February 2017 | Business View Magazine

186 187 County of Brant, Ontario A great quality of life Ontario BRANT County of T he County of Brant, located in the Province of Ontario, has a population of close to 40,000 people and is locat- ed approximately 60 miles southwest of Toronto. In 1999, a host of towns and commu- nities organized under one level of government to form the present-day County of Brant. The most highly populated areas in Brant are Paris, St. George, and Burford. Smaller communities within the municipality include Cainsville, Falk- land, Glen Morris, Harley, Langford, Middleport, Mount Pleasant, New Durham, Newport, Oakland, Onondaga, and Scotland. Brant sits on the outer, western ring of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Given Brant’s easy access via a major four-lane highway system to the American border, plus a mu- nicipal airport that can accommodate small to medium sized corporate jets, the County has placed tremendous focus on attracting and developing the types of industries that best suit its location and available workforce. These include heavy manufacturing, ad- vanced manufacturing, and warehousing and logistics. The result of this focus has been impressive, particularly when combined with the County’s helpful pro-business programs and initiatives. “We offer low development charges, low taxation rates, and a comfortable style of conducting business,” says Michael Buranyi, Brant’s Economic Development Officer. “We have a very strong, focused, and proactive management team, and Council, that work with the business community and interests that are looking to invest in the area. Over