Top 5 things we learned at the Mayor’s Breakfast
The Faris Team was in attendance at the Mayor’s Annual Business Progress Breakfast this morning (April 21), which took place at Liberty North Banquet Hall. We, along with more than two hundred other local businesses, dignitaries, council members, innovators and of course, Mayor Jeff Lehman, walked away reminded of the growth and development that makes Barrie a residential and business destination, and excited for what’s on the horizon.
Here are the top 5 things we learned:
- Doctor prescribed recreation
A new health partnership between Barrie Community Family Health Team, Simcoe Muskoka District Health and the University of Toronto is in the works with the goal of linking recreation to prescribed health. For example, family doctors could formally prescribe city recreation programs as well as directions to parks, running routes, etc. as part of their patients’ recommended health care management.
- Hydro partnership
The cities of Barrie, Markham, Hamilton, Mississauga, St. Catharines and Vaughan recently announced their intention to work together to form a new utility company that will serve upwards of a million customers throughout York Region, Simcoe County, Peel Region, Hamilton and St. Catharines. Merging the collective resources of these municipalities means lower costs for consumers and locally managed distribution which will result in more efficient service.
- [IN]TRAPRENEURSHIP (inn-truh-pruh-nur-ship)
A word that keynote speaker Ted Graham uses to describe a powerful idea that helps organizations create an engine for continuous growth. By empowering employees to look for and pursue innovation opportunities, companies can improve performance, deepen employee engagement and increase business agility. Ted is the Innovation leader at PwC Canada. Innovation is one of the five core values we live by here at The Faris Team, so this new term fits right in with our team culture!
- Uber has come to Barrie
Ted Graham also spoke to us this morning about “disruption innovation” and uses Uber, the ride sharing business that’s reinvented the taxi industry, to exemplify age old processes that have been brought to life in new ways. Speaking of Uber, there are now several Uber drivers serving Barrie residents, and although Uber’s business model is known to spar heated debate, ride sharing is an innovation that’s not going anywhere.
- The average house price in Barrie has increased by 51% in just 5 years.
Hardly a week goes by when Barrie and Simcoe County’s hot housing market isn’t featured in the news. Rising house prices throughout the GTA are incenting more and more people to look north to make their home ownership dreams come true. A waterfront community halfway between Toronto and cottage country- it’s no wonder why more and more buyers are investing in Barrie Real Estate.
What’s our secret 6th top thing learned at the Mayor’s Breakfast? Check back next when we dive into Pingstreet, Barrie’s mobile app that changes the way we communicate with our city.