Nobody can argue that this past year was one worth celebrating in the Toronto Region. Everybody was looking North.

From the Raptors’ NBA Championship and Mississauga native Bianca Andreescu’s historic win at the U.S. Open, to hosting North America’s largest tech conference, this year put the Toronto Region in the spotlight like never before.
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While looking back on a year of triumph, we must also recognize the turbulent and unprecedented times we are currently navigating. We stand alongside our businesses and communities during this difficult period of time and we recognize and are prepared for the indispensable role that Toronto Global must play in rebuilding the economy. The team is committed to accelerating economic recovery in the region, province and throughout the country – strengthening the message to foreign investors that, when we get through this, Canada and the Toronto Region are the places to be in terms of rebuilding business and leveraging the strength of our economy and talent stream. In a time when it feels like there is little to celebrate, we must celebrate the resilience of the Toronto Region.

Mark Cohon
Chair, Toronto Global Board of Directors

Janet Ecker
Vice-Chair, Toronto Global Board of Directors

We believe that we also have a lot to celebrate here at Toronto Global, as we reach a milestone of 100 investments.

In just three short years since establishment, the organization has risen to the challenge of promoting the Toronto Region to international investors – securing investments, generating jobs and fueling the economy. There’s a lot of work left to do, but it’s important to pause and recognize our achievements to-date, and, as we move forward, reflect on how we can build on this success and enhance the benefits of our work across the entire region.
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Speaking on behalf of the Toronto Global Board of Directors, we are proud of the progress that’s been made by the organization, we celebrate the team’s efforts and enthusiasm for their work and we’re ready to build on this momentum to continue to realize the cascading effects of investment throughout the region. It’s not just nation-states or even cities, but mega-regions, like the Toronto Region, that are the forces powering the global economy, especially in these challenging times.

You don’t just live here and you don’t just work here. We’re so much more than that. We are a place that embraces new ideas and welcomes fresh thinking.

Our team at Toronto Global has spent considerable time reflecting and discussing the anti-racism movement that is going on around the world. When we sell the Toronto Region to investors, we promote our people; our diverse community is an asset that businesses want to come here to be a part of. But this means every person - no matter their colour, race, religion, or sexual orientation - must feel welcome, respected, and valued as part of our society. Everyone must be able to see themselves living, working and thriving here, and building a future among us. At the very least, this means that people of all cultures need to feel safe walking our streets, and feel protected. Everyone in our community must be given equal opportunity to build the life they dream of in an environment that supports and acknowledges their achievements. We stand in solidarity and compassion with Black, Indigenous and People of Color and all cultural groups across the world that continue to fight for justice and equality. We are here to listen and to learn together. We will continue to work to be part of the solution and bring our best to the table. The future of our cities rests on all of us working to build a better world.
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The Toronto Region is not like anywhere else in the world. You don’t just live here and you don’t just work here. We’re so much more than that. We are a place that embraces new ideas and welcomes fresh thinking. We are a place that inspires innovators and encourages disruptors. We celebrate our differences. We celebrate what brings us together. We celebrate a lot.

Let’s take some time here to celebrate how far we’ve come… and then get back to work.