Positioning Niagara Globally

positioning Niagara globally icon

Diversifying Niagara’s population, economy and opportunities.

  • Niagara has a global brand and regularly hosts international travellers, students and businesses
  • Connect with people in Niagara who are already connected to global markets to understand foreign investment opportunities and better market Niagara to attract skilled immigrants, foreign investors and international students

Focused Projects

  • Strategy to improve Niagara's global attractiveness

      Objective

      To support community readiness for Niagara to be a welcoming community, create a new strategic marketing plan and improve Niagara's existing marketing and migrant / immigrant focused websites and collateral, and support programs that will retain immigrants and international students.

      Impact and Outcomes

      A Global Attractiveness Strategy has been created and adopted by council that provides direction to increase Niagara's readiness for being a welcoming community. The following key outcomes have taken place as a result of the project:

      • Strengthened relationships between regional departments, the Local Immigration Partnership and local newcomer services providers
      • Re-development of Niagara’s immigration portal and marketing collateral
      • Improved access to local information

      Recommendations and Next Steps

      Immediate recommendations include:

      • Create a Diversity Council at Niagara Region
      • Advocate for organizations and businesses to create similar groups
      • Highlight and promote organizations that are successful in being inclusive and share regional success stories
      • Support cultural sensitivity / diversity training in workplaces, schools, places of recreation and worship, in the legal community and law enforcement

      The Global Attractiveness report identified the requirement for a plan on how to deliver the remaining recommendation not included here.

  • Growth strategy: Net new population growth of at least 10,000

      Objective

      To increase the population growth rate in Niagara by:

      • Meeting with developers and investors to understand their needs, facilitate greater development in key areas
      • Finding ways to help move business projects forward
      • Building better relationships with developers and investors

      Impact and Outcomes

      Many actions identified by the Real Estate Research Study are currently being implemented in partnership with Economic Development and Planning and Development including a "Why Niagara" website with a Niagara Marketing Plan including global attractiveness, immigration portal, economic development and new growth.

      Population growth was the greatest it has been in over a decade as Niagara’s population increased by 4,829 people in 2017. Residential and non-residential building permit values increased 28.5 per cent to over an estimated $1.15 billion dollars in 2017 compared to 2016.

      Recommendations and Next Steps

      • The final report has already been shared with all 12 local area municipalities, specifically with the area planners, economic development officers and CAOs
      • Continually working with our planning partners to make residential development a priority through customer service and finding creative solutions to move projects forward
      • Developed a greater understanding of Niagara's housing market - efforts are ongoing
  • Foreign financial institution

      Objective

      To attract at least one foreign financial institution focused on commercial banking in Niagara.

      Impact and Outcomes

      Representatives from the Bank of China and other foreign financial institutions have indicated that they would require a compelling business case, based on market size and customer attractiveness, to establish a location in Niagara.

      Foreign and domestic financial investors with a global presence have been made aware of the advantages of Niagara as a location for investment.

      Recommendations and Next Steps

      The project will be operationalized through the Team Niagara Trade and Investment Work Plan.

  • Federal commitment to a Foreign Trade Zone in Niagara

      Objective

      To raise global and national business awareness of Niagara's ability to encourage and support export-focused business operations. It addresses an opportunity to provide a single referral point for businesses to the many federal, provincial, regional and local municipal programs and services available to exporters.

      Impact and Outcomes

      The Foreign Trade Zone places emphasis on the key advantages of:

      • Reducing the paper burden (red tape for imports / exports)
      • Ensure no geographic restrictions
      • Help improve business cash flow (GST / HST)
      • Reduce business operating costs
      • Increase international competitiveness

      Overseas and national inquiries have been received seeking Foreign Trade Zone incentives resulting in seeding of new ventures such as medical IV fluid facilities, food processing, logistics facilities, exporting educational services to international markets.

      Recommendations and Next Steps

      Foreign Trade Zone transitioned to Niagara Development Corridor Partnership Inc. for development of a brand at regional, national and international levels and to increase maturity and accountability from stakeholders.

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