Doing Business

Waterloo Region is one the fastest growing and most prosperous areas in Ontario. We have 575,000 people and expect our population to grow by 200,000 in the next 20 years.  

 We've got connections
  • We are near many of North America's largest markets, with almost 160 million people within a 1,200-kilometre radius.
  • Within a three-hour drive are six U.S. border crossings, two major shipping ports and six international airports, including Region of Waterloo International Airport and Canada's largest airport, Toronto's Pearson International.
  • Easy access to Highway 401 and two main freight rail lines make travel and transporting goods easy and convenient.
  • GO and VIA passenger trains serve our growing commuter population.
 We are planning for the future
  • Ion light rail transit moves people and transforms our community. The private sector has already invested more than $3 billion along the transit route, and new residential development is booming.
  • Nearly 35 per cent of land within Waterloo Region is permanently protected to preserve agriculture, drinking water and forests. This includes more than 15,000 hectares of Environmentally Sensitive Landscapes. 
  • The Shovel-Ready Strategy “Build Waterloo Region” is underway! Through consultation with the local and global business community, the Region of Waterloo’s Shovel-Ready Strategy responds to the need for land that is ready for development by the business community as they locate and expand within Waterloo Region.
 We are leaders in industry and innovation
 We are business-oriented and internationally recognized
  • Waterloo Region had an unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent in 2016, one of the lowest in the province
  • Canada is among the Top 10 countries in the world for business, according to Forbes
  • Canada is the most tax competitive country in G7 (KPMG 2016)
  • Lowest costs for R&D in G7, with a 27 per cent cost advantage over U.S., thanks to generous tax incentives
  • Canada's workforce is the most educated of OECD countries
  • First country to make itself tariff-free zone for manufacturers  
 We have outstanding post-secondary institutions
Waterloo Region is home to 65,000 post-secondary students, including more than 20,000 co-operative education students.

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