EOLC Monthly Meeting - 07 May 2025 - Agenda — North Frontenac News Media

Published May 7, 2025

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Body: EOLC Type: Agenda Meeting: Regular Date: May 7, 2025 Collection: Council Agendas Municipality: Frontenac County

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Eastern Ontario Leadership Council Agenda Thursday, June 5, 2025 – 1:00 PM a.m. Join Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88173554688?pwd=bDr7jkSZaRjb39TKd2u5M55RUoJV be.1 1

Call to Order/Welcome

Declaration of Conflict of Interest

Adoption of the Agenda 3.1 Recommended Motion “That the agenda of the June 5, 2025, Board of Directors of the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council Meeting be adopted as circulated.”

Report of the Project Coordinator - Kathryn Wood 4.1 EOLC Regional Economic Development Strategy 2025

Verbal Report of the Finance Committee - Chair Maureen Adams 5.1 EOLC Financial Summary - March 31, 2025

Verbal Reports from the Working Group 6.1 Integrated and Intelligent Transportation Systems – Maureen Adams

6.2

Innovation – Cyndy Palleske

6.3

Workforce Development and Deployment – Craig Desjardins

6.4

Infrastructure Sub-Committee - Jason St. Pierre EOLC Infrastructure Sub-Committee Meeting Minutes 2025-03-20 (1) Infrastructure Sub-Committee -Meeting Minutes 2025-02-04 (1)

Verbal Partner Update 7.1 Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus • EOWC Updated Tariff and Trade Data • EOWC Electrical Equipment Sector Data • EOWC Resins and Rubber Sector Data • EOWC Transportation Sector Data • EOWC Residential Construction Sector Data • EOWC Agriculture Sector Data

7.2

Eastern Ontario Mayors’ Caucus

7.3

Ontario East Economic Development Commission

7.4

Community Features Eastern Ontario (CEFO) Network

7.5

Eastern Ontario Regional Network

Consideration of By-Laws

Date of the Next Meeting To be determined.

Adjournment 10.1 Recommended Motion “That the June 5 meeting of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council be adjourned”.

Page 2 of 65

2025-2029

Eastern Ontario (or EOLC?) Regional Economic Development Strategy March 31, 2025

DRAFT – Conﬁdential to EOLC Board, Working Group/Committee Chairs and Supporting CAOs

0 An example of an image generated by Reve AI

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Table of Contents EOLC Regional Economic Development Strategy 2025

Executive Summary…………………………………………………..

Background to the Development of the Strategy……………

Work Undertaken in the 2019-2024 Period……………………

Basic Proﬁle of the Regional Economy ………………………..

The Changing Context for Economic Development……….

EOLC Core Guidance Statements……………………………….

6.1 Vision for the Region……………………………………………

6.2 Mandate Statement for the EOLC……………………………

6.3 Value Proposition……………………………………………….

6.4 Roles of EOLC in Regional Economic Development….

6.5 Principles and Partnerships.…………………………………

Four Priorities for the EOLC’s Attention………………………..

7.1 Four Priorities: They Are Connected……………….………

7.2 Approach to Implementation………………………………..

7.3 Formal Names of Working Groups/Committees……….

7.4 Workforce Development, Deployment & Housing……

7.5 Transportation Networks and Services…………………..

7.6 Infrastructure for Business & Economic Development

7.7 Innovation Ecosystem and Supports………………….…..

7.8 Board/Corporate Initiatives…………………………………..

Implementing the Regional Economic Development Strategy

Ensuring Attention to Factors Leading to Resilience………

9.1 Workforce Development, Deployment & Housing…….

9.2 Transportation Networks and Services……….…………..

9.3 Infrastructure for Business & Economic Development

9.4 Innovation Ecosystem and Supports………………………

Appendices…………………………………………………………….

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Acknowledgements The EOLC would like to acknowledge and thank our facilitator, Suzanne Gibson, for her services over several months in engaging our Board and supporting team as well as external stakeholders in creating this Regional Economic Development Strategy.

EOLC Mandate Statement The EOLC engages the public, private and not-for-proﬁt sectors in designing and implementing initiatives with region-wide application that develop, scale and share innovative approaches to strengthen Eastern Ontario’s regional economy. By empowering partners through forwardlooking research, analytics and idea-testing projects, we are positioning this region as a hotbed of innovation in for tools, policies and business models that build resilience and drive sustainable growth. EOLC Value Proposition On your behalf, the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council looks beyond today’s horizon, identifying and tackling the most signiﬁcant, complex economic development challenges and opportunities the region faces in the years ahead. We respond boldly, shouldering risks too great for individual stakeholders. We access rare expertise to uncover and share insights, propose ground-breaking ideas, develop and deliver practical solutions; and share breakthrough thinking and results far and wide. By leveraging municipal investments and collaborations that attract additional investment, the EOLC multiplies the impact of its work in support of the regional economy, putting partners and stakeholders ahead of the curve in the pursuit of new opportunities. Stakeholders wishing to learn more about these opportunities are invited to reach out to the EOLC Project Coordinator at contact@eolc.info.

Page 5 ofStrategic 65 Review of the proposed EOLC Plan.

1. Executive Summary This Regional Economic Development Strategy for Eastern Ontario is the third produced by the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council and is based on a newly-reﬁned vision for the region, a refreshed mandate and value proposition for the EOLC. This Strategy drew upon insights and input from the EOLC Board and its supporting team as well as public and private stakeholders from across the region. This 2025-2029 strategy builds on projects carried out in the 2019-2024 strategy, adding more recent economic analysis and late-breaking developments related to changing international and interprovincial trade relationships as well as rapidlyFour Priorities: evolving tariff regimes. It is focused on four priorities: • Workforce Development, Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing; Deployment & Housing Transportation Networks and Services; Infrastructure for • Transportation Networks Business and Economic Development and Innovation and Services Ecosystem and Supports. • Infrastructure for Implementation of the Strategy is guided by an opportunity Business and Economic evaluation methodology that assesses each idea that Development comes forward, determines whether it warrants a speciﬁc • Innovation Ecosystem project to move it forward, the appropriate role for the EOLC and Supports to play and explicitly contemplates multiple options for handing off development and implementation to partners and other stakeholders. Collaborations and partnerships are an explicit principle underlying the EOLC’s modus operandi — the way the EOLC carries out its responsibilities and interacts with other organizations. Ongoing governance of the EOLC begins with a seven-person Board and supporting staff team, with three targeted Working Groups and an overarching innovation committee implementing an assigned mandate with short, medium and long-term initiatives to guide their deliberations. In addition to overseeing the Working Groups and Committee, the Board itself oversees several broad issues (described herein as “corporate Six Principles of Implementation initiatives”) to which Working Groups and Committee • Work is regional in scope and also provide support. related to economic development Working Groups will draw on the expertise of • Relies on evidence-based organizations from across the region to develop and decision-making manage projects that contribute to fulﬁlment of the • Shares risk and ﬁnancial EOLC’s aspirational goal for each of the four responsibility priorities. • Limited/no post-project The three main ways in which the EOLC expects to responsibilities operationalize its work are: a) mapping regional • Two-layer governance structure assets and gaps; b) undertaking pilot and/or (Board and Working Groups) demonstration projects; and c) playing a • Based on collaborations/ convening role on priority issues and partnerships. opportunities. 3

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The ﬁve-year Strategy is set out in more detail in Sections 8 and 9, with the following chart providing an overview of the Aspirational (5Year) Goal associated with each priority and several examples of initiatives to be undertaken immediately (the next 1 to 2 years). Priority Aspirational (Five-Year) Goal Examples of Assigned Short-Term Initiatives Workforce Development, A regional workforce that is of sufficient size, • Update research on regional labour markets and Deployment & Housing literacy and skill level, technology-enabled, cost of living analysis, including housing well-housed, distributed and/or mobile to • Convene stakeholder meetings on critical address foreseeable in-region needs (e.g. ﬁve shortages and reskilling needs years out). • Leadership to training & education sectors on labour market shortages and reskilling needs Transportation Networks & A multi-modal transportation system capable • Map existing and planned transportation Services of moving people and goods safely and infrastructure, and commuter travel patterns efficiently across the region and beyond. This • Explore opportunities for air transportation and explicitly includes use of new technologies cargo-focused ports and processes in logistics and transportation- • Identify opportunities for deployment of new related asset construction, maintenance and technologies in transportation (EVs, CAVs, traffic ﬂows. platforms supporting logistics and transportation) Infrastructure for Business Eastern Ontario is known as a region that has • Continued attention to digital infrastructure, & Economic Development integrated, ﬁnancially sustainable including data centres infrastructure in place to support above• Advance new solutions for environmental average economic growth and community infrastructure, esp. for housing vitality. • Review/identify energy-related opportunities Innovation Ecosystem & An innovation culture that is well-instilled • Refresh 2016 Regional Innovation Ecosystem Support across the region and supported by a tightlyMapping report coupled innovation ecosystem. • Develop digital dashboard for regional economy Corporate Initiatives Full implementation of the 2025-2029 • International and interprovincial trade Regional Economic Development Strategy • Advocacy support • In-Region communications for EOLC

2. Background to the Development of the Strategy Created in 2013, the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council developed and adopted its ﬁrst regional economic development strategy in 2014, then updated it in 2019. Two years later, the EOC went from an informal body operating under the EOWC and EORN to a separate incorporated body with operating costs coming from the EOWC and the EOMC. In addition to operating cost support from the municipal sector, the EOLC secures project-related funding from other levels of government. In 2024, the seven-person Board of the EOLC retained professional facilitation (Suzanne Gibson) to lead the Board through three extensive strategic planning workshops, supplemented by a series of interviews with external stakeholders. The Board also held a special meeting in January of 2025 to consider how export tariffs by the U.S. might affect the regional economy. The EOLC Board brings together leadership from ﬁve regionally-minded organizations in Eastern Ontario to address regional economic development issues and opportunities: • Eastern Ontario Wardens Caucus (EOWC) • Eastern Ontario Mayors Caucus (EOMC) • Eastern Ontario Regional Network (EORN) • Ontario East Economic Development Commission (OEEDC) • Community Futures Eastern Ontario (CFEastern Ontario). Through the 2019-2024 period, the EOLC Board pursued opportunities to address challenges brought about by the pandemic as well as housing affordability and availability. Through three Working Groups, the EOLC undertook multiple projects (described in Section 3) to help stakeholders respond effectively to these challenges. These projects generated a ﬁrst-of-its-kind regional capability to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a ‘no bells and whistles’ version of a labour market analytics platform, detailed analysis of regional commuting patterns, a self-guided economic resilience strategy tool, and development of a now-commercial municipal public works permitting system called Permit Central. In developing this strategy, the EOLC Board has beneﬁted from strategic planning processes carried out by the EORN and the EOWC. For example, EORN’s 2024-2028 plan includes enhancing regional growth through innovative and value-added services focused on the region’s connectivity and development needs. In its 2024-2027 plan, the EOWC has identiﬁed infrastructure, housing, healthcare, economic resilience and strengthen organizational impact as its strategic priorities. The EOLC anticipates that its strategic plan will intersect with and support its partner organizations’ work on behalf of the region. 5

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3. Work Undertaken by the EOLC in the 2019-2024 Period An early stage of the EOLC Board’s strategic planning deliberations for the 2025-2029 was reviewing its initiatives during and following the COVID-19 pandemic. The ﬁve major projects undertaken in that period were all completed within budget and delivered signiﬁcant outcomes of value to regional stakeholders and funders: •

Economic Modelling on the Economic and Labour Market Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Undertaken in concert with Limestone Analytics (an Ontario-based company); quantiﬁed the near-term labour market and GDP impacts of the pandemic and gave Limestone Analytics a springboard to take their modelling expertise to other jurisdictions in Canada and abroad.

•

Business Analysis for Commuting Services in Eastern Ontario: Initial analysis of commuting patterns across the region, based on “laboursheds”, including bidirectional commuter volumes across municipalities (Census Subdivisions) and tracking of (public domain) Google datasets; assessment of the challenges of creating sustainable urban-rural commuter services, and upfront ﬁnancial support for pilot projects based on different business models.

•

Recovery and Resilience of a Regional Labour Market: Uncovered the top 15 factors inﬂuencing local/regional ability to minimize the initial impact of signiﬁcant economic and labour market shocks and enhance recovery and the ability to “bounce forward”. This work is summarized as a Resilience Index in a self-guided digital workbook.

•

Labour Market AI Project: Created a basic/”minimum viable product” easy-to-sue labour market platform gives users the ability to generate labour market proﬁles, understand high and low demand occupations, skills gaps, and skills-based comparisons of occupations that could help workers migrate to new jobs or sectors. The platform is now being re-assessed to determine how to expand its usefulness in a new era of labour market volatility and one in which a broader range of workforce factors are affecting decision-making.

•

One-Window Permitting Project (for Public Works/Transportation): Led directly to a commercial public works permitting product known as Permit Central, operated by Transnomis Solutions Inc. (an Ontario-based company), that works for single and two-tier local governments and integrates Municipal511 within the platform.

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4. Basic Proﬁle of the Regional Economy Parameter/Indicator Population Places of Employment (includes with/out employees) Change in Places of Employment since Dec. 2021 Sectors with Largest Numbers of Jobs

Healthcare and social assistance
Manufacturing
Accommodation and food services
Construction Sectors with Highest Sales
Manufacturing
Healthcare and Social Assistance
Retail Trade
Transportation and Warehousing
Professional, Scientiﬁc and Technical Services
Educational Services
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting Jobs Exports (out of region, not necessarily international) Major Exports – products only, not funded services
Resins, synthetic rubber & artiﬁcial ﬁbres
Other electrical equipment & comp. manuf.
Farms
Basic chemical manufacturing
Dairy product manufacturing
Motor vehicle parts manufacturing
Alumina and aluminum production, processing Imports (into region, not necessarily from abroad) Major Imports – products only, not funded services
Farms
Resins, synthetic rubber & artiﬁcial ﬁbres
Petroleum and coal product manufacturing
Motor vehicle manufacturing
Oil and gas extraction
Basic chemical manufacturing
Computer systems design and related services
Residential building construction
Wireless and wireless telecom carriers

Value (Most Recent Year) 1,314,200 (2023) 117, 058 (June 2024) +14.3% (all bus. Sizes) (2024) 90,898 48,561 46,329 45,734 (2022) $43,901,928,197 $ 8,769,722,638 $ 5,325,889,993 $ 4,748,433, 086 $ 4,712,726,608 $ 4,588,525,457 $ 4,397,250,467 581,600 (2023) $64.6 Billion (2022) (2022) $4,925,190,911 $1,958,389,991 $1,813,984,943 $1,588,234,794 $1,396,169,028 $1,242,128,651 $1,064,900,736 $75.0 Billion (2022) (2022) $2,403,033,825 $2,188,080,209 $2,090,200,544 $1,897,445,219 $1,876,420,868 $1,534,425,716 $1,219,893,557 $1,121,381,154 $1,060,646,607

Source: Lightcast Analyst Platform as at March 31, 2025

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5. The Changing Context for Economic Development In the past ﬁve years, the Eastern Ontario economy has witnessed dramatic changes (ex. the COVID-19 pandemic) as well as the unfolding of long-term trends (ex. demographics/aging). As this Strategy was being ﬁnalized, new events such as disrupted/reset international trade relationships and tariff regimes began to unfold. This turmoil, combined with ongoing housing market and inﬂation challenges, is creating enormous uncertainty for public and private decision-makers — on all forms of capital investment, market focus, labour force and related re/upskilling, and the pursuit of innovation. Both municipal governments and business/industry leaders are watching and working with provincial and federal governments to align their choices and investments for maximum positive impact across the region. One way that the EOLC expects to support the region’s decision-makers over the next ﬁve years is through baseline and predictive data analysis, pattern and trend identiﬁcation, with an emphasis on leading economic indicators. The EOLC expects to build and share a regional economic dashboard that will provide the region’s decision-makers with the best available information on key aspects of regional performance. Month-by-month data on job postings, for example, will provide an early indication of employers’ staffing intentions as well as labour market volatility. As shown below, this information can be set in an historical context to further inform decisions.

U.S. election

Pandemic

Feb 2025

Source: Lightcast Analyst Platform - March 2025

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6. EOLC Core Guidance Statements Through its own deliberations as well as feedback from its Working Groups and external stakeholders, the EOLC Board has reviewed and affirmed the following 10-year Vision for the region. The Vision acknowledges the landscape in which we live and work, the many assets we have to work with, and the way we choose to move forward together. In this sense, the Vision sets the stage for the EOLC to determine what speciﬁc roles it will play in fulﬁlling the region’s promise. 6.1

A 10-Year Vision for the Region Eastern Ontario: Responsive. Resourceful. Resilient.

Eastern Ontario is responding to a changing world, attracting and expanding economic opportunity, stimulating entrepreneurial success, enhancing the livability of our communities, and strengthening our collective resilience. Well-known for our skilled, adaptable and diverse workforce, the people and organizations across Eastern Ontario are collaborative by nature, probing the limits of new ideas and putting the best of them to the test — all in the service of amplifying domestic and global economic vitality and growth. Newcomers join long-time residents and enterprises in becoming part of our welldeveloped ecosystem of business, transportation, healthcare, technology, research and educational infrastructure. The region’s outstanding quality of life across our vibrant, diverse rural and urban communities is set amidst deeply-rooted respect for our history, heritage and shared natural environment. Through innovation, inclusion and partnerships, the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council is a leading catalyst in bringing this vision to life. We are responsive, resourceful and resilient.

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6.2 Mandate Statement for the EOLC Both the Board and EOLC stakeholders noted that there has been limited awareness of the mandate statement (as set out in the organization application for incorporation) 1 and that it needs to be updated. The following Mandate Statement was among several presented to the EOLC Board in February of 2025 and was approved by the Board in April of 2025. It will replace the earlier version effective immediately.

EOLC Mandate Statement: The EOLC engages the public, private and not-for-proﬁt sectors in designing and implementing initiatives with region-wide application that develop, scale and share innovative approaches to strengthen Eastern Ontario’s regional economy. By empowering partners through forwardlooking research, analytics and idea-testing projects, we are positioning this region as a hotbed of innovation in for tools, policies and business models that build resilience and drive sustainable growth. Does this adequately address diversiﬁcation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, (feedback from external stakeholders)

EOLC Mandate as submitted in its application for incorporation: The Eastern Ontario Leadership Council has been established to act in a guidance and coordination role for foundational economic development activities in the region. In this role, the EOLC will help ensure that resources are in place to support local economic development activities by providing resources, data and research that will improve the overall business climate in Eastern Ontario. The EOLC will coordinate opportunities with partners at the Provincial and Federal levels of government, plus the education and innovation sectors.

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6.3 The EOLC Value Proposition The objective of a value proposition is to describe for partners, funders and other stakeholders what an organization’s unique contribution is to a geographic area and/or market. It is intended set out the speciﬁc services to be undertaken — and the beneﬁciaries so that others can determine the relative value and importance of those roles and services, and the degree to which they wish to provide concrete support for the originating organization. EOLC Board discussions, as well as its consultations, suggested that the EOLC’s Value Proposition should be based on: • Focusing on shared economic challenges and opportunities • Adopting a future orientation, not present-day • Focusing on breakthroughs/leading edge initiatives • Being a conduit for risk-sharing on behalf of multiple smaller organizations • Leveraging impact/scaling solutions (e.g. with other funding and/or collaborators) • Putting our stakeholders in an advantageous position, preferably with a competitive advantage. It is understood that the way in which the EOLC lives its value proposition will differ across stakeholder groups. For instance, in one situation, the EOLC might provide data or other support to advocacy efforts, For other stakeholders, the EOLC might develop undertake tool development projects then share the deliverables with those who will use it for their own decision-making. The following Value Proposition should be well communicated to support broad engagement across the region.

EOLC Value Proposition On your behalf, the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council looks beyond today’s horizon, identifying and tackling the most signiﬁcant, complex economic development challenges and opportunities the region faces in the years ahead. We respond boldly, shouldering risks too great for individual stakeholders. We access rare expertise to uncover and share insights, propose innovative ideas, develop and deliver practical solutions; and share breakthrough thinking and results far and wide. By leveraging municipal investments and collaborations that attract additional investment, the EOLC multiplies the impact of its work in support of the regional economy, putting partners and stakeholders ahead of the curve in the pursuit of new opportunities. 11

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6.4 The Roles of the EOLC in Regional Economic Development As in the 2014 and 2019 regional economic development strategies for Eastern Ontario, this Strategy identiﬁes the roles that the EOLC expects to play in the years ahead. While some of these roles will be undertaken at the Board level, most will be addressed by Working Groups and/or other EOLC committees, delegated to partners with seats at the EOLC Board table or other stakeholders in the region. In some cases, the EOLC may decide against any involvement at all. Examples would be issues that are clearly local not regional in nature or issues that are not core to the mandate of the EOLC. This delineation of roles allows the EOLC to focus on a limited number of priorities. Overall, the roles of convening, mapping assets and gaps, and undertaking pilot/demonstration projects are expected to be central EOLC roles in implementing the strategic plan. Role EOLC Board EOLC Working Delegated Partners Groups/Committees  • Forum for discussion of • If delegated from/ requested • If delegated from/ regional economic by Board requested by Board development issues    • Share information on (On speciﬁc priorities/issues (On speciﬁc priorities/ issues challenges and with their mandate) with delegated authority) opportunities  • Undertake very focused • Only if requested by EOWC • Only if requested by EOWC advocacy (under EOLC • If requested by EOWC and EOMC and approved by and EOMC and approved banner) and EOMC Board by Board   • Convene meetings on • Limited to speciﬁc • May include stimulating • May include stimulating speciﬁc issues/ issues/ projects with partnerships with other partnerships with other priorities Board-level oversight organizations organizations   • Seek out ﬁnancing/ • Limited to speciﬁc (with expectation of return to (with no expectation of risks/ funding opportunities issues/ projects with Board or risks/commitments commitments/support from Board-level oversight from EOLC) EOLC) 12

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•

Role

EOLC Board

Provide regionallyrelevant research and analytics, share ‘business intelligence’ across the region (may include researching/ mapping regional economic development assets and gaps) Undertake speciﬁc • innovation projects to share risk across the region (may include testing and piloting innovative responses with regional scale-up opportunity) Share information on EOLC priorities, actions, successes



EOLC Working Groups/ Committees  (Request/undertake on speciﬁc priorities/issues with their mandate)

Limited to speciﬁc issues/ projects with • Board-level oversight •



Delegated Partners  (Request/undertake on speciﬁc priorities/issues with delegated authority)

 May be undertaken directly • by a Working Group or by the Innovation Committee May include stimulating partnerships with other organizations  (On speciﬁc priorities/issues with their mandate)

 May include stimulating partnerships with other organizations

 (On speciﬁc priorities/issues with their mandate)

6.4 Principles and Partnerships Principles The EOLC operates on the basis of six core Principles, all of which will be used as ﬁlter criteria for the EOLC’s engagement in/support on any speciﬁc issue or project:

Any engagement, formal positions, funding applications or projects undertaken will be regional in scope and related to economic development. “Regional in scope” means applicable to most, if not all, municipalities in Eastern Ontario or a competitive process open to all municipalities or other stakeholders across the region. In all cases, there will be an intent that deliverables are shared with other municipalities and stakeholders at no/low cost. The EOLC may retain any intellectual property associated with its work but could license it to one or more parties.
Research and analytics work, including but not limited to asset/gap mapping, is undertaken with the speciﬁc intent of supporting evidence-based decision-making at both local and regional levels as well as informing partners’ and/or stakeholders advocacy efforts.
In much of what the EOLC does — especially in more innovative projects, it will seek to share risk across municipalities and undertake projects that would be too expensive or too risky for individual partners/stakeholders to undertake on their own.
The EOLC will only undertake projects that do not require signiﬁcant post-project maintenance/aftercare unless a business case is presented making the case for future revenue streams that can fund the maintenance/aftercare or there are national security and/or privacy and conﬁdentiality considerations requiring long-term oversight. Otherwise, the expectation is that the EOLC may undertake preliminary work but will ultimately hand off products/deliverables to other organizations with related expertise and capabilities.
The EOLC works within a governance model that emphasizes strategy and partnership development at the Board level (in accordance with the EOLC Bylaws and governance documents), with an implementation model based on Working Groups and/or committees for each speciﬁc priority. In the latter case, a Working Group brings the appropriate members into the Group (based on speciﬁc expertise, experience, geographic representation, willingness/ability to work on region-level projects or other criteria that the Working Group might establish.)
The EOLC strives to work within a collaborative, partnership-based model that maximizes engagement and utilization of talent, capabilities and other resources across in-region organizations that share its vision for the region and willingness to participate in initiatives that address region-wide issues and opportunities. This approach expressly includes the pursuit of collaborations or formal partnerships with municipal, provincial and federal governments, the private sector, institutions, the not-for-proﬁt sector and First Nation governments.

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Potential Partners Through its strategic planning process, the EOLC has identiﬁed many potential partners through which implementation of its 2025-2029 strategy might unfold. Additional partners may be added to this list. The EOLC will also be drawing from this list to expand the breadth of expertise and insight available through its Working Groups. Potential Partners (beyond organizations represented at the EOLC Board table)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ontario ministries of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade; Transportation, Municipal Affairs and Housing Education Sector (esp. secondary and post-secondary) FedDev Ontario and other departments of the Government of Canada Municipalities First Nations governments Economic Developers Council of Ontario Ontario Centres of Excellence Ontario Centre of Innovation Regional Innovation Centres Local Community Futures Industry/Sectoral Associations Chambers of Commerce Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) Financial institutions and agencies Vendors of Record Labour Market Intermediaries Third-sector and non-proﬁts connected to economic development

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7. Four Priorities for the EOLC’s Attention Through multiple strategy sessions as well as consultation with Working Groups and external stakeholders, the EOLC Board identiﬁed four priorities that will shape its work over the next decade: •

Workforce Development and Housing: Workforce/labour has been a top priority of the EOLC since 2014 and was the focal point of three provincially-funded projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Labour markets, and Eastern Ontario’s current and future labour force require signiﬁcant attention in the face of ever-changing demographics, ﬂuctuations in in-migration and international students, major changes in the higher education and skills training landscape, ongoing introduction of automation, technology augmentation, and AI deployment, and international trade discussions and corporate location decisions for which quality and numbers of the labour force are key. In addition, ever-escalating construction costs and a serious shortage of housing for current and potential residents (across all income groups) has introduced a serious additional challenge to ensuring that the region attracts and retains the workforce it needs in the decade ahead. As a result, the EOLC Board has reaffirmed its commitment to workforce development and incorporated workforce housing in that priority.

•

Transportation: Movement of both people, especially workers/commuters, and goods (e.g. freight) continue to be a priority of the EOLC. As places of employment, housing and priority markets continue to change, the EOLC is focused on maintaining a watchful eye on the region’s transportation network (road, rail, marine, air) so that service industries and goods-producing industries (e.g. manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, etc.) are well-connected to markets near and far. Part of this connectivity is process-focused such as accelerated permitting processes, monitoring transportation ﬂows, and associated safety considerations. As Canada seeks to diversify its import and export markets, the region must ensure that it can keep pace. At the same time, Eastern Ontario stakeholders expect to keep pace with, if not lead, the implementation of new technologies in the transportation sector, including but not limited to electric and/or autonomous vehicles.

•

Infrastructure: Identiﬁcation of this priority reﬂects a signiﬁcant broadening the EOLC’s scope of interest beyond digital infrastructure (the focus since 2014). This shift recognizes that there have been signiﬁcant accomplishments over the past decade (EORN’s original broadband project and a follow-on project to address gaps in mobile/cell services) and that new infrastructure-related challenges have emerged related to environmental services, energy supply, transportation assets, and the business models, ﬁnancing and process/permitting tools required to address them. 16

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Without signiﬁcant movement on the full range of infrastructure requirements, the economic development of the region will be severely constrained. •

Innovation. Innovation is viewed as an overarching priority, embedded in the other three Working Group mandates, and is expected to breath life into the aspirations set out in the Mandate Statement and Value Proposition. In 2019-2024, the EOLC undertook multiple provincially-funded projects that developed new tools (examples: a “one “The EOLC is a window” permitting system for public works; a remarkable organization Resilience Index to help communities and the region that has successfully identify what issues to work on to support risk delivered great initiatives. mitigation and adaptation in the face of economic It sees the big picture and shocks) or created new ways of understanding the interdependencies; it long-standing issues (e.g. labour market data and has leveraged analytic tools, commuter pilot projects). Although partnerships and built there is general agreement that innovation is part of great synergies. But it each of the other three inter-connected priorities, needs to focus. It needs the creation of a committee-based forum in which to determine the ﬁrst best the EOLC could analyze and recommend action on thing to do.” Comment from External prioritized innovation projects was also supported. Stakeholder Early conversations suggest that there are multiple cross-cutting innovation-focused projects on which the EOLC might focus.

A Newly-Emerging Need for Direct Board-Level Engagement: As the EOLC’s strategic planning process was unfolding, it also became clear that there are newly-emerging issues that need immediate Board attention but that may not ﬁt neatly into one of the four identiﬁed priorities. In the 2019-2024 period, the pandemic was an example of a newly-emerging issue; the impact of the pandemic was a standing item on the Board agenda for more than a year. Another example was the development of the Resilience Index. In the 2025-2029 period, international and interprovincial trade promises to challenge business and governmental decision-makers alike. Both export and import intensive sectors (examples: agriculture, manufacturing, forestry, steel and aluminum, construction, and tourism) are likely to require both a cross-priority approach, including innovation, as well as direct/hands on attention at the EOLC Board table. Section 6.4 of this report describes the detailed mandate, direction and timelines for work by each Working Group and those issues to be addressed directly by the Board.

Page 20 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.1 Four Priorities: They Are Interconnected In selecting priorities for the next ﬁve years (and likely beyond), the EOLC noted that their top four priorities are interconnected. They cannot be addressed with a silo-based approach. For that reason, as the Working Groups are tasked with taking on near-term projects, they must look to/interact with other working groups tackling related aspects of the same overall issue. Examples are set out below but this is far from an exhaustive presentation.

Innovation

Impact of Technology

Digital Connectivity Environmental Services

Autonomous Vehicles

Transportation

Workforce & Housing

Transportation Asset Management

Infrastructure

Intermodal Capacity

… and supported by a municipally-led Board of Directors

Board Governance and Oversight Strategy and Evaluation Financial Due Diligence Formal Communications/Advocacy Partnerships

Page 21 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.2 Approach to Implementation In considering how to implement the new Regional Development Strategy, the EOLC revamped its Working Group structure, adding a new one and expanding the mandate of another. The approach to assigning speciﬁc priorities is to keep each Working Group focused on its historical mandate with expansion and reprioritization within the mandate. Recommendations are included to facilitate collaborative work across the issues and the Working Groups.

7.3

Formal Names of Working Groups/Committee: In light of the mandates identiﬁed for each of the three Working Groups and the overarching innovation committee, these structures will be known as: •

Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing Working Group

•

Transportation Networks and Services Working Group

•

Infrastructure for Business and Economic Development Working Group

•

Innovation Ecosystem and Supports Committee.

All four groups will be expected to report to the EOLC Board at each meeting.

Page 22 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.4 Priority and Mandate: Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing

Aspirational Goal: A regional workforce that is of sufficient size, literacy and skill level, technology-enabled, well-housed, distributed and/or mobile to address foreseeable in-region needs (e.g. ﬁve years out). Strategies and Responsibilities • • • • • • • •

Develop a solid understanding of the region’s labour supply, labour demand and where the gaps are — not just today but ﬁve years out Develop and deploy creative multi-generational talent retention strategies (e.g. youth, new graduates, mid-career, second career etc.) Develop and deploy talent attraction and resettlement strategies (newcomers from intraprovincial, inter-provincial and international sources) Ensure that the in-region workforce is technology-enabled, trained and supported whether working from home or in a designated workplace Provide leadership in assessing the role(s) of technology in the workplace especially AI – job augmentation; displacement vs. ﬁlling “vacancies” Undertake research to understand the role of “beyond the job” factors in work-life decisions and inﬂuence on productivity and job/career aspirations Work with training and education organizations to target occupations/skill sets that are likely to be in high demand/short supply across the region by 2030 if not already present Reskilling/upskilling and equitable access to same Provide leadership in convening partners to create truly affordable communities (including but not limited to housing… transit, childcare, food and clothing etc.)

Risks

• •

Inability to access funding/ﬁnancing to understand potentially higher cost projects Training and education organizations do not have the resources to engage in future-oriented initiatives and may not have the capability to provide necessary training services

•

Demonstrated evidence that Eastern Ontario has become a truly welcoming jurisdiction able to support current — or future — employers, entrepreneurs and workers in work/career success Third party data demonstrating that Eastern Ontario’s workforce is on track to meet current demand as well as that projected by 2030 Demonstrated evidence that Eastern Ontario has the research, data and analytics capabilities to keep public and private stakeholders “ahead of the resilience curve”

Desired Outcomes • •

Page 23 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.5 Priority and Mandate: Transportation Networks and Services

Aspirational Goal: A multi-modal transportation system capable of moving people and goods safely and efficiently across the region and beyond. This explicitly includes use of new technologies and processes in logistics and transportation-related asset construction, maintenance and traffic ﬂows. Strategies and Responsibilities

• • • • • •

Support pan-regional mapping of transportation assets, with speciﬁc focus on those that provide access to markets (roads, bridges, airports, ports and marine services, rail and intermodal connection Re-engage with the Ministry of Transportation to revisit incomplete tasks from the provincial transportation master plan for Eastern Ontario Develop the capacity within Eastern Ontario to track and forecast highway/road capacity for passenger and freight movement including but not limited to AADT and freight volumes off 400 series highways, and interpret implications for existing infrastructure Explore ways to address urban-rural transit for commuting as well as personal purposes (nontraditional approaches: car-sharing, shuttles, “on-demand” services) Build the region’s capacity to introduce innovative construction and maintenance methods and processes (e.g. joint procurement, engineering studies and inspections, specialized equipment sharing, different types of asphalt, embedded sensors, climate resilience measures) Develop the analytical capability to understand the ﬁnancial implications of fuel and other shifts for municipalities’ ability to maintain transportation infrastructure (e.g. long-term implications of shift to EVs) and propose mechanisms to enhance provincial and/or federal funding

Risks

• •

Inability to access funding/ﬁnancing from beyond municipal the tax base Staff responsible for transportation infrastructure do not have the resources to engage in futureoriented initiatives and may not have the technical expertise to lead innovation projects

•

Demonstrated evidence of implementation of new/innovative policies, processes, practices, ﬁnancing/business models that help to make transportation infrastructure more affordable Eastern Ontario is a leader in introducing cost-saving, efficient, safe ways to move people and goods Public and private sector organizations are capitalizing on improved transportation systems in order to pursue economic opportunity at home and abroad

Desired Outcome • •

Page 24 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.6 Priority: Infrastructure for Business and Economic Development

Aspirational Goal: Eastern Ontario is known as a region that has integrated infrastructure in place to support above-average economic growth and community vitality. Strategies and Responsibilities • • •

• •

Ensure that Eastern Ontario has the digital, broadband, cellular, information technology, cybersecurity and AI foundations for business and economic success Serve as the internal (to EOLC) experts on IT implications of trends such as remote work, harmonization and technology inter-operability Lead a regional effort to: • Deploy technologies embedded in/used to maintain infrastructure • Increase environmental services infrastructure, especially communal services (business models and structures, ﬁnancing) • Develop/deploy new business processes to support infrastructure construction and management (e.g. planning, permitting) Undertake demand-supply analysis and provide policy guidance on all forms of infrastructure including addressing “shovel worthy vs. shovel ready” considerations Lead “blank slate” thinking for infrastructure planning (ex. use of GIS to “see” distribution of infrastructure)

Risks

• • •

Confusion/lack of coordination between working groups means “highest and best use” of scarce resources is unfulﬁlled Inability to access funding/ﬁnancing for potentially higher cost projects Public and private sector organizations with construction and maintenance responsibilities are reluctant to support/implement better ways to provide infrastructure and may not have the capability to engage in long-term projects

Desired Outcome

• •

Published analyses that set out better ways to build and maintain infrastructure, especially those that reduce municipal costs or increase ﬁnancial sustainability Demonstrated evidence of success in introducing lower per-household/per-capita costs for infrastructure construction and maintenance

Page 25 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.7 Priority: Innovation Ecosystem and Support

Aspirational Goal: An innovation culture that is well-instilled across the region and supported by a tightly-coupled innovation ecosystem. Strategies and Responsibilities

• • • • • • • • •

In concert with other Working Group leadership, conduct an environmental scan to identify where innovation is most likely to be required/desired as part of the EOLC mandate, and the processes by which Innovation Committee will support action on the identiﬁed areas Design ways to build/strengthen innovation capacity into the EOLC (Board and Working Groups) Elaborate on/conﬁrm the process by which the EOLC will assess and make decisions about any project to be recommended to the Board for action (e.g. the TRL approach) Design processes through which innovation-related risk for any/all EOLC priority themes can be shared (since not all innovations will succeed) Map and build a strong ecosystem of the region’s innovation assets, including proactive ways to encourage collaborations that address identiﬁed challenges and opportunities Identify regional innovation asset and capability gaps and develop strategies, projects or processes to ﬁll them Develop and implement outreach/communications processes to instill an innovation culture across the region including identifying barriers to innovation and how to break them down Convene regular (quarterly) regional innovation summits to share information, build partnerships and empower others to go to work on forward-looking initiatives Design and share (on a public platform) the measures that the EOLC will use to assess its success in achieving its aspirational goal for Innovation.

Risks

• • • •

•

Partners’ inability to manage both the crises/opportunities of the moment and forward-looking planning Inability to ﬁnd ﬁnancing/funding through which to initiate projects with limited short-term ROI EOLC’s inability to move swiftly enough on “shareable” innovation opportunities and any regional advantage is foregone Reputational risk associated with “failed” projects Use of procurement and/or evaluation processes that are ill-suited to innovation projects

Desired Outcome •

Demonstrated evidence of EOLC’s success in building an innovation ecosystem (examples: growing number of “members”, number of projects launched/partnerships stimulated for speciﬁc innovation initiatives)

Page 26 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Note: Both Board discussions and external stakeholder interviews encouraged the EOLC to undertake innovation projects that focus on: • Innovative governance (ex. new ways to utilize Public-Private Partnerships/new governance models) • Policy (ex. procurement, eligibility criteria) • New business models (ex. use of Municipal Service Corporations) for environmental infrastructure (ex. water, wastewater, sewer) • Tools for administrative/regulatory processes (ex. digital permitting; other digital platforms) • Innovative program designs (ex. talent attraction and retention).

Page 27 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

7.8

Board-Level/Corporate Initiatives International and Interprovincial trade • • •

Provide support to EOWC and EOMC in their liaison with provincial and federal governments on international trade (CUSMA, CETA) and related issues (e.g. tariffs or other import/export considerations, diversiﬁcation of markets) Provide data and/or economic policy support to provincial ministries and/or the Premier’s Office to ensure that regional considerations are taken into account in discussions related to reducing interprovincial trade barriers. Secure funding for and serve as Steering Committee for projects related to regional competitiveness issues (ex. productivity; assessment of adequacy of energy supply and related infrastructure)

Advocacy Support •

Commission and fund region-level data analytics and/or economic policy support to Board member organizations undertaking advocacy programs related to region-wide economic development [where region-wide refers to urban (10 member municipalities of EOMC) or rural areas (13 member counties of EOWC), or both]. [See above examples of issues for which this support would be provided, upon request]

In-Region Communications • •

•

Commission and fund the redevelopment and maintenance of a website that shares what the EOLC does, its priorities and projects, and how to get involved. Fund the development and distribution of newsletters, video messages and other basic communications tools to share the EOLC’s work with internal (to municipal government) and external (other public and private sector) stakeholders who sign up to receive these materials. When designated to do so, support and participate directly in making (invited) presentations on the EOLC’s work at partner meetings, conferences or trade shows.

Page 28 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

8. Implementing the Regional Economic Development Strategy The 2020-2025 period has been characterized by frequent and dramatic change — the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare system and housing challenges, inﬂation, dramatic changes to international trade, supply chains and regulatory environments, and ongoing military conﬂicts. Ontario residents also faced Six Principles of Implementation both provincial and federal elections in the ﬁrst • Work is regional in scope and quarter of 2025. The depth and breadth of related to economic development solutions to regional challenges and • Relies on evidence-based opportunities are also fast-paced and often decision-making disruptive — new discoveries and research • Shares risk and ﬁnancial results, new technologies, new business models, responsibility and new economic alliances. • Limited/No post-project As economic strategies change, so do the responsibilities organizations working in the same or similar • Two-layer governance structure market space as the EOLC. Although many of (Board and Working Groups) these organizations have a slightly different • Based on collaborations/ mandate or focus, the EOLC will be looking to a partnerships wide range of partners for development and implementation of projects to advance the regional cause. Both in EOLC Board discussions and in interviews with external stakeholders, the EOLC was encouraged to focus on three main roles, with a relatively small number of projects at any point in time. The three main roles are: • Mapping regional assets and gaps (to direct attention to opportunities and critical issues) • Undertaking pilot and/or demonstration projects (to manage risks associated with innovative projects and share learnings/solutions across the region’s stakeholders) • Playing a convening role (bringing stakeholders together to address issues and supporting the most effective project development and implementation plans). One way to stay organized in the implementation of regional economic development projects is to adopt a project development methodology that is: a) innovation-focused; b) nimble and/or has in-project adaptation “built in”, and c) contemplates multiple “hand-off” possibilities (meaning that the EOLC need not bear full end-to-end responsibility for every project it supports). In light of the key characteristics required for the EOLC’s project development methodology, the EOLC has adopted a modiﬁed version of the Government of Canada Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessment tool, used by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Page 29 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

The following diagram lays out the nine (9) TRL Levels (top row) that are then translated into EOLC Project phases (in the second row). Whether at the Board or Working Group level, the EOLC will begin with the ﬁrst step and move left to right. Business Development (L1-L4): As an idea is generated, it will be evaluated and, if there is good reason for the EOLC to proceed, the idea will be translated into a project description for which funding would be sought. Only when funding has been secured will the project begin. Project Execution Phase (L5-L8): Most if not all projects would be expected to take an agile approach in which a “ﬁrst draft” or prototype is developed and tested –especially with the intended users — with the expectation that further improvements would be made based on user feedback. There may be multiple cycles of testing and improvement in this Phase. Ongoing Action (L9): Only after the prototype or product is deemed ready for deployment will it be published, released, distributed, licensed or otherwise put into general circulation. In the ﬁnal stages of a project, the EOLC can choose to retain and release the project deliverable(s) in its own right or hand it off to an organization better suited to handle rollout, scale-up or long-term management. It is advisable if these considerations are included in the original project description (L1-4).

Page 30 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

9. Ensuring Attention to Factors Leading to Economic Resilience Inﬂuential Factor The EOLC Approach Governance & Leadership Anticipation Capacity • • • Digital Connectivity • •

Predictive analytics Regional economic dashboard Leading indicators Mobile internet Digital platforms for regulatory processes Governance Processes • Evidence-based decisions • Collaborative advocacy • Proactive processes • Convening meetings/summits Financial Capacity • Ability to access funding • Business development processes Economic & Social Vulnerability Demographics – Aging • Focus on rebalancing demographics – increase 15-64 core percentage Demographics • Focus on cost of living, esp. Affordability incomes/affordability, availability of vital services Community Well-being • Focus on cost of living, esp. housing, availability of vital services; related infrastructure Labour Market Labour Force • Focus on participation rate Engagement Labour Force Mobility • Focus on increasing numbers of in-bound workers; transport. Workforce Near • Focus on increasing numbers of Retirement 15-55 age group/workers Education & Skills • Focus on increasing numbers of Attainment workers with post-high school education & reskilling to ﬁll gaps Innovation Capacity Innovation capabilities • Map innovation assets (public and – in-region or nearby private sector); design programs or agreements to ﬁll gaps; identify/build ﬁnancial supports for innovative businesses/projects

Assigned to

Innovation Committee (including Working Groups) EORN and Infrastructure Committee EOLC Board Working Groups (via member affiliations) EOLC Board and/or partners (may vary by project) Workforce Development & Housing Workforce Development & Housing; Transportation Workforce Development & Housing; Transportation; Infrastructure Workforce Development & Housing Workforce Development & Housing; Transportation Workforce Development & Housing Workforce Development & Housing

Innovation Committee

Note: shortened version of Working Group/Committee names are used for convenience only.

Page 31 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Page 32 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

9.1 Mandate and Direction Assigned to Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing Working Group EOLC Priority Projects: What to Do When? Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing

Aspirational Goal: A regional workforce that is of sufficient size, literacy and skills level, technology-enabled, well-housed and/or mobile/able to work remotely if required, to address foreseeable in-region needs (e.g. ﬁve years out). Priority/Working Group Mandate

Workforce Development & Deployment

Long-Term (5+ Years) •

•

Develop and reﬁne longterm strategies to ensure an adaptable workforce to regional needs, taking the impacts of AI and other augmentative technologies into account Review the key factors determining labour market resilience and, using a data-informed approach, assess those on which Eastern Ontario should focus to create a truly resilient workforce and labour market. Encourage introduction of workplace technology (esp. automation and AIjob augmentation)

Medium-Term (3-4 Years) •

•

Design and implement Phase 2 of the Labour Market Intelligence Platform (LMINT) to make accurate, granular, timely regional labour market data available to a broad base of users Convene stakeholder gatherings to support stakeholders in developing/ launching talent attraction and retention strategies Develop robust model to simulate future impacts on population and labour markets due to demographic change including migration and immigration (use 10-year horizon)

Short-Term (1-2 Years) •

•

Conduct research on regional labour market (demand, supply, over/under supply, gaps; emerging training requirements); focus ﬁrst on priority sectors (ex. manufacturing, agriculture, forestry, construction, healthcare, tourism) Provide leadership to regional educators, training organizations and PSE institutions to help them understand current and emerging trends, opportunities and challenges associated with a resilient labour market (e.g. sectoral/occupational gaps; reskilling and upskilling needs and opportunities, new forms of education and training, including microcredentials) Convene stakeholder gatherings to develop strategies to address critical labour market issues, esp. reskilling, and to engage partners in implementation

Page 33 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Mandate and Direction Assigned to Workforce Development, Deployment and Housing Working Group Long-Term (5+Years) Medium-Term (3-4 Years) Short-Term (1-2 Years) Priority/Working Group Mandate • Revisit/refresh the 10• Identify and recommend • Produce a 10-year projection Housing

•

year workforce housing projection in light of economic and social change Support or lead at least one EOLC-generated project related to workforce housing

• •

Contribution to Board-level Initiatives

•

Revisit/refresh the “cost of living” dashboard in light of economic and social change Support or lead at least one EOLC-generated project related to cost of living

•

• •

indicators for “workforce housing” portion of regional dashboard to support workforce attraction and retention, and overall economic resilience Begin tracking regional • performance on recommended indicators Support or lead at least one EOLC-generated project related to workforce housing Identify and recommend “cost • of living” indicators for inclusion in the regional dashboard to support workforce attraction and retention Begin tracking regional performance on recommended indicators Support or lead at least one • EOLC-generated project related to cost of living

for workforce housing needs and work with the Infrastructure Working Group to provide the IWG with research about housing demand to support bringing innovation to regional housing construction and markets Develop at least three (3) scenarios for EOLC consideration on ways to address workforce housing including the role(s) that the EOLC might play (if any)

Provide the EOLC, its Working Groups/ Committees and other partners with “best available information” about the proﬁle and expectations of current and potential residents and workers regarding living and working in the region. This information will include but not be limited to workforce housing considerations. Develop at least three (3) scenarios for EOLC Board consideration on ways to address cost of living issues, including the role(s) that the EOLC might play (if any)

Page 34 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

9.2 Mandate and Direction Assigned to Transportation Networks and Services Working Group EOLC Priority Projects: What to Do When? Transportation Aspirational Goal: A multi-modal transportation system capable of moving people and goods safely and efficiently across the region and beyond. This explicitly includes use of new technologies and processes in logistics and transportationrelated asset construction, maintenance and traffic ﬂows. Priority/Working Group Mandate Both passenger and • freight

•

Long-Term (5+ Years) Work with regional public works departments and the Innovation Committee and Infrastructure Working Group to update/improve roadway construction and maintenance methods Work with Infrastructure Working Group to integrate climate resilience considerations into Asset Management and roadway construction and maintenance methods and processes

Medium-Term (3-4 Years) •

•

Support municipalities and other organizations with transportation infrastructure responsibilities to build understanding of utilization/ ﬂows (ex. volumes and associated standards, gaps, bottlenecks) Work with Innovation Committee to explore opportunities to deploy innovative technologies in road transportation (ex. remote capability to execute AADT counts, assess road conditions, targeted applications of CAV technology and/or use of AI in road safety)

Short-Term (1-2 Years) •

• • •

•

Map existing and planned transportation infrastructure across the region, including inter-provincial and international connections and modes (road, rail, marine/ports, air, active transportation) Ensure widespread knowledge of Autonomous Vehicle and EV-related infrastructure within the region Assess the roles of/opportunities related to air transportation services at regional airports Assess the roles of/opportunities related to cargo-focused ports especially as they could support east-west movement of goods Provide regional stakeholders with updated labourshed-based maps of commuter travel patterns 31

Page 35 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Mandate and Direction Assigned to Transportation Networks and Services Working Group continued… Priority/Working Group Mandate Passenger/Commuting •

Freight/Moving Goods

Contribution to Boardlevel Initiatives

•

Long-Term (5+ Years)

Medium-Term (3-4 Years)

Develop strategies to build, fund and promote sustainable business models for serving passengers/commuters

•

Develop strategies to use autonomous vehicles to address ﬁrst/last mile issues across the region

•

Recommend and provide current data on the degree to which the region is moving toward its aspirational goal.

•

Track and forecast highway/ road capacity for passenger/ traveler movement Develop indicators to track progress on availability of commuter transportation options Track and forecast highway/ road capacity for freight/ moving goods Gather and deploy collision data as a test case for AI to improve road safety In concert with the Workforce and Housing Working Group (WHWG), prepare an assessment of the workforce required to build, manage and maintain the region’s transportation infrastructure in support of the region’s economic aspirations (linked to priority sectors)

Short-Term (1-2 Years) •

Research and share information on new business models and ﬁnancing tools for commuter transportation (ex. ondemand, third party); work in conjunction with Infrastructure Working Group (IWG)

•

Convene stakeholder meetings to develop a strategy for a regional freight transportation network, with a speciﬁc focus on linkages to export/import capacity and ﬁrst/last mile capabilities to support market diversiﬁcation Provide the Board with an assessment of the region’s transportation infrastructure in relation to regional economic development aspirations and recommendations for action Maintain a standing watch on VIA’s High Frequency Rail project and make recommendations to the Board for action, as required Continue to monitor the capital investment plans of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for 400 series highways within the region and recommend any actions/ communications required

•

Page 36 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

9.3 Mandate and Direction Assigned to Infrastructure for Business and Economic Development Working Group EOLC Priority Projects: What to Do When? Infrastructure Aspirational Goal: Eastern Ontario is known as a region that has integrated, ﬁnancially-sustainable infrastructure in place to support above-average economic growth and community vitality. Priority/Working Long-Term (5+ Years) Medium-Term (3-4 Years) Short-Term (1-2 Years) Group Mandate Digital (internet, cellular • and related components such as cybersecurity and processing capabilities)

Assess and recommend actions on ‘domestic’ data centre(s) in the region, esp. ability to support AI

•

Provide in-region expertise on • defensive and national security technologies (ex. cybersecurity) for municipal governments and related • organizations

Environmental Services

Lead the development of • use cases for the application of AI to operations and management of environmental services infrastructure or potentially other types of infrastructure

Conduct analysis of better • business models for servicing infrastructure for residential housing (MSCs may be only one • option)

•

Completion/ongoing upgrading of high-speed internet and cellular services Provide internal (to EOLC) insight on inter-operability, remote work implications of technologies and applications Continue to advance communal services opportunities across the region Provide in-region expertise on the creation of Municipal Service Corporations (MSCs) for Environmental Services or potentially other types of infrastructure

Page 37 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Mandate and Direction Assigned to Infrastructure for Business and Economic Development Working Group continued… Priority/Working Group Mandate

Long-Term (5+ Years)

Housing Infrastructure

•

Work with partners to • create the in-region, inprovince and interprovincial supply chain relationships to accelerate the construction of workforce housing across Eastern • Ontario

Energy & Utility Infrastructure

•

Monitor energy demand • vs. supply to ensure that workplaces and homes have access to sufficient reliable energy • Recommend any actions/ measures required to close any gap between demand and supply

•

Contribution to Boardlevel Initiatives

•

Review and refresh case • studies as well as regulations and legislation that affect infrastructure-related business models and the ﬁnancial sustainability of these models

Medium Term (3-4 Years) In conjunction with the Workforce • and Housing Working Group, develop a 10-year projection for workforce housing & related infrastructure needs across multiple employer categories Undertake supply chain analysis to build housing & infrastructure to meet projected demand Undertake supply chain analysis • for opportunities for all major forms of energy (oil & gas/LNG, electricity) in Eastern Ontario Maintain a standing watch on technologies or processes that reduce the environmental impact of energy use, including but not limited to mining, manufacturing, production/generation, transport and residual wastes or recycling Undertake ﬁnancial analyses to • help the EOLC Board, the EOWC and the EOMC, determine the best way to ﬁnance infrastructure over the next decade

Short-Term (1-2 Years) Examine and recommend innovative business models and methods for construction sector, especially residential; monitor and report on new building methods and technologies

Develop regional land/site map for any/all types of energy (sources/generation, transmission/transport, corridors/rightof-ways, load/demand estimates, materials recycling)

Develop policy recommendations for consideration by the EOLC Board, regulators, agencies and governments to expand in-region energy & utility opportunities

Page 38 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

9.4 Mandate and Direction Assigned to Innovation Ecosystem and Support Committee EOLC Priority Projects: What to Do When? Innovation Aspirational Goal: An innovation culture that is well-instilled across the region and supported by a tightly-coupled innovation ecosystem. Priority/Working Long-Term (5+ Years) Medium-Term (3-4 Years) Short-Term (1-2 Years) Group Mandate Innovation Ecosystem

•

Regional Productivity

•

Regional Dashboard

•

In conjunction with Working Groups, recommend to the EOLC Board, at least one innovation-focused project that will enhance the region’s contribution to provincial and/or national trade Track and report to the EOLC Board on trends in regional productivity, along with any associated recommendations

•

In conjunction with Working • Groups, recommend to the EOLC Board, at least one innovationfocused project for each Working Group to ﬁll an ecosystem gap

Expand the scope and update the 2016 regional innovation ecosystem mapping report

•

In conjunction with Working • Groups, identify and recommend to the EOLC Board, at least one productivity improvement project/initiative for Eastern Ontario Provide the EOLC Board with an • annual progress report on implementation of the Strategy and progress on selected indicators

Undertake a research project to understand Eastern Ontario’s productivity, by sector, and the factors that inﬂuence it

Provide the EOLC Board with • an annual progress report on implementation of the Strategy and progress on selected indicators

Lead the EOLC effort to create an economically-focused regional dashboard, reporting on selected indicators that enable the EOLC to measure progress (from a 2025 baseline) on implementation of this Strategy 35

Page 39 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

Mandate and Direction Assigned to Innovation Ecosystem and Support Committee continued… Priority/Working Group Mandate

Innovation in Priority • Sectors

•

Support for Corporate Projects

•

Long-Term (5+ Years)

Medium Term (3-4 Years)

Convene a regional • “Innovation Summit” to measure progress from 2025, identify opportunities and recommend initiatives to increase productivity and • innovation across all sectors of the Eastern Ontario economy. Determine best ways to share risk (not all projects or innovations will succeed)

Undertake analysis to improve • EOLC’s ability to select/support projects (ex: market failure and ﬁnancing/funding; shovelworthy vs. shovel ready) Identify and recommend to the EOLC Board at least one • technology or innovationfocused project that will improve business processes and/or operations conditions in a • priority sector (ex. manufacturing, healthcare, construction, tourism, forestry)

Review and report to the • EOLC Board on progress in implementing its 2025 Strategy and offer recommendations for further improvement

In conjunction with the EOWC • and EOMC, undertake a policyfocused analysis of the impact of changing energy utilization on business development and growth, proﬁtability and the region’s contribution to • provincial GDP

Short-Term (1-2 Years) Convene a regional “Innovation Summit” to identify opportunities and recommend initiatives to increase productivity and innovation in at least four sectors of the Eastern Ontario economy Recommend to the EOLC Board a set of innovation priorities that can/should be implemented by organizations other than the EOLC Identify opportunities and recommend initiatives for technology-based improvements to production and innovation within the agricultural and agribusiness sector Develop recommendations for Board consideration regarding innovation strategies to support the region’s economic development aspirations in a new economic/trade era Recommend indicators for tracking EOLC’s progress in implementing its 2025 Strategy

10. Appendices Note to Board: are there any appendices you consider critical to ensuring reader understanding of/future reference to the Strategy?

Page 40 Strategic of 65 Plan. Review of the proposed EOLC

PageUpdate 41 of 65 EOLC Financial Summary

Statement of Financial Position - Eastern Ontario Leadership Council Draft Budget 2024-2025

Account Name Revenue - Partner Contributions Previous Year Carry Forward - Unallocated and Plus Committed Cash on hand at bank

YTD 2025-03-31 final)

(not

Red = Suggested/Spaceholder

EOWC Contribution ($25,000 included in cash on hand) EOMC Contributions ($25,000 to be transferred into EOLC account imminently) EORN Contributions (in-kind contribution of admin/support time) Ontario East EDC Community Futures Eastern Ontario Sub-Total - Cash on hand and anticipated revenues

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

72,000 25,000 25,000 122,000

$ $ $

79,728 25,000 50,000

Revenue - Other Revenues/Funds Recovered Labour Market AI Project (full project budget); Phase II application made Nov. 23$659,299 HST rebates owning (Q1 2024) Sub-Total - Other Revenues/Funded Recovered

154,728

$ $

6,111 6,111

Total REVENUE - ALL SOURCES

128,111 $

154,728

$ $ $

25,000 2,381 7,500

$ $ $

14,175 1,938 19,550

$ $ $ $

5,000 300 2,630 5,000

$ $

10,672 357

30,000

$ $

1,622 15,391

$ $

5,000 82,811

63,704

$ $ $ $

5,000 5,000 5,000 15,000

TOTAL EXPENSES - ALL CATEGORIES

97,811 $

63,704

PROJECTED SURPLUS/DEFICIT FOR 2023-2024 and 2024-2025

30,301 $

91,024

(Note: EOMC paid 2023 & 2024 Contributions)

Operating Expenses Project Coordinator (usual budget allocation has been $25,000 for last several years) Website and Technology (includes domain hosting fees and EOLC Zoom license @ $180.69) Communications/Administration Incorporation (including follow-on) Financial Management and Admin Bank Charges Insurance (paid for 2024-2025) Auditing Services (BakerTilly; HST included; paid) Conference/Events, Travel & Accommodation Research (includes costs for data gathering, repository, analytics services) EOLC Regional Economy Dashboard Project and Application Development Sub-Total - Operating Expenses (includes HST later rebated back to EOLC)

Working Group Expenses (Excluding Project Commitments) Workforce Development & Deployment - Workforce Housing and Labour Supply Projects Integrated, Intelligent Transportation Systems Innovation Sub-Committee Sub-Total - Working Group Expenses Project Funding Commitments Sub-Total - Project Funding Commitments

(Shared resource with EOWC)

(Bridge Technology $4,031 + Suzanne Gibson $11,360)

Date Issued: 2025-03-20 Revision: Date Revised:

EOLC INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES Eastern Ontario Leadership Council (EOLC) Meeting Minutes Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Attendance: • • • • • • • • •

Kathryn Wood (EOLC - Project Coordinator) Kristen Myers (EORN - PM) Kevin Farrell (Frontenac - CAO) Brenna Dallaway (EORN - Executive Assistant) Roger Fitch (EORN - Lead Analyst) Jim Miller (Infrastructure Specialist) Michel St-Onge (SD&G - Director of IT/EOIT Lead) Marcia Wallace (Prince Edward County CAO - EOWC Infrastructure Lead) Jason St. Pierre (CEO EORN and Chair of EOLC Infrastructure Committee)

• • •

Theresa Collins-Rubens (Prince Edward County Chief Administrative Officer) Cora Bevan (Northumberland County – GIS and Asset Manager) Jason Davis (Renfrew County - Director of Development and Property)

•

Matt Fairfield (EORN GIS - Specialist)

Regrets

Guests:

Delegation guests: • • • •

Kris Philpott (Planview Utility Services Limited - Senior Vice President) Rob McKay (Planview Utility Services Limited - Vice-President, Infrastructure and Subsurface Utility Engineering) Mellissa Burke (Planview Utility Services Limited - Director of Infrastructure) Denise Squarzolo (Planview Utility Services - Director of SUE Infrastructure and Operations).

EOLC Terms of Reference – Innovation Sub-Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-03-20 Revision: Date Revised:

EOLC INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

Call to Order (1:01 PM) Committee Chair Jason St. Pierre, called the meeting to order at 1:01p.m., welcomed the committee members, introduced the Planview delegation members and Brenna Dallaway EORN EA that will be supporting the committee.
Opening Remarks (1:05 PM) Jason St. Pierre remarked that the February 2025 committee meeting was very productive, and it was decided by all that going forward the committee will meet on a monthly basis.
Review and Approval of Agenda (1:15 PM) No additions or corrections were made.
Delegation from Planview to share the data collection on Millbrook (1:20 PM) Rob McKay, Vice-President, Infrastructure and Subsurface from Planview utility services presented the Planview USL delegation power point presentation to the committee members. The presentation highlighted an overview of Planview’s history, the Mobile LiDAR process and development, the Digital twin visuals, and practical maps. After the presentation, the committee questions enquired; if areas other than Millbrook have been developed and does Planview access subsurface infrastructure, and how is the data stored. The Planview delegation team responded by saying Millbrook was only

EOLC Terms of Reference – Innovation Sub-Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-03-20 Revision: Date Revised:

EOLC INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES used as a test site, collaborate very closely with the subsurface team, and all data is housed in a Canadian database centre. All the reviewed data collected is also accessible through LiDAR. Note that the primary data collected by the LiDAR sensors is a point cloud, which is a collection of individual points in space, and each point represents a location where the LiDAR laser has interacted with a surface. Jason St.Pierre noted we are presently optimistically cautious and are exploring options to review data with municipalities in order to develop a baseline. 5. Establishment of Governance Structure (1:40 PM) Kathy Wood reviewed the governance structure of the Eastern Ontario Leadership Council (EOLC). The EOLC is comprised of ﬁve partners (EOWC, EOMC, EORN, Ontario East Economic Development Commission, and the CFDC) which are supported by the municipalities. The remaining EOLC structure includes several working groups (Transport, Innovation, Infrastructure, Workforce Development and Planning). As Infrastructure is a broad scope, would it be possible for the infrastructure committee members discuss the possibility in creating a “Right Use Cases” subcommittee working group? The Right Use Cases subcommittee could be tasked with reviewing the circumstances surrounding MSCs. ACTION ITEM: Explore leveraging existing external working groups on their structures. 6. Review of Current Projects ideas and Initiatives (2:00 PM) Kristen Myers, EORN Project Manager gave an overview of the Renfrew County Housing and Land Development Corporation (RCHLDC) Preliminary Business Case presentation that was given on February 26, 2025. The overview of the business case and visual mapping process that noted; the majority of MSC’s have received funding, EOLC Terms of Reference – Innovation Sub-Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-03-20 Revision: Date Revised:

EOLC INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES that may take up to seven years to complete, and that more information should be provided to the Townships on the process going forward. ACTION ITEM: Marcia Wallace requested that MSC comparable be provided in at the next or following committee meeting. 7. Open Discussion / Q&A (2:40 PM) Michael St. Onge provided an EOIC update noting that the ﬁrst session with the Ben Perry group has not taken place regarding Bill 1.94 (MFIPPA, privacy, security, cybersecurity etc.). That the committee is in the early stages of taking a conservative approach regarding Bill 1.94 (cybersecurity and A.I. requirements) and developing common policies – but are looking forward to working together on the processes in the future. Jason St.Pierre provided an update on the Cell Gap project and the addition of Redwood to the process. As well, Redwood is providing ﬁbre builds on behalf of several municipalities. 8. Next Steps & Action Items (2:50 PM)

Committee members to further discuss the possibility of the creation of an “Right Use Cases” EOLC Infrastructure subcommittee working group.
Explore leveraging existing external working groups on their structures. Matt Fairﬁeld to reach out to the Peterborough GIS committee to investigate further.
Marcia Wallace requested that MSC comparable be provided in at the next or following committee meeting.
Matt Fairﬁeld to reach out to the Peterborough GIS committee to investigate their structure. EOLC Terms of Reference – Innovation Sub-Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-03-20 Revision: Date Revised:

EOLC INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES 5. Brenna Dallaway to circulate a Doodle poll to schedule next committee meeting for April - May 2025.

Adjournment (2:53 PM)

Meeting Materials: • •

Digital Twin Planview USL – Presentation. Renfrew County Housing and Land Development Corporation (RCHLDC) Preliminary Business Case.

EOLC Terms of Reference – Innovation Sub-Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-02-04 Revision: Date Revised:

INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes 2025-02-04 EOLC Infrastructure Committee Meeting Minutes - February 4th, 2025 Attendance: • Cora Bevan (Northumberland County – GIS and Asset Manager) • Kathryn Wood (EOLC Project Coordinator) • Kristen Myers (EORN PM) • Kevin Farrell (Frontenac CAO) • Jason Davis (Renfrew County Director of Development and Property) • Jim Miller (Infrastructure Specialist) • Michel St-Onge (SD&G Director of IT/EOIT Lead) • Marcia Wallace (Prince Edward County CAO - EOWC Infrastructure Lead) • Roger Fitch (EORN Lead Analyst) • Jason St. Pierre (CEO EORN and Chair of EOLC Infrastructure Committee) Regrets: • Stephen Paul (Lennox and Addington Director of Community and Development Services) Meeting Highlights

Introductions: • A round-table introduction of new members joining the committee was conducted.
Overview of Infrastructure Challenge: • The committee discussed the broad scope of the infrastructure challenges, which include: o Physical Infrastructure: Bridges, water systems, roads, etc. o Digital Infrastructure: AI applications, cybersecurity, data storage/access. o Legislative Requirements: Asset planning, regulatory compliance. o Regional Focus: Addressing challenges and opportunities across the region. o Research & Tools: Investigating models like MSCs and MSBs to support infrastructure investment.
Current Infrastructure Gap in EOWC Municipalities: • EOWC municipalities face significant infrastructure challenges: o $981M needed annually to close the capital gap. o $403M annually spent on asset maintenance and deficit reduction. o Over $12B in assets managed. EOLC Meeting Minutes – Infrastructure Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-02-04 Revision: Date Revised:

INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes 2025-02-04 o o

$536M spent on operational infrastructure and maintenance. The infrastructure deficit has grown to $6B.

EOWC’s Vision & Strategy: • EOWC aims to become an early adopter of technologies and governance models to address infrastructure gaps, including private sector partnerships. • Key Strategies: o Ensure Eastern Ontario has the foundations for digital and IT success. o Serve as internal experts on IT trends like remote work and tech interoperability. o Lead regional efforts to deploy technologies for infrastructure maintenance. o Focus on environmental services, communal infrastructure, and new business models. o Undertake demand-supply analysis and provide policy guidance. o Lead “blank slate” thinking for infrastructure planning, utilizing GIS technology.
Discussion Points: • Artificial Intelligence (AI): Opportunities and potential impacts of Bill 194. o Proposal for creating an AI subcommittee to educate and develop adoption strategies for municipalities. o Data quality as a key issue for implementing AI applications. • Infrastructure Dashboards: Discussion on creating open-access dashboards for regional use (e.g., Guelph or Mississauga portals). • LIDAR Data Campaign: The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) plans a spring LIDAR campaign, with the potential to leverage this data alongside other sources like ESRI and AHSIP for improved mapping. • Eastern Ontario Data Strategy: Including the collection and storage of regional data, open access data strategy and publication of data, addressing the quality of current data within municipalities. • AI adoption strategy: Map out current AI adoption strategies and preparedness and establish an adoption strategy plan. • Creation of regional MSCs to deliver servicing: Create and review a plan to implement regional MSC plan to support municipalities within specific services (i.e. Water/wastewater)
Action Items: • A Doodle poll has been sent to the team to schedule the next meeting in March.

EOLC Meeting Minutes – Infrastructure Committee

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Date Issued: 2025-02-04 Revision: Date Revised:

INFRASTRUCTURE SUB-COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes 2025-02-04 •

•

EORN Research Sharing: EORN will share ongoing research into MSCs and other models for supporting infrastructure investment. This may include regional MSCs for specific infrastructure projects. Leveraging Existing Committees: Review of existing EOWC committees such as EOIT and CoST, and how they can support the Infrastructure Committee’s goals, and we should be able to provide a list of committees and CAO leads for these committees in March. Formation of Subcommittees: o Digital Infrastructure (EORN/EOIT lead?): Focus on cell gaps, IoT, cybersecurity, AI, and data storage. o GIS and Digital Permitting: Investigate how GIS data can contribute to digital twin opportunities. o Physical Infrastructure: Explore decentralized water/wastewater systems, hydro upgrades, and asset inspections in municipal Right-of-Way.

Closing Remarks: • Thanks to all members for their participation in our first EOLC Infrastructure Committee meeting. • Next meeting is scheduled for March, with Brenna joining to assist with minute-taking and action item tracking. For any questions or corrections, please feel free to reach out.

EOLC Meeting Minutes – Infrastructure Committee

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Queen’s Park Advocacy Day May 13, 2025

Eastern Ontario’s Top Economic Sectors Are At Risk Across Eastern Ontario, annual sales from all sectors average $124 billion a year, roughly $115 billion of which comes from private sector businesses (the remaining balance is public funding transfers). Manufacturing is the largest sector in the regional economy with $43.9 billion in annual sales. Two manufacturing subsectors along with agriculture, transportation and residential building construction have been prioritized for analysis due to their sheer size in the region’s economy and the potential impact of trade disruptions. Taken together, $24 billion in economic activity with nearly 49,000 jobs may be at risk. These five sectors alone account for 21% of the regional economy.

Sector

Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

Resins & Rubber

$6.88 Billion

3,324

6.8%

Electrical Equip.

$4.83 Billion

6,648

4.6%

Agriculture

$4.13 Billion

11,863

3.6%

Transportation

$4.04 Billion

17,187

3.5%

Residential Building Construction

$3.69 Billion

9,700

3.2%

Total

$23.57 Billion

48,722

20.5%

Beyond Manufacturing at $43.9 billion, the next 10 largest sectors by sales are Public Administration ($13 billion), Construction (all forms) ($9.4 billion), Healthcare and Social Assistance ($8.8 Billion), Retail Trade ($5.3 Billion), Transportation and Warehousing ($4.7 Billion), Professional, Scientific and Technical Services ($4.7 Billion), Educational Services ($4.6 Billion), Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting ($4.4 Billion), Wholesale Trade ($3.6 Billion)

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Top Sectors At Risk If there was a 10% decline in sales of the prioritized sectors, the region’s economic activity would be reduced by $2.4 billion a year. This would lead to a reduced payroll of $592 million and 11,500 fewer jobs. It is unlikely that there will be a rebound on these measures before the end of the decade.

Sales, Jobs and Payroll Impact of 10 % Decline in Sales by Sector Decline in Annual Sales

Sector

Change in Jobs

Change in Payroll

Resins & Rubber

-$688 Million

-492

-$29 Million

Agriculture

-$482 Millon

-1,203

-$78 Million

Transportation

-$413 Million

-1,493

-$60 Million

Electrical Equipment

-$404 Millon

-6,700

-$348 Million

Residential Building Construction

-$369 Million

-1,614

-$82 Million

Total

-$2.356 Billion

-11,502

-$592 Million

Value of 10% Decline in Sales for Five Priority Sectors in Eastern Ontario (in $ millions / year)

$369 $688

Out of the $2.35B decline in annual sales, the Resins & Rubber sector is expected to experience the largest drop.

Resins & Rubber

$413

Electrical Equipment $482

$482

Agriculture Transportation Residential Building Construction

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Top Sectors At Risk Total Impact on Eastern Ontario Jobs of a 10% Decline in Sales in Five Sectors 50,000 50000 40,000 40000 CUSMA Signed Pandemic

2025

21 23

2020

2015

2010

11 13

2005

5 6 7 8 9

2001

1 2 3

10,000 10000

20,000 20000

~ 11,500 jobs lost through to 2031

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

30,000 30000

2030

Total - Five Priority Sectors - 10 % decline in Sales

Total Impact on Ontario Jobs of a 10% Decline in Sales in Five Sectors Total - Five Priority Sectors - No Trade Disruption

800,000 800000

600,000 600000 CUSMA Signed

400,000 400000

Pandemic

~ 150,000 jobs lost through to 2031

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

200,000 200000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

0 2001

Five Priority Sectors - 10% decline in sales Five Priority Sectors - No trade disruption

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Build Resilience, Pursue Opportunity Eastern Ontario’s Ability to Supply Its Own Inputs

How can we build on this strong foundation and grow our own supply chains?

$1.6 $364 $689 million million million (31%)

(40%)

(74%)

$1.8 billion

$1.9 billion

Resins & Rubber

Electrical Equipment

Agriculture

Transportation

Residential Construction

(74%)

Eastern Ontario Imports

How can we diversify our supply chains and buy more from other regions or provinces?

$571 $540 $1.57 million million billion (69%)

(60%)

(26%)

Resins & Rubber

Electrical Equipment

Agriculture

$801 million

$635 million

Transportation

Residential Construction

(31%)

(27%)

Eastern Ontario Exports

How can we sell more to other regions or provinces?

$5.7

$2.8

$1.8

(82%)

(58%)

(44%)

billion

Resins & Rubber

billion

Electrical Equipment

PageCaucus 53 of 65 Eastern Ontario Wardens'

billion

Agriculture

$1.76 $544 billion

million

Transportation

Residential Construction

(44%)

(15%)

Imports for 12 Sectors Exceed $1 Billion a Year Sectors for Which Eastern Ontario is Importing At Least $1 Billion A Year in Goods or Services (Private Industry Only)

Annual $ Value Imports (from out of region)

Farms

$2.4 Billon

Resin, synthetic rubber and artificial and synthetic fibres and filaments manufacturing

$2.2 Billion

Petroleum and coal product manufacturing

$2.1 Billion

Motor vehicle manufacturing

$1.9 Billion

Oil and gas extraction

$1.9 Billion

Depository credit intermediation

$1.6 Billion

Basic chemical manufacturing

$1.6 Billion

Lessors of real estate

$1.3 Billion

Computer systems design and related services

$1.2 Billion

Residential building construction

$1.1 Billion

Insurance carriers

$1.1 Billion

Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite)

$1.0 Billion

Eight Sectors Export At Least $1 Billion a Year Out of Eastern Ontario Eastern Ontario Sectors with At Least $1 Billion A Year in Exports Out of the Region (Private Industry Only)

Annual $ Value Exports (from out of region)

Resin, synthetic rubber, artificial and synthetic fibres and filaments manufacturing

$4.9 Billion

Other electrical equipment and component manufacturing

$1.9 Billion

Farms

$1.8 Billion

Basic chemical manufacturing

$1.6 Billion

Dairy product manufacturing

$1.4 Billion

Grainseed and oilseed milling

$1.3 Billion

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing

$1.2 Billion

Alumina and aluminum production and processing

$1.0 Million

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The Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (EOWC Inc.) is a non-profit organization representing 103 small urban and rural municipalities across Eastern Ontario. Spanning 50,000 square kilometres and serving over 1.1 million residents, the EOWC has been a united regional voice for more than 20 years. It advocates for municipal priorities and collaborates with all orders of government, businesses, non-profits, Indigenous leaders, the media, and the public to drive positive change for Eastern Ontario. County of Northumberland County of Peterborough United Counties of Prescott and Russell Prince Edward County County of Renfrew United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry County of Frontenac County of Haliburton County of Hastings City of Kawartha Lakes County of Lanark United Counties of Leeds and Grenville County of Lennox and Addington

PRIORITIES ECONOMIC RESILIENCE The Bridge to Opportunity, Equity, and Growth INFRASTRUCTURE The Foundation for Local Prosperity HOUSING The Backbone of Thriving and Safe Communities HEALTH CARE The Engine for Healthy and Resilient Communities

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CONNECT WITH US www.eowc.org info@eowc.org Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus @eowc_on Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus

A Foundation of Our Economic Future: The Electrical Equipment Sector Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs (Direct and Spinoff) (Est. 2024)

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

$ Value of 10% Decline in Sales/ Year

$4.83 Billion

6,648

4.6%

$483 Million

Producing and distributing electrical equipment for electricity generation and transmission, distribution along with component manufacturing, HVAC and wholesaling is a $4.83 billion industry in Eastern Ontario. It represents nearly 5% of the region’s private sector output, and roughly 6,500 jobs. This sector has seen modest but steady growth over the past several decades. In the absence of trade disruptions, this sector is projected to continue this pattern through to the end of the decade. With disruption (example: a 10% decline in sales revenues), employment could decline to levels last seen in 2006. Direct and spinoff job loss: 1,203.

Job Impacts in Eastern Ontario of 10% Decline in Sales in Electrical Equipment Sector Jobs - Eastern Ontario - With 10% Reduction in Sales Jobs - Eastern Ontario - Without Trade Disruption 7000 7,000

Number of Jobs

6000 6,000

5,000 5000 Pandemic

4000 4,000

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

3,000 3000 2000 2,000

~1,203 Jobs Lost Through to 2031

Trade Disruption

1000 1,000 0

1 2 2001 2001

42005 5 6 2005

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9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 192020 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 2030 29 30 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2010 2015 2025 Year

Nearly Two-Thirds of Eastern Ontario Production is Exported

In-region Purchases

Imported Purchases (from outside the region)

Exports out of Region (% of total Sales)

More than half of total sales (58.2%) in the region’s electrical equipment sector are to customers outside Eastern Ontario. Depending on the share of these exports that are outside Canada, the sector may be vulnerable to trade disruption. In addition, this sector imports $540 million in inputs and labour (60% of total requirements). If a large share of these inputs come from outside Canada, price increases or reciprocal tariffs could reduce sales. For instance, a 10% decline in sales in this sector ($482 million/year) would reduce the region’s payroll by $78 million with roughly 1,203 fewer jobs in the sector.

Electrical Equipment Supply Chain Relies on Key Metals and Critical Minerals The electrical equipment sector relies on many other goods-producing sectors as part of its supply chain. Five sub-sectors derive nearly $200 million a year in revenues from the electrical equipment sector. Roughly half of that is non-ferrous metal production and processing (ex. critical minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, mercury). Aluminum and steel are also important supply chain partners. Sector

Electrical Equipment

Top 5 Subsectors Affected Non-ferrous mental (except aluminum) production and processing

$113 Million

Alumina and aluminum production and processing

$27 Million

Resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial and synthetic fibres and filaments manufacturing

$22 Million

Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing

$22 Million

Iron and steel mills and ferro-alloy manufacturing

$8 Million

Total at risk: Data source: Lightcast NAICS Code:

$ Value of Purchases from Subsectors

$193 million

3353 - Electrical equipment manufacturing 3359 - Other electrical equipment and component 2211 - Electric power generation, transmission and manufacturing 4161 - Electrical, plumbing, heating and airdistribution 3351 - Electric lighting equipment manufacturing conditioning equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers

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info@eowc.org eowc.org

A Strategic Resource for the Entire Province: Resins & Rubber Sector Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs (Direct and Spinoff) (Est. 2024)

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

$ Value of 10% Decline in Sales/ Year

$6.88 Billion

3,324

6.8%

$688 Million

The Resins & Rubber Sector is the single largest manufacturing sector in Eastern Ontario. Currently, Eastern Ontario accounts for roughly 20% of the province’s capacity and direct employment was projected to rise to 1,396 by the end of the decade. With prospects of trade disruption (example: a 10% decline in sales revenues), employment could decline to levels last seen in 2017 throughout the region. Direct and spinoff job loss: 492.

Job Impacts in Eastern Ontario of 10% Decline in Sales in Resin and Rubber Sector Jobs - Eastern Ontario - With 10% Reduction in Sales Jobs - Eastern Ontario - Without Trade Disruption 2000 2,000

~500 Jobs Lost Through to 2031

2008-2009 Financial Crisis Number of Jobs

1500 1,500

1000 1,000

500 500

Pandemic Trade Disruption

1 2 2001

4 5 6 2005

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8 2010 9 10 11 12 13 2015 14 15 16 17 18 2020 19 20 21 22 23 2025 24 25 26 27 282030 29 30 Year

Nearly Two-Thirds of Eastern Ontario Production is Exported

In-region Purchases

Imported Purchases (from outside the region)

Exports out of Region (% of total Sales)

While production capacity remains strong in the region, this sector imports ⅔ of its inputs from outside the region. In-region demand for this sector is relatively small ($1.21 billion). As a result, more than 80% of Eastern Ontario production is exported to destinations outside the region. Therefore, the sector is vulnerable to declining exports for customers outside of Canada if significant trade disruption takes place (e.g., tariffs on exports, reciprocal tariffs on material inputs, or supply chain congestion. If this sector sees a 10% decline in sales revenues, the economic hit to Eastern Ontario would be significant: $688 million a year in lost revenue, a $29 million decline in annual payroll, and roughly 500 fewer jobs.

Trade Disruptions Would Affect 249 Supply Chain Sub-Sectors Any trade disruption to this sector will affect 294 supply chain sub-sectors across the region and beyond. Nearly $1.45 billion in sales revenues of the top five sub-sectors are at risk, especially the chemical manufacturing sector.

Sector

Resins and Rubbers

Top 5 Subsectors Affected Basic chemical manufacturing

$1.05 Billion

Petroleum and coal product manufacturing

$205 Million

Pesticide, fertilizer and other agricultural chemical manufacturing

$64 Million

Electrical power generation, transmission and distribution

$52 Million

General freight trucking

$45 Million Total at risk:

Data source: Lightcast NAICS Code: 3252 – Resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial and synthetic fibres and filaments manufacturing 3262 - Rubber product manufacturing

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$ Value of Purchases from Subsectors

$1.42 Billion info@eowc.org eowc.org

Moving Raw Materials, Finished Goods and People: Eastern Ontario’s Transportation Sector Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs (Direct and Spinoff) (Est. 2024)

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

$ Value of 10% Decline in Sales/ Year

$4.04 Billion

17,187

3.5%

$404 Million

Eastern Ontario’s transportation sector is a $4 billion a year business and one of the region’s largest non-manufacturing sectors, with almost 17, 200 jobs. The sector has been growing steadily for the past 25 years and, without trade disruptions, is expected to continue slow but steady growth. However, because the transportation sector serves all parts of the economy, broad trade disruptions or countervailing tariffs that reduce shipping requirements or passenger travel could have a devastating impact. A 10% decline in sales revenue ($404 million) will translate into significant job loss through to the end of the decade. Direct and spinoff job loss: 6,700 jobs.

Job Impacts in Eastern Ontario of 10% Decline in Sales in Transportation Sector Jobs - Eastern Ontario - With 10% Reduction in Sales Jobs - Eastern Ontario - Without Trade Disruption 20000 20,000

Number of Jobs

15000 15,000

10000 10,000

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

5,000 5000

1 2 2001

Pandemic

4 5 6 2005

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~6,700 Jobs Lost Through to 2031

Trade Disruption

8 2010 9 10 11 12 13 2015 14 15 16 17 18 2020 19 20 21 22 23 2025 24 25 26 27 282030 29 30 Year

Nearly Two-Thirds of Eastern Ontario Production is Exported

In-region Purchases

Imported Purchases (from outside the region)

Exports out of Region (% of total Sales)

Take the Ripple Effects of Supply Chain Disruption into Account Beyond the $2.1 billion/year freight trucking sector, petroleum and coal product manufacturing, and motor vehicle parts headline the top five sectors affected by sector disruption. Together, the top five represent $810 million of purchases that would be at risk.

Sector

Top 5 Subsectors Affected

$ Value of Purchases from Subsectors

Petroleum and coal product manufacturing

Transportation

$523 Million

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing

$94 Million

Insurance carriers

$75 Million

Freight transportation arrangements

$72 Million

Employment services

$46 Million Total at risk:

Data source: Lightcast Sector definitions by NAICS Code: 4811 - Scheduled air transportation 4812 - Non-scheduled air transportation 4821 - Rail transportation 4831 - Deep sea, coastal and Great Lakes water transportation 4832 - Inland water transportation 4841 - General freight trucking 4842 - Specialized freight trucking 4851 - Urban transit systems 4852 - Interurban and rural bus transportation 4853 - Taxi and limousine service 4854 - School and employee bus transportation 4855 - Charter bus industry 4859 - Other transit and ground passenger transportation

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$801 Million info@eowc.org

4881 - Support activities for air transportation 4882 - Support activities for rail transportation 4883 - Support activities for water transportation 4884 - Support activities for road transportation 4885 - Freight transportation arrangement 4889 - Other support activities for transportation

eowc.org

Eastern Ontario’s Strength: Residential Building Construction Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs (Direct and Spinoff) (Est. 2024)

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

$ Value of 10% Decline in Sales/ Year

$3.69 Billion

9,700

3.7%

$369 Million

Residential building construction is a regional strength, with a strong concentration of skilled labour (employment concentration of 1.09) and businesses now producing for this market in manufacturing settings. Total annual sales are $3.7 billion a year with 4,850 direct jobs and just as many in the supply chains supporting this sector. Eastern Ontario has a strong track record of building more homes per capita than most other regions in the province. However, ongoing setbacks in residential construction pose a serious strategic threat, especially given the critical shortage of affordable housing. Direct and indirect job loss from a 10% decline in sales revenues: 1,614.

Job Impacts in Eastern Ontario of 10% Decline in Sales in Residential Construction Building Sector Jobs - Eastern Ontario - With 10% Reduction in Sales Jobs - Eastern Ontario - Without Trade Disruption 12000 12,000

Number of Jobs

10,000 10000 8000 8,000 6000 6,000

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

4000 4,000

Pandemic

Trade Disruption

2000 2,000 0

1 2 2001

~1,600 Jobs Lost Through to 2031

4 5 6 2005

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9 10 2010

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 192020 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 2015 2025 2030 Year

Eastern Ontario Supplies Most of Its Own Inputs and Labour

Imported Purchases (from outside the region)

In-region Purchases

This sector purchases 3/4 (73%) of its inputs and labour from within the region and imports a smaller share (27%). Little of the region’s production (15%) is exported which may indicate a significant economic opportunity. The vulnerability of this sector may be related to specialized imports, inability to finance required infrastructure, or overall weakening in demand for housing as a result of an economic downturn.

Exports out of Region (% of total Sales)

A highly volatile sector in the past decade: if it sees a 10% decline in sales revenues, the economic hit to Eastern Ontario would be significant: $369 million a year in lost revenue $82 million decline in payroll 1,600 fewer jobs every year until at least the end of the decade. In short, the sector might reset to the time just before the 2008-2009 financial crisis.

At Risk: Four Key Sub-Sectors Supporting Residential Construction A trade disruption to this sector would affect 294 supply chain sub-sectors across the region and beyond. The top five supply chain partners for residential construction in Eastern Ontario are woodrelated, metals and plastic product manufacturing along with the architectural and engineering services. The residential construction sector in Eastern Ontario purchases more than $700 million a year from these five subsectors alone. A 10% decline in purchases from this supply chain means over $70 million a year in lost business with associated job losses. Affordability of housing is likely to remain challenging.

Sector

Residential Building Construction

Top 5 Subsectors Affected Other wood product manufacturing

$173 Million

Architectural and structural metals manufacturing

$164 Million

Plastic product manufacturing

$146 Million

Architectural, engineering and related services Veneer, plywood and engineered wood product manufacturing Total at risk:

Data source: Lightcast NAICS Code: 2361 – Residential building construction

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$ Value of Purchases from Subsectors

$118 Million $114 Million $715 million info@eowc.org eowc.org

An Anchor for Regional Resilience: Eastern Ontario’s Agriculture Sector Annual Sales from Region’s Producers

Jobs (Direct and Spinoff) (Est. 2024)

Percentage of Total Private Sector Regional Economic Output

$ Value of 10% Decline in Sales/ Year

$4.13 Billion

11,386

3.6%

$413 Million

Agriculture - farms and related support activities - is a $4 billion / year business in Eastern Ontario. This is the third-largest private sector industry in the region (after manufacturing as a whole, of which resins & rubber is the region’s leading sub-sector). An upstream sector, food manufacturing, exports $3.4 billion / year out of the region and agriculture itself exports nearly as much: $2.7 billion. Without trade disruption, agriculture was projected to remain stable through to the end of the decade. A 10% decline in agricultural sales represents a revenue loss of $413 million annually. Direct and spinoff job losses:1,493.

Job Impacts in Eastern Ontario of a 10% Decline in Sales in Agriculture Sector Jobs - Eastern Ontario - With 10% Reduction in Sales Jobs - Eastern Ontario - Without Trade Disruption

20,000 20000

~1,500 Jobs Lost Through to 2031

Number of Jobs

15,000 15000

10,000 10000

2008-2009 Financial Crisis

5,000 5000

1 2 2001 2001

Pandemic CUSMA Trade Deal Signed

5 6 2005 2005

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9 10 11 2010 2010

Trade Disruption

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

2015 2015

Year

2020 2020

2025 2025

2030 2030

Agriculture: the Region’s Fourth Largest Export Sector

Imported Purchases (from outside the region)

In-region Purchases

Exports out of Region (% of total Sales)

Eastern Ontario’s agriculture sector is able to supply roughly three-quarters of its own inputs and labour, and imports the balance of its requirements ($571 million). The sector exports nearly half of its total production to markets outside the region. The region’s agricultural sector is the fourth largest export sector, after resins & rubber, food manufacturing, and electrical equipment. Trade disruption could dramatically reduce overall sales and specifically exports. Exports are dependent on the balance between international and intra-provincial or interprovincial trade. A 10% decline in sales would mean a $60 million decline in payroll and -1,493 fewer jobs.

$1.19 Billion in Inputs Comes from Five Supply Chain Partners The agriculture sector relies heavily on chemical manufacturing ($584/year million) as well as animal food manufacturing ($346 million) and the energy sector - both petroleumbased and electricity ($226 million). Reduced purchases from the agriculture sector due to trade disruption puts $1.19 billion of economic activity at risk along with associated jobs. Top 5 Subsectors Affected

$ Value of Purchases from Subsectors

Pesticides, fertilizer and other agricultural chemical manufacturing

$548,663,096

Animal food manufacturing

$346,995,825

Petroleum and coat product manufacturing

$135,479,501

Electrical power generation, transmission and distribution

$65,585,022

Grain and oilseed milling

$56,542,192

Sector

Agriculture

Total at risk: Data source: Lightcast Sector Definition by NAICS Code: 1110 - Farms 1150 - Support activities for farms

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$1.189 billion info@eowc.org eowc.org

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