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York Region

Quick Facts
Province(s): Ontario
Population: 1,011,000

York Region is a confederation of 9 municipalities: Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Whitchurch-Stouffville.

As the fastest growing region in the Greater Toronto Area, all aspects of York’s economy - GDP, export revenues, employment and number of enterprises - are impressive by Canadian standards. York’s diverse economic base, characterized by a wide variety of industry sectors and enterprise sizes, includes automotive equipment manufacturing, biotechnology, communications technology, environmental and business services. With over 7,000 acres of vacant land suitable for industrial development and a fast growing, well-educated multicultural population, York Region is a cost-competitive place to do business

Key Advantages

  • York Region boasts an economy of provincial scale with a GDP estimated at $43.3 billion in 2007, over 29,500 businesses and 484,000 jobs
  • Located near one of North America's most modern and largest airports, Lester B. Pearson International, the Region is 1.5 hours by air to New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago and Detroit and a day’s drive to over 140 million consumers in Canada and the north eastern United States
  • Lowest property tax ratios in the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Environmental sector includes over 230 “green firms” and businesses that produce goods and services used to measure, prevent, limit or correct damage to water, air and soil. As well, 69% of the Region's land is protected as Green Space.
  • While York Region's future promises extensive growth in population and jobs, its commitment to sustainability will ensure a healthy environmental balance is maintained. The automotive sector is led by Magna International and supplemented by several hundred small auto parts suppliers involved in machinery and equipment, fabricated metals, rubber and plastics and electrical equipment production.
  • Home to head offices for Mazda, Hyundai, Honda and Suzuki.
  • Home to over 120 enterprises in pharmaceutical research and production, medical and assistive devices and ICT, York Region's environment is fertile for convergence in the areas of bioinformatics, diagnostic imaging and e-health applications.

Sector Strengths

  • Biotechnology
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Communications Technology
  • Automotive and
    transportation equipment
    manufacturing
  • Construction and
    manufacturing of
    rubber, plastics,
    non-metallic and aggregate
    products