Priorities for the Kingston Economic Recovery Team

A few months ago I brought together community and business leaders to form the Kingston Economic Recovery Team. The purpose of this team is to work with representatives from the sectors of our local economy that have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help workers that have lost their jobs and small business owners that are struggling. The team’s initial work focused on helping businesses and workers adjust to stage 2 and stage 3 reopening. Now, as we move into the fall, the team has put forward 4 priorities that we will focus on in the months ahead.

• First, the team will address community confidence, having public health, business support organizations and the City work together to ensure a safe environment for residents to be able to shop local and support local businesses.
• The second priority will be to support workers who have been hard hit by the pandemic. The team will look at re-skilling and employment support for those who have lost their jobs and help get them back into the workforce.
• Third, the team will work to ensure underrepresented groups and individuals have access to economic opportunities, promoting diversity and inclusion in workplaces across our community.
• Finally, the team’s fourth priority will be to advocate for help and funding support with upper levels of government, to sustain jobs and businesses and seize new economic opportunities.

Putting these priorities together will build community resilience and ensure Kingston can come back better and stronger than ever before.