Part I:
The breakdown of trade talks between Canada and the United States, and the imposition of reciprocal tariffs, present a real and present danger to our economy. The potential closure of businesses and the loss of employment threatens not just households, but also the municipal tax base. So, how are those tasked with attracting and promoting Burlington as a viable location for new enterprises dealing with this challenge?
That is just one of several questions I was asking as I read of yet another announcement by Burlington’s Business and Economic Development Office of a restructuring.
Another Day, Another Reorg
For those keeping score, Burlington has undergone three major reorganizations of its economic-development apparatus since 2015. The first, in 2015, involved a significant board and staffing realignment intended to eliminate operational bottlenecks and improve effectiveness.
In early 2024, Burlington Council approved the merger of Tourism Burlington with the Economic Development Office. That was followed by a rebranding initiative designed to create a unified organization under the Discover Burlington banner.
Most recently, Council completed a multi-phase governance review. After considering various options, Council decided to retain an independent operational entity while approving a new service agreement intended to improve strategic alignment and municipal oversight.
2015
https://investburlington.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/BEDC-Strategic-Plan-2018-2022.pdf
2019
2024
The City of Burlington and Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues will fund the new Discover Burlington initiative to the tune of $1,962,000. That represents a substantial increase from previous years, although, in fairness, the city previously funded Tourism Burlington separately at approximately $435,000.
With the latest phase now complete—at least for the moment—we can officially celebrate the arrival of Discover Burlington.
But all of this begs a simple question: how does this position our community in light of the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration?
A Tale of Two Cities
Everywhere I go in Oakville, I see evidence of economic growth.
New industrial and commercial buildings are springing up along Burloak Drive. Industrial plazas continue to expand throughout the James Snow Business Park. Even in established business neighbourhoods near Winston Churchill Boulevard, new businesses are opening.
By comparison, Burlington presents a very different picture.
The large industrial complex at Walkers Line and North Service Road, formerly Ball Packaging, remains vacant. “For Sale” and “For Lease” signs line Mainway. The large factory adjacent to Leggat Mazda is empty. Harris Steel at Appleby and Fairview has closed. The list of vacant and underutilized employment properties continues to grow.
The data supports these observations.
According to Halton Region’s 2025 Employment Survey, there were 13,338 businesses operating across the region. Of those, 4,890 were located in Burlington and 5,004 in Oakville. Between 2024 and 2025, 1,008 businesses closed across Halton while only 826 new businesses opened.
The report also highlights long-term employment trends by municipality. One of the most revealing charts appears on page 13.
The trend is difficult to ignore. Burlington’s share of regional employment has declined since 2023, while Oakville’s has increased.
As of 2025, Burlington had roughly 100 fewer jobs today than it had in 2021. Oakville, by contrast, added approximately 8,500 jobs over the same period.
Why do two communities with similar populations, demographics, education levels, and socio-economic characteristics produce such dramatically different employment outcomes?
I raised a similar question during a 2024 pre-budget consultation meeting. The garbled explanation focused largely on Oakville’s greater supply of industrial land available for redevelopment.
Perhaps. But existing employment lands can also be redeveloped. Oakville has demonstrated this repeatedly along Speers Road and throughout the Winston Business Park.
It is also worth remembering that Burlington once possessed substantially more industrial and commercial land along corridors such as Fairview Street and Bronte Woods before significant portions were rezoned for residential development. Some of the land involved in Alinea’s massive planned redevelopment on King Road is zoned for employment purposes. And let’s not forget Alinea’s proposed redevelopment at Appleby and Fairview.
To be continued …
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