Strategic Positioning
Waterloo Region – Gateway to the World
The Region's emergence as an export-driven economy owes itself to efficient access to large scale road, rail, and air transportation systems, and a relative location that positions a large proportion of the North American market within 2 hours flying time.Local Market
- 2.7 million people within a 45 minute drive
- 5.1 million people (Toronto census metropolitan area) within a 1 hour drive
- Located in the heart of Canada's most populous province
North American Market
- A market of 130 million people within a day’s drive. 60% of U.S. market in reach within two hours via direct flights out of Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
Global Market
- More than 70 airlines serve Toronto's Pearson International Airport (45 minutes southeast), including direct flights to 106 international destinations. The airport has extensive cargo facilities.
- The Welland Canal (southwestern Ontario), as part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, offers direct shipping access into the midwest U.S. and the Atlantic Ocean.
"I think one of the great triumphs was the recognition of Waterloo as one of the most intelligent communities in the world in 2007," says Johnston. "That was not simply the existence here of good ICT tools, it was how well the community was using these tools to improve not simply the prosperity of the community but the lives of everyone."
David Johnston, Governor General-designate
of Canada
David Johnston, Governor General-designate
of Canada
