Ottawa Business Leaders Call on Candidates to Support Pro-Growth Agenda
The Ottawa Board of Trade unites business leaders to call on candidates to #BuildUpOttawa
Ottawa, ON – September 23, 2022 – This morning, the Ottawa Board of Trade hosted an All Candidates Meet & Greet to bring business leaders together to share their priorities for the future of Ottawa with municipal election candidates. The event was held as part of the Ottawa Board of Trade’s #BuildUpOttawa initiative; a pro-growth agenda built around making our Nation’s Capital more affordable, inclusive, and sustainable.
The event featured a panel discussion with top business leaders in the community who spoke about city wide collaboration amongst sectors and city council. Panelists included:
- Cameron Love, President & CEO – The Ottawa Hospital
- Mark Laroche, President & CEO – The Ottawa International Airport Authority
- Michael Crockatt, President & CEO – Ottawa Tourism
- Michelle Taggart, Vice President, Planning & Development - Tamarack Homes
- Kevin Ford, CEO – Calian
“The Ottawa business community agrees that the new Mayor and Council need to prioritize collaboration and a united Ottawa that supports city-wide growth,” said Sueling Ching, President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade. “Business leaders in the city are united in their belief that growth and prosperity in one sector or ward drives prosperity for all.”
Business leaders urged candidates to work together to build and foster a community that benefits residents now and into the future.
The Ottawa Board of Trade will be hosting a Mayoral debate on October 12, 2022, with more details to be released in the coming weeks.
Quotes:
“The health of a population is one of the most important aspects of a thriving city,” said Cameron Love, President and CEO of the Ottawa Hospital. “Today, more than ever before medicine is advancing at an incredible rate. The New Campus Development at the Ottawa Hospital will be an economic driver for the community and will make Ottawa one of the most admired capitals in the world.”
“First and foremost, we can agree that tech is a critical pillar of our growing economy,” said Kevin Ford, CEO of Calian. “For us to compete, we need to live in a word class city, a connected city, and have plans and actions to ensure we’re the best destination for our most critical resource, talent.”
“Partnership is key to everything. We must work together to make Ottawa the most livable mid-sized city in North America,” said Michelle Taggart, Vice President, Planning & Development at Tamarack Homes. “Mutual support and collaboration between Council, homebuilders, residents and City staff will be key to ensuring we have good quality and affordable housing for our rapidly growing population.”
“YOW is ready to tackle projects we put on hold during the pandemic,” said Mark Laroche, President and CEO, Ottawa International Airport Authority. “Investing in Ottawa’s airport can help build up Ottawa as an economic centre.”
“Think about tourism as being the front door to our region’s economy. People come here as visitors first, and then become repeat visitors; investors, students, residents,” said Michael Crockatt, President and CEO, Ottawa Tourism. “Ottawa residents are extremely proud of this destination and community, and value the economic benefits tourism brings to the community.”
About the Ottawa Board of Trade:
The Ottawa Board of Trade is the voice for business and key advocate for economic development in the Ottawa region. Our mission is to cultivate a thriving world class business community. We are an independent, non-partisan, non-profit member driven association representing the interests of all businesses at every level of government to ensure a competitive business climate, economic growth, and community prosperity. For information, visit www.ottawabot.ca.