Behind every storefront in Richmond Hill is a family taking a risk. Local businesses employ our neighbours, sponsor our kids’ sports teams, and generate the tax base that funds the services we all rely on. Supporting them is not a side interest of mine. It is core to the job.

 

I serve as Council liaison to the Richmond Hill Board of Trade’s Government Relations Committee, where I have presented the City’s business support initiatives and programs directly to the people they are designed to help. Too often, help exists, but businesses never hear about it. I work to close that gap.

 

Relationships get built in person. I actively participate in the Board of Trade’s After Five business network and the Business Improvement Area’s activities, both of which help boost local businesses and promote the economic vitality of our commercial districts. I also visit local businesses across multiple sectors, from manufacturers to main-street shops, to build and strengthen relationships that support job creation and attract investment. Some of the most valuable conversations happen with entrepreneurs, focusing on fostering innovation in startups and helping promising companies scale up their operations right here instead of leaving for somewhere else.

 

Economic growth and community spirit feed each other. I supported the winter Merry Market, featuring artists and creative-sector vendors, which gave residents a reason to shop local and gave creators a stage. At that same event, the City sealed the Richmond Hill 150 time capsule, an initiative I had brought forward through my own Member Motion to enrich the cultural life of our city. One day, future residents will open it and see who we were.

 

A city that works for business works for everyone. More jobs close to home, stronger services, and a main street with life in it. That is what I am working toward.