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Waterloo Region will be home to at least one million people by 2050 and a coalition of local business organizations is doing its part to ensure this area is prepared through the launch of an online tracking tool that aims to create a unified framework to ensure proactive planning and co-ordinated action across all levels of government and the private sector.
Developed in collaboration between BestWR (Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region) and the Future Cities Institute located at the University of Waterloo, the Vision 1 Million Scorecard is now available to track Waterloo Region's readiness for the projected arrival of more than 300,000 people in the next 25 years.
The scorecard provides measurable, transparent monitoring of progress across five critical areas: housing supply, transportation infrastructure, healthcare services, employment opportunities, and placemaking and livability.
These are all areas Cambridge Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Greg Durocher says are vital for businesses to succeed.
“Businesses should be paying attention to this because if we do not meet the needs of a million people from an infrastructure perspective, it’s going to make it difficult for them to attract people to their business,” says Greg, who serves on BestWR along with the leaders of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber, Explore Waterloo Region, Communitech, and the Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation. “These issues are all really important to businesses because businesses thrive best in a community that thrives best.”
Strong leadership needed
It’s a sentiment shared by BestWR Chair Ian McLean, who also is head of KW Chamber.
"We cannot afford to be reactive when it comes to preparing for one million residents,” he says. “This tool gives us the transparency and accountability we need to ensure decision-makers are taking the bold action required to build the housing, transportation networks, healthcare capacity, and community services our growing population will need."
Greg says strong leadership, especially by local municipal officials, is paramount noting the scorecard already shows the region is falling behind in terms of providing healthcare and housing to sustain one million people.
The current data also shows the importance of having employment ready lands and now shows that only 33% of land identified as ‘shovel ready meagsite’ in Waterloo Region suitable for larger employers has been purchased.
“We know that at least 70,000 homes have to be built in the next 20 to 25 years and we’ve never built homes at that pace before,” says Greg. “We can really utilize the scorecard as an advocacy tool with local government to outline what areas we need to catch up on. And when we have people running for election, we will be in the position to question candidates on those subjects and ask them ‘What are you going to do to make sure that we are ready for all these people?’If we’re not ready, that is going to impact businesses.”
Scorecard will be updated
He refers to the forward-thinking governance of the late Jane Brewer, Cambridge’s mayor from 1988 to 2000 and a regional councillor, as an example noting she was a strong advocate for the construction of the LRT because she knew it would benefit future generations.
“That is what good leadership is all about,” says Greg.
The scorecard will be updated every six months to help prioritize the community's agenda and focus resources where they're most needed. Data validation and the evaluation of the progress to plans will be provided through an exciting collaboration with the Future Cities Institute (FCI), founded by CAIVAN.
The FCI brings together researchers to look at urban challenges across housing, climate, infrastructure to support prosperous and resilient cities.
In the lead up to the first evaluation the FCI will be validating the current figures and ensuring tracking is being done for the right plans for more complex initiatives.
Key features of the scorecard include:
Visit bestwr.org to explore the full scorecard. |
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Brian Rodnick 250 June 25, 2025 |
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Greg Durocher 41 July 28, 2023 |
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Canadian Chamber of Commerce 24 January 29, 2021 |
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Cambridge Chamber 2 March 27, 2020 |
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Phone: 519-622-2221
Fax: 519-622-0177
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