Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 8

155 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 community. It has partnered with several economic development groups to work on diversity issues and offer language training and other incentives. Staff are also working with local colleges and a high school apprenticeship program to help provide more training locally to keep youth in the area. Peabody notes, “We heard from our employers that they were having trouble retaining a skilled workforce in the trades and we are working with the school board and the apprenticeship co-ordinator to bring some college programs up here to Bruce County to allow the students to stay in the area while they work on their apprenticeships.” Success has already come from this approach, with Fanshawe College offering a partnership with the municipal daycare to provide an Early Childhood Education training program. In addition to more labor, Brockton is also looking to attract new businesses and suppliers, with land coming available in the East Ridge Business Park. “Being such a large producer of agricultural products, we’ve always been interested in attracting businesses in the value- added sector. They would always be welcome,” the Mayor says. No matter who you are or what your business is, there’s always a place in Brockton. “I think we’ve got a warm and welcoming small-town atmosphere here that should attract families who would want to live here, as well as any investors who want to set up a business,” says Peabody. “We have a lot of serviced industrial land here and we are definitely open for business.” MUNI C I PAL I TY OF BROCKTON, ONTAR IO ENERGIZING THE COMMUNITY As a Canadian-owned utility, we are proud to work with the Municipality of Brockton to bring affordable, reliable and safe natural gas service to residents in the near future. To learn more, visit epcor.com/southernbruce