York Region Broadband Strategy

To advance digital equity and support economic competitiveness, Chris initiated and led the development of York Region’s first Broadband Strategy—a comprehensive roadmap to improve connectivity for businesses, residents, and the public sector across the Region.

Developed in partnership with York Region’s nine local municipalities, the strategy was shaped through extensive engagement with major telecommunications providers including Bell, Rogers, and Telus. It outlined a clear action plan organized around three pillars:

• Education & Advocacy: Building awareness of connectivity’s role in regional growth and resilience.

• Municipal Processes: Streamlining approvals and leveraging infrastructure projects to accelerate broadband expansion.

• Infrastructure Investment: Identifying priority projects to strengthen network coverage and capacity.

The strategy provided a strong foundation for coordinated action across all levels of government and the private sector to close connectivity gaps and unlock new opportunities for York Region’s growing communities.

York Region Commercial Office Market Analysis

As part of York Region’s long-term vision to develop four new downtowns along the Highway 7 and Yonge Street corridors—known as the Centres and Corridors—Chris led a comprehensive economic analysis to assess the Region’s commercial office development potential.

The study examined both the market opportunity and the barriers to attracting office investment within these emerging high-density, mixed-use centres. By benchmarking costs, benefits, and market conditions against comparable office nodes across the Greater Toronto Area, the analysis offered actionable insights into York Region’s competitive position.

The final report provided a suite of policy and program recommendations aimed at strengthening the Region’s value proposition for office development and supporting employment growth in strategic urban nodes.

York Region Broadband Strategy

Chris initiated and project managed the development of the York Region Broadband Strategy which provides a roadmap for improved connectivity for businesses, residents and the public sector in York Region.

The Strategy was developed in partnership with York Region's nine local municipal partners (Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Aurora, King, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Newmarket, East Gwillimbury and Georgina).  To assist in developing the Strategy, large and small telecommunications companies were also engaged, including Bell, Rogers and Telus, to help shape the strategy's targets, recommendations and work plan.

The Strategy provides a range of recommended actions focusing on three key areas:

• Education and Advocacy - these actions focus on educating stakeholders on the importance of connectivity to their and the Region's success.
• Municipal Processes - these actions focus on ways municipal processes, such as access agreements and road re-construction projects, can be leveraged to encourage investments in connectivity infrastructure.
• Infrastructure Investments - these actions focus on identifying a range of infrastructure investments to improve connectivity for residents, businesses and the public sector.

To view the strategy visit: www.investinyork.ca/broadband.

York Region Post-Secondary Investment Attraction Strategy

To support York Region’s growing economy and talent needs, Chris initiated and led the development of the Region’s first Post-Secondary Investment Attraction Strategy—a framework to expand access to higher education and strengthen the region’s innovation capacity.

Developed in collaboration with York Region’s nine local municipalities and informed by input from major employers, academic institutions, and policy leaders, the strategy identified opportunities to attract a range of post-secondary investments—from targeted learning centres addressing local skill gaps to the establishment of a full-scale research campus.

The strategy also introduced a policy framework to guide regional involvement in future post-secondary partnerships, ensuring alignment with long-term planning, infrastructure priorities, and economic development objectives.

Pearson Eco-Business Zone Materials Exchange Program

As part of the Partners in Project Green strategy, Chris led the development of the Materials Exchange Program—an initiative designed to help businesses around Toronto Pearson identify opportunities to transform waste into usable feedstock, advancing both sustainability and industrial innovation.

To inform the program’s design, Chris conducted a global scan of successful materials exchange models—analyzing the economic and policy conditions that supported scale and adoption. Building on these insights, he developed a business model tailored to the Pearson employment zone and secured funding to move the initiative forward.

The program continues to operate as a practical tool for companies looking to reduce disposal costs, improve resource efficiency, and explore circular economy opportunities within their supply chains.