Preparing Central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area for the Future
The Long-Term Report on the Economy identifies demographic, economic and employment trends in Ontario that will present future challenges and opportunities. In response, Ontario is building inclusive growth provincewide that will create prosperity for years to come by developing a highly skilled workforce, making health care more accessible, building modern infrastructure and supporting business innovation and growth.
Regional economic growth is affected by many factors, including natural resources, the mix of business and industry, and demographics. According to the report, the Greater Toronto Area will remain the region with the highest proportion of working‐age people and the lowest proportion of seniors in Ontario. By 2040, the region's population is projected to grow by 41.3 per cent, driven primarily by immigration.
Ontario is committed to making long-term investments in services and infrastructure to address the challenges and improve the economic conditions of Central Ontario and the Greater Toronto Area, while preparing for the jobs and economy of tomorrow. According to a forthcoming study by the Centre for Spatial Economics, every dollar invested in infrastructure results in an increase of nearly $6 in real GDP over the long-term.
Education and Skills Development
By supporting a highly educated labour force, Ontario is preparing for tomorrow's economic opportunities.
- Building L'école élémentaire Mississauga Nord, providing 360 students from junior kindergarten to grade 6 with the best possible learning environment.
- Supporting the Literacy and Basic Skills e-Channel Service at Toronto's George Brown College by improving web-based access for learners in rural and remote communities.
- Constructing a new Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough to accommodate 1,110 grade 9 to 12 students.
- Supporting Hamilton's new Greensville Public School, a partnership with the municipality that includes new community space, 39 child care spaces and a library.
- Investing in the Software and Informatics Research Centre at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa, a hub for research in health and business analytics and software engineering.
By providing faster, more convenient transit service, Ontario is managing congestion and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Implementing GO Regional Express Rail across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.
- Supporting rapid transit projects across Toronto, including new light rail transit on Eglinton Avenue, Finch Avenue West, Sheppard Avenue East and the extension of the Bloor-Danforth subway line in Scarborough.
- Building new light rail transit in Hamilton, Mississauga and Brampton.
- Supporting the Region of Waterloo's proposed downtown Kitchener light rail transit hub, making it easier to connect to local and inter-city GO Transit and VIA Rail services.
Health Care
By providing faster access to care and increasing capacity, Ontario is putting patients first.
- Constructing a new Milton District Hospital patient care building.
- Enhancing access to health services, including surgeries, rehabilitation and diagnostics for Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital.
- Supporting the Humber River Hospital in Toronto -- Ontario's first digital hospital -- to increase its capacity and provide new specialized outpatient services.
- Improving access to primary care and home care, reducing wait times and expanding services at Hamilton Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
- Building Glen Hill Terrace, a new long-term care home in Whitby with up to 160 spaces to provide residents with safe and comfortable surroundings.