgina businesses that took advantage of this program in 2021. Learn more and apply.
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Entrepreneurship training and funding for youth
Do you know a student aged 15-29 interested in entrepreneurship? Be your own boss this summer and get training, mentoring, and the opportunity to receive a grant of up to $3,000. Learn more.
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Rapid Antigen Screening kits
The Georgina Chamber of Commerce is distributing Rapid Antigen Screening kits to be used for self-screening in the workplace. The kits are available for free to small-and-medium businesses. To sign up, visit georginachamber.com.
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Financial support and guidance
South Lake Futures has established the COVID-19 Response Fund to offer loans below prime rate to support businesses impacted by the pandemic. Learn more.
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Free training resources
My Main Street has produced a variety of online training resources to support businesses. All business owners can access these resources for free. Learn more.
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Georgina's Economic Development Officer, Sean Columbus, is available to guide you to programs, resources or funding opportunities you may not be aware of. Connect with him.
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Provincial and Federal Funding Opportunities |
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Finding grants and funding opportunities available to business owners can be daunting. We've complied provincial and federal opportunities in one place to make it easier.
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Featured Properties for Sale |
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Are you looking for the perfect site to start or expand your business? We can help you find a location that will meet your needs and is zoned for your industry.
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Disclaimer: Listings are provided to the Town from brokers, real estate agents, and various real estate websites. The Town of Georgina assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown, and does not make any representation, warranties or guarantees of any kind in relation to the listings in this e-newsletter or the properties described therein. Please contact the real estate agent or other contact person identified on the listing to verify all information.
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Georgina Economic Development and Tourism
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