East Gwillimbury, ON, August 4, 2026 — Brian Johns, candidate for Mayor of East Gwillimbury, today announced a plan to strengthen the local economy by attracting and expanding businesses, creating jobs, accelerating the Town's employment lands, and cutting the red tape that slows investment.
"A strong local economy is what pays for the services residents rely on and takes pressure off residential taxpayers," said Johns. "Every business we attract to our employment lands is a contribution to our commercial and industrial tax base that creates new jobs and a more sustainable, more affordable East Gwillimbury."
At the centre of the plan is a commitment to expedite the servicing of the Town's employment lands to attract businesses and grow the commercial and industrial tax base, along with establishing Development Charge deferral guidelines. Further, Johns will advance the Town's existing Economic Development Plan in parallel to developing a new Strategic Economic Development Plan. The focus of the new plan will be to draw industries that align with East Gwillimbury's strengths, including agriculture, tourism, healthcare, and logistics, in order to deliver on job creation and tax base diversification.
Johns committed to making the Town easier to do business with, implementing a rapid permit process for new and expanding businesses with clear service commitments, including acknowledgement of submissions and follow-up timelines.
Johns also committed to recognizing East Gwillimbury's tourism economy — including golf courses, agritourism operators, and hospitality and event venues — as genuine economic partners, and to giving them clear, predictable planning and zoning, faster response times, and an ongoing seat at the table so Council and staff decisions reflect operational realities.
On infrastructure, Johns committed to aligning the Town's efforts with regional economic priorities to support logistics, transportation, and efficient land use.
"East Gwillimbury has the location, the land, and the momentum to attract good investment," said Johns. "My job as Mayor is to make sure we're ready for it, and that we do it in a way that benefits residents."
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