The Town of Oakville is at the forefront of economic development, recently winning two awards at the 2015 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference — a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for their 2014 Annual Report, and a Bronze Excellence in Economic Development Award for the 2014 Oakville Innovation Awards.
“Council is committed to attracting, retaining and encouraging businesses to develop in Oakville,” Mayor Rob Burton said. “Town staff does an excellent job of conveying just how attractive Oakville is to live, work, and do business. As such, Oakville continues to be a priority destination for new and existing investment.”
Town staff worked with local creative marketing firm, Mindshape, to develop the 2014 Economic Development Annual Report. The theme, An Environment for Innovative Growth, celebrates the innovative environment that makes Oakville a priority destination for business.
The Oakville Innovation Awards were launched in 2014 to celebrate technology and engineering excellence and recognize those who have participated in the development of products or processes that exhibit leading edge research and development. The Oakville Innovation Awards were a joint effort between the Town of Oakville, the Oakville Chapter of the Professional Engineers of Ontario, the Oakville Chamber of Commerce, HalTech and Silicon Halton.
“From localized community projects, to large scale endeavors, economic development efforts have played a vital role in the global economy,” said JoAnn Crary, chair of the IEDC and president of Saginaw Future Inc. “These awards serve as a salute to pacesetting organizations like the Town of Oakville for leading the charge.”
Earlier this year, the town also won an award for Regionalism and Cross Border Collaboration from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario for their work with the Ontario Auto Mayors.
“Since the creation of our economic development strategy in 2009, our department has been awarded a total of four provincial, four national and five international awards,” said Dorothy St. George, director of Economic Development. “These awards showcase the efforts of the Economic Development department to create positive change in our community.”