Resources

There are so many reasons!  Quality of Life is number one. More and more, companies understand the connection between an available and motivated labour force, business productivity, and a community's quality of life. A community's cultural and recreational attributes are also factors to having happy, loyal employees.  Halton Hills is one of Canada's top ranked places to live and places to raise a family.  But there are many more compelling reasons.  See them all here.

Visit Halton Region Data Centre for detailed information on Employment and Business.  Employment topics include: Labour Force Characteristics, Labour Force Rates, Local Workforce and Skills & Talent topics.  Business topics include: Business Characteristics, Business Conditions, Employer Listings, Growth & Innovation and more.

Visit the Halton Region Data Centre webpage to view dozens of files with information to help you make decisions about locating and growing your business in Halton Region.

Halton Hills' Emerging Sectors and Key Associations

• Green Tech / Clean Tech
  • Sustainable Development Technology Canada
  • Canadian Manufacturing / CleanTech
• Advanced Manufacturing
  • Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME)
• Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Info Tech Association of Canada (ITAC)
• Financial Services
  • Toronto Financial Services Association (TFSA)

Halton Hills' top 5 sectors (by employment):

• Retail Trade
  • Retail Council of Canada
• Manufacturing
• Accommodation & Food Services
• Education Services
• Transportation & Warehousing
  • Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

The Halton Hills Community Profile, complete with community demographics, is available as a downloadable PDF from our Discover page in both English and Mandarin.

Additionally, you can find 2016 Census information on the StatCan website here.

Development Charges (D.C.s) for all municipal services are imposed on a uniform Town-wide basis.  D.C. s are calculated and payable in full to the Town at the time the first building permit is issued for any land, buildings or structures constituting development.

See further information on Development Charges in Halton Hills, including rates, applications, and background information.

Zoning by-laws are passed by the Town to ensure developments (residential, commercial, industrial, institutional) take place in the areas specifically planned for those types of development.  The result is in a well-planned municipality that offers a high quality of life, business success, and sustainability. The majority of properties in Halton Hills are subject to the Town’s Comprehensive Zoning By-law, approved in part by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB).

For information on Zoning By-laws or any other zoning information visit our Zoning webpage or contact:
Halton Hills Zoning Officer at 905-873-2601 ext. 2320.

The Town of Halton Hills provides a customer-focused Pre-Consultation Service for those persons intending to submit planning applications, including re-zoning applications, to the municipality.

Commercial and Industrial searchable listings:

https://www.realtor.ca/Commercial/index.aspx

For general information, agents and more:

Brampton Real Estate Board (BREB)

Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB)

Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB)

Use the BizPAL inquiry tool to obtain a consolidated list of all permits and licences that may be required for your business from all levels of government (local, regional, provincial, federal) as well as possible required professional certifications.

Municipal Service Fees are applicable on a variety of services provided by the Town including:

• User Fees for residents participating in culture and recreation programming;
• Business Licensing Fees for specific types of business uses; and
• User Fees for development stages (i.e. inspections).

Read the 2017 User-Fee By-Law

Market demand is a critical factor in discovering a viable business concept, but there are many other considerations as well: work experience, industry knowledge, education/skills, personality type (i.e. self-motivated, risk tolerant), personal interests/"calling", and financial capacity.

To ensure the right choice for you, it is important to take your time in exploring all of these factors, to do robust research, and to write a business plan, prior to making any final decisions or binding commitments. The Halton Business Enterprise Centre (BEC) is the perfect place to begin your exploration. Find about BEC and more entrepreneurship information by visiting our Invest page.

Each year, Halton Region collects information on businesses and employment in the region through an employment survey. Information gathered through the annual survey helps the Region:

• monitor the region’s economic health and assess trends in economic development (e.g., local economic activity and land use patterns).
• monitor and implement land use targets.
• support water, wastewater and transportation master plans.

All data collected from the survey is consolidated and released to the public though the Employment Survey Results report. Individual business information is neither identifiable nor published in the report.

There are currently eight companies with over 250 employees in Halton Hills, in four different sectors:  Manufacturing, Food Processing, Construction and Logistics.  Top employers (by number of full-time employees) according to the 2016 Employer Survey conducted by Halton Region are:

• Mold Masters
• CPI Communication and Power Industries
• Wolseley Canada
• BFG Canada Ltd.
• CIP Group
• Saputo/Neilson Dairy
• Cooper Standard Automotive
• Werner Enterprises

The Town of Halton Hills has a number of development applications that are active and under review across the municipality. You can use our interactive maps to view all active development applications, or input an address to find out information on a specific proposal. Visit the Active Developments page of the Town website for this interactive mapping.

Halton Hills' Economic Development staff is keenly interested in its business community, and welcomes invitations to visit local enterprises. A visit can include an information exchange, needs assessment, office/plant tour, etc. The more Town staff knows about its firms' concerns and successes, the more we can work together to propel your business forward. Please contact us to set up an appointment.

Town of Halton Hills supports the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce Shop Local mandate to encourage residents to shop locally first, before visiting retail establishments in areas outside of Halton Hills.  View the 10 Reasons to Shop Local!  Retailers and restaurateurs, contact the Chamber for shop local program and chamber membership information.

The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) provides many helpful resources to assist Canadian companies to reach new export markets and expand their business around the world.

In 161 offices around the world and across Canada, trade commissioners provide expert advice and problem-solving skills—whether you export, partner, invest abroad or are looking to make Canada your next investment destination.  Contact your trade commissioner for your industry and region of interest.

The Canadian SME Gateway to China has dozens of videos on key topics such as business etiquette, distribution channels, cyber security, labour contracts and more.

Whether your company is large or small, new or experienced in foreign markets, you need to prepare to face many opportunities and challenges. To help you make informed decisions, the TCS China webpage provides valuable information on various aspects of doing business in China.

Halton Hills has amazing cultural, recreational, shopping and dining opportunities.  Year-round attractions and events are available to our residents, their friends and family, and other visitors.  The Tourism office and related programming is managed through the Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce, with support from Town of Halton Hills. We welcome you warmly!  See details here.

China is the world’s largest tourism source market and Chinese nationals are the largest spenders in international tourism. In 2016, 610,100 Chinese tourists visited Canada and spent approximately $1.5 billion (an average of $2,438 per visitor). China is now Canada’s third-largest tourism source market (behind the United States and the United Kingdom).

The Chinese tourist market is growing and represents an opportunity for Canadian businesses. Learn more on Government of Canada's website.

The Ontario Investment Office (OIO) offers streamlined and customized site selection services, including confidential property searches, and permitting and approvals coordination.  Ontario-based companies and foreign investors alike can access OIO's Business Concierge Service, a one-stop source for information to increase business growth.  Learn more at OIO's website.

For companies which have narrowed their site selection to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), the starting point is to connect with Toronto Global:  https://torontoglobal.ca/

Halton Hills works with both organizations to provide solutions for inbound companies.