PICKERING NAMED ONE OF CANADA'S BEST CITIES FOR GROWTH COMPANIES Pickering, ON, June 12, 2006 - The City of Pickering has been recognized as one of Canada's best cities for growth companies in the June 2006 issue of Profit magazine. Pickering is ranked eighth best in Canada, just behind Waterloo and ahead of Mississauga and Oakville respectively. No other Durham or Eastern Ontario municipality made the national ranking. Profit magazine cites several factors that make a city good for business: close proximity to major transportation hubs and post-secondary institutions; a large and thriving population of young, motivated knowledge workers; and easy access to big investors. The magazine made special mention that Pickering is expected to lead the country in population growth over the next 10 to 15 years. "I am very proud that Pickering is getting much deserved national recognition as a preferred place to do business," said Mayor Dave Ryan. "Being acknowledged as one of Canada's best cities for business reaffirms the ongoing and collaborative work we are doing with the business community through the Mayor's Business Advisory Council (BAC) and the City's partnership with the Ajax Pickering Board of Trade." Pickering is home to two of Canada's Top 40 fastest growing companies. Air IQ, an industry leader in the telematics sector, has seen revenue growth of 3084 per cent in the past five years and is also a member of the Mayor's BAC. National Waste Services Inc. is a rapidly growing waste and recycling services provider, and has seen its revenue grow by 1813 per cent during the same period. Pickering is home to a white-hot energy sector that includes many dynamic companies such as Ontario Power Generation, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Eco-tec, Black & McDonald, Areva and Intellimeter. This cluster of energy-related companies has lead to the creation of the Durham Strategic Energy Alliance (DSEA) of which Pickering is a founding member. The DSEA's mandate is to position Pickering and Durham Region as a world leader in advanced, sustainable, timely and reliable energy solutions. -30- As the gateway to the east GTA, Pickering (population 94,000) is strategically located between Toronto and Durham Region. The City of Pickering is considered a municipal leader in fiscal management, service delivery, sustainability and the environment. With its direct access to major highways, educated and skilled labour, state-of-the-art infrastructure, prime employment lands and supportive municipal government, Pickering offers unrivalled competitive advantages for business.
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