Business Retention & Employment: Economy
Ensuring economic vitality in the watershed will promote a number of goals within the Sustainability Plan. Business diversity can be used to support community well-being. Additionally, greening our businesses can support competitiveness, operational efficiency and develop niche markets while lowering environmental impact.
Youth retention, encouraging affordable living in comparison to the Greater Toronto Area, and the retention and attraction of a diverse range of businesses will contribute to better self-sufficiency of the watershed’s population.
It is important to ensure that economic development activities have a positive impact on our environment – and can contribute to improving our watershed’s ability to regenerate.
In the Severn Sound watershed:
- Agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare and tourism sectors are vital to the economic sustainability of our watershed.
- Forestry is returning as an important activity, given the reforestation efforts of the past decades.
- Local and organic food continues to grow in importance, popularity and support (through initiatives such as Simcoe County Farm Fresh).
- Aggregate resources (sand, gravel, and stone) are extracted in many parts of Simcoe County, with abundant resources found in two of the watershed’s townships: Severn and Oro-Medonte.
- Communities have different economic strengths with some communities having more diversified economies than others. Municipalities located along the waterfront of Georgian Bay are more oriented to tourism and to recreational and life style developments, including housing developments for retirees. These communities have strong hospitality and food service industries and a growing service sector catering to full‐time residents and part-time visitors. Industrial employment continues to be important in Midland, Penetanguishene and Orillia.
- Simcoe County Official Plan and several municipal official plans support the development of communities with diversified economic functions and opportunities. The growth of locally sponsored business is particularly encouraged.
- Opportunities exist for the development of businesses within the cultural, ecological and culinary tourism areas.