February 2017 | Business View Magazine

190 191 County of Brant, Ontario last five years.” Once again, the County’s pro-business agenda has helped. “The municipality has put money into, and authorized the development of, a Community Improvement Plan for the downtown core,”Emerson says.“That plan lays out the public sector infrastructure–new lighting,more parking–but it also puts into place the framework for revitalization and allows us to invoke certain financial instruments, for the businesses that meet certain criteria.” In addition, the government is offering grants of up to 50 percent of the cost of redoing store and building façades. And Emerson relates that the County itself has gone into business. “The County has been entrepreneurial in looking for new ways of doing business as a government entity and established a municipal corporation that is able to act as one,” he explains. “The purpose of Brant Municipal Walters Group o ers end-to-end solutions on complex steelwork projects across North America. We recognize that the projects we contribute to are more than just projects. They change landscapes. They support key industries. They inspire people. @waltersgroupinc Walters Inc. Princeton, Ontario Plant. Brant Business View 2016 v2.indd 1 2016-12-21 3:38 PM Enterprises (BME) is to look at opportunities that will provide some revenue in areas that will also enhance environmental sustainabil- ity and economic growth.” One of those areas is green, renewable energy. “They have a fairly large solar portfolio that they’ve developed in partnership with the private sector and the First Nations community, nearby,” says Emerson. “That’s been quite successful and it’s helped to reduce our carbon footprint and at the same time it’s provided a good source of revenue to the municipality. They’re also looking at hydro- electric generation and have approvals from the Province to conduct feasibility studies.” “The other area of business that Brant Munic- ipal Enterprises looked into was fiber optics,” Emerson continues. “The big players like Bell Canada and Rogers Communications are here, but by us getting into the fiber optics business, we can provide that end-of-the-line fiber to In addition to its welcoming business climate, Brant County offers newcomers a wealth of natural beauty and diverse, cultural amenities.