Toronto Pearson is more than Canada’s largest and most globally connected airport; we’re a growth engine for the regional, provincial and national economies. The connectivity we provide sparks job creation, increases productivity, cements partnerships, facilitates investment and links the critical resources that fuel innovation and long-term growth.

This competitive advantage is especially evident in our own backyard, where the Airport Employment Zone (AEZ) supports more than 300,000 jobs in a wide range of industries, from technology and life sciences to tourism and hospitality. Canada’s second-largest employment cluster, the AEZ spans the municipalities of Mississauga, Brampton and Toronto, as well as the Region of Peel – all of which benefit from the direct connections our airport provides to the rest of the country and a large proportion of the global economy.

In recent years, Pearson has handled half of the nation’s air cargo. This helps drive business for the many logistics companies in the AEZ, which take advantage of the region’s extensive road networks, as well as its continental rail connections via Canada’s largest intermodal facility. Last but not least, the AEZ includes several college and university campuses where tens of thousands of students prepare for future careers.

In short, the dynamic commercial and industrial zone around Toronto Pearson is an economic engine for the region, the province and all of Canada. Yet this dynamic area is critically underserved by public transit; most workers commute by car, enduring regular traffic jams (and adding to carbon emissions) on overcrowded roads. To raise concerns about this issue and explore potential solutions, a group of AEZ stakeholders – including businesses, industry associations, labour groups and other organizations – has formed the Airport Employment Zone Coalition, which advocates in particular for improved transit connectivity across the western Greater Toronto Area.

Diverse views, one voice

“The partnership we’ve put together provides a platform for different groups to speak with one voice,” says Terry Mundell, President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, one of the AEZ Coalition’s founding members, representing 170 hotels with more than 36,000 guest rooms across the Greater Toronto Area. “The coalition provides an opportunity to bring diverse opinions to the table,” Terry explains, “and to have all levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal – right there with us. It’s an effective and powerful way to share advice and have an impact on policy.”

In addition to supporting a wide array of industries, the AEZ also has one of North America’s largest clusters of airport-area hotels – which likewise have limited transit connections. “Hotels are open 24/7,” Terry says, “and to be competitive, we have to be able to offer guests and our own staff more efficient transit options. Providing better connectivity and simpler access will make it easier to bring more guests to our hotels, and to attract and retain employees. And it will drive economic growth – for the AEZ, and for all of Canada.”

Providing better connectivity and simpler access will make it easier to bring more guests to our hotels, and to attract and retain employees.

Sharing the vision

In recent years, major hotel chains have invested significantly in building and redeveloping properties around the AEZ. “Pearson’s growth as a global hub has made a dramatic difference to the hotel business, and to tourism generally,” Terry says. “It’s about vision. You have to be able to look down the road and figure out where the opportunities are, and what the obstacles are, so we can get where we want to go in ways that work for everybody. Fortunately, the GTAA’s leadership has that kind of vision, and it’s a big part of the reason our coalition came together. Without Pearson’s partnership, quite frankly, we wouldn’t be doing it.”

This collaborative effort brings together diverse industries and sectors, including manufacturing and production, warehousing and logistics, financial and real estate services, technical and professional consulting, and higher education and research. What all AEZ enterprises share in common is the belief that to grow, diversify and stay competitive, we need efficient, convenient connections to the rest of Canada and the world.