Tillsonburg's economic development report
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Tillsonburg Town Council reviewed its annual economic development report at a recent council meeting. Despite many good things in the report, Councillor Dave Beres believes the town may be missing a golden opportunity.
“Most of it is auto related, industrial related or green energy related,” said Beres, noting that growth in the industrial sector was good for the town, but there are other areas that should be considered.
“That was yesterday, this is today – where do we want to be tomorrow. We are surrounded by prime agricultural land. Tillsonburg has always been known as an agricultural hub, an urban centre that has all the requirements and all the services to look after farming in the community.”
While the government does help fund organizations such as SCOR, which encourages local agriculture, Beres said it’s not enough.
“Let’s not let the automotive, the industrial and the green energy base go – let’s help them and retain them. What we want to do is add to it. There’s always room on the economic development table for another plate.”
If Tillsonburg wants to remain an economic hub, noted Beres, the town should consider the agricultural component – both food production and food distribution, and pointed to the new Sysco food distribution plant being built in Woodstock as an example, which is expected to open by the end of 2013. As food distributors to the wholesale food industry, they supply food to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, caterers and hotels.
At present, people in Woodstock would need to drive to the food terminals in Toronto and Etobicoke, pick up their food and fresh produce, and bring it back to the Woodstock plant.
“Why not do that locally here where they can zip down the highway in 45 minutes and they have what they need, in season.
“Our part here would be to encourage developers to come in and build perhaps a food terminal.”
Beres said that Tillsonburg has prime agricultural land for growing fresh produce and noted the important role the town and surrounding area could have in food distribution and in providing area farmers with an opportunity for mass production.
“So rather than the local tomato farmer or other farmers, driving up and down the road, they could take their wares there and sell them in large quantities.
“If you’ve got a local farmer growing hydroponic tomatoes, they could bring those right here to Tillsonburg and have them distributed to the major food distributors, such as Sysco Foods, all graded, ready to go and out the door rather than truck them all the way to Toronto.”
That would encourage more growers to come to this area, buy land and grow their products.
“So if we’re going to look for someone to come here, create jobs and build a future, let’s look at food terminals and how we can get them. It’s right in our backyard – we’ll put it in a box, put it on a train, put it on a truck, and we’ll take it to the consumer a lot cheaper than they can in the large urban centres.”
In addition to accessibility and ease of transport, other determining factors include: more affordable labour, the cost of storing food, and Tillsonburg’s prime location with Elgin, Norfolk and Oxford counties.
“Not that Woodstock or any corridor area along the 401 couldn’t handle it, but the prime land along the corridors are too expensive. Why not come here where you can buy prime residential land for warehousing at $28,000 an acre and build your food terminal, because it’s going to cost you a lot more to do that along the 401 corridor.”
RISING POPULATION
“In 2006 we had 5 billion people on the face of the earth, now we have 7.1 billion and it’s growing at a phenomenal rate,” said Beres. “There are 300,000 babies a day being born in the world.
“Every day, you don’t have to buy a car, you don’t have to buy lumber, you don’t have to by electronics, and you could probably get by without buying clothing. But every day you have to eat.”
Although it may take five to 10 years to see any results or returns from the food production industry, Beres said we need to get in on the ground level and begin to act on future opportunities today.
“We are not starving for food in Canada, but in years to come with the world growth, now’s the time to get in because everyone’s going to hustle to get in the same business realizing there’s a population boom. This is where it starts.”