Ontario is now the first province in Canada to implement a state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) tool for the purposes of investment attraction.
SelectOntario is a flexible and dynamic online search tool that showcases investment properties, infrastructure and location advantages and workforce skills for site selectors to help make investment decision-making faster and easier.
Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), the online site has data for over 500 Ontario communities on its database and provides information on items including:
- available commercial real estate
- region-specific wage data
- lists of businesses with 10 or more employees
- satellite imagery
- up-to-date demographic information on education levels and workforce skills, and
- detailed overviews of Ontario’s diverse industry clusters.
There are four main ways to search the GIS: Site Search (industrial, commercial, investment, agricultural, vacant land, and business), Community Search (name or demographic and labour force), Industry Search (NAICS or SIC code), and Skills Search (university, college, apprenticeship, and community).
In other related news, the Ontario government gave $160,000 to help communities create revamp their municipal and regional websites, all to help attract investment and support local businesses.
For more information, contact Lesley Cole, International Trade Consultant atlesleycole@occ.on.ca or 416-482-5222 ext 239.
