Economic Development Action Plan 2026-2030

This year, the City of Hamilton’s Economic Development Office is creating a new 2026-2030 economic development action plan.

Hamilton’s Economic Development Office offers many services to residents and businesses in the City of Hamilton. These services include attracting new businesses to Hamilton, supporting the growth of existing businesses, and providing training, mentorship, and support to people who are looking to start a new business in Hamilton.

This work also extends to ongoing efforts to support Hamilton’s Downtown as well as Hamilton’s business districts and business improvement areas by providing grant and loan programs to support business renewal and urban development.

The results of this work help to create new jobs, sustain existing employment, provide incentives for business growth, and offset residential tax increases through the generation of additional industrial and commercial tax revenues. But, just as global events have an impact on the lives of Hamiltonians, so too are they impacting Economic Development’s work. This is why hearing the voice and vision of Hamiltonians is essential in the process of building our new action plan.

The recent 2021-2025 Economic Development Action Plan reported a number of major successes that helped diversify and grow Hamilton’s economy, including:

• More than 7.7 million square feet of new industrial and commercial development between 2021 and 2025, which includes investments from major national and international companies including Airwise, Amazon, Atlantic Packaging, AtomVie, Continental Tire, DHL Express, IKEA, OmniaBio, Parrish & Heimbecker, Porter Airlines, Stryker, and UPS.
• Approximately $2.5 billion in building permit values, which reflects an incredible investment in Hamilton’s economy.
• An estimated 11% increase in the number of jobs (both employed and self-employed), with an estimated 308,140 jobs existing within the city’s borders.

For people who want to create their own business, the Economic Development Office houses the Hamilton Business Centre. The HBC provides training, mentorship, and guidance to all Hamilton residents interested in building their own companies. During the last five-year action plan, the HBC answered almost 70,000 questions from Hamiltonians and created more than 1,000 new jobs.

Tourism and Culture are also key components of any city’s economic development plans. Developing and supporting local arts, culture and tourism raises the profile and reputation of a city, generates significant economic impact, and shapes our identity, strengthening community pride and social cohesion. This vibrant community which includes attractions, hotels, venues, cultural organizations, events, businesses and artists have contributed to Hamilton’s recent achievements including:

• Attracting more than 7 major events to the city, including the 2023 Grey Cup and 2026 Junos, that realized over $180 million in economic impact.
• Generating more than $3 million in revenue for the City of Hamilton from film productions.
• Investing $3 million in tourism-related funding requests through the Municipal Accommodation Tax.

The recent City partnership with the Oak View Group has also transformed TD Coliseum into a destination for world-class entertainment and sports welcoming both residents and visitors to Hamilton’s downtown.