How does your Bradford West Gwillimbury grow?
Find out March 25, when the Bradford Board of Trade (BBT) presents its annual ReCon Forum. This year’s theme is Growth is Coming, and it’ll give attendees valuable insight into potential developments in affordable housing, employment lands and both residential and commercial real estate.
“This year's theme builds upon the 2023 discussion of Bradford's rapid growth but shifts the focus toward the future,” the board of trade said in an email. “While the 2023 forum centred on how businesses could navigate and adapt to the town's expansion, the 2025 event will emphasize the opportunities that this growth presents.”
ReCon serves as a platform for local businesses, industry experts and community leaders to discuss and prepare for anticipated developments in town. The forum will feature presentations from various speakers about the pending growth, and ways for businesses — specifically within the renovation and construction sectors — to navigate possible new tariffs being threatened by American President Donald Trump.
The forum comes as one online platform says the combination of ongoing labour shortages and the budding trade war sparked by the U.S. is forcing people across Canada to delay or cancel jobs.
A recent survey from Homestars.com, a website that matches homeowners to verified repair and improvement professionals, asked Canadians if they had been affected by the skilled-labour shortage. The results show 45 per cent believe it is difficult to find a reliable and trustworthy local professional contractor.
This has led to 31 per cent of respondents delaying or cancelling a home project. Even when they were able to select a suitable pro, they often faced long waits before work began, with 39 per cent of those surveyed admitting they’d found it hard to book a contractor at short notice due to availability.
Canada's skilled labour workforce has been declining for years, but the problem is speeding up. According to Employment and Social Development Canada, close to a quarter of the four million Canadians who work in trades are set to retire by the end of the decade — yet few are being recruited, Homestar.com’s Colleen McGrory said in a statement.
“It’s clear from the data that there is a real knock-on effect of fewer people becoming pros,” she said. “When people are starting to cancel work on their property due to lack of available contractors, it’s a blow to both them and our economy — and we need to take note. Clearly, our stats show that the majority of Canadians are appreciative of skilled trade jobs and would encourage their children into the career. We now need schools and the government to encourage them too. The underlying issue is that we need more people to consider a career as a home improvement professional. Working in the trades offers the individual brilliant opportunities in terms of flexibility, great earnings, and the ability to start your own business. It’s a career that offers a lot to both the individual and the community as a whole.”
For its part, the municipality has been preparing for both growth and tariffs for a while.
Tonight, town councillors will discuss whether to update the municipality's purchasing policy to support local, regional and other non-American businesses.
ReCon runs from 8 to 10 a.m. in the Zima room of the BWG Public Library (425 Holland St. W.) and includes a networking breakfast.
Tickets are available for purchase, by emailing admin@bradfordboardoftrade.com to register and then e-transferring payment ($30 for BBT members and $40 for non-members).
— With files from Michael Owen