Mayor Ed Holder used his first State of the City address to issue a challenge to community leaders to get 13,000 more Londoners working.
Delivering his speech to a crowd of 1,400 people at the London Convention Centre Thursday morning, Holder was clear that getting that many more people back on the job would be no small feat.
"It is the job equivalent of bringing 13 new big businesses to London," said Holder.
He went on to highlight a Statistic Canada report that indicates almost 9,000 positions in the London area currently sit vacant, as 77,000 Londoners, not included in unemployment figures, aren't participating in the labour force. To help address that, Holder announced the creation of a new task force, dubbed London Jobs Now, to connect job seekers with employers.
1,400 people attended Mayor Ed Holder's first State of the City address at the London Convention Centre.
"We have the jobs. And we anticipate thousands of new jobs to open within the next two years," said Holder. "Imagine the positive impacts on London families and businesses on filling those jobs. We'd give our city wings to fly. And we'd be the role model for cities across Canada and beyond."
Led by the mayor's office, the task force includes members from the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), the London Chamber of Commerce, the London Region Manufacturing Council, London Social Services, Fanshawe College, Western University, and Nestle Canada. Other private sector businesses have also been invited to join the task force.
The group must deliver specific recommendations to reduce the number of unemployed by April 30.
"It is an absolute priority that we do this on the quickest timetable possible," Holder told reporters following the address. "If we are talking about this two years from now, one year from now, I will be terribly disappointed ."
In addition to employment, Holder used his roughly 30-minute address to touch on four other priorities he plans to tackle over his four-year term. Those included help for the city's most vulnerable, transit improvements, city safety, and streamlining the city's building permits and approvals process.
Holder stressed addressing concerns surrounding the city's homeless population is a complex issue that cannot be dealt with simply by shuffling them out of sight. Instead, he will approach the federal and provincial governments for additional dollars for social housing and addiction services.
On transportation, bus rapid transit (BRT) was barely uttered. But Holder made it clear that the city is in need of transit improvements and identified key infrastructure elements from the controversial $500 million BRT plan that would make it easier for all Londoners to move around the city.
"What is critically necessary is that we be able to get Londoners to work on time and back home again. Students to school and back home again on time. That is what we are trying to do... that means things like the Adelaide Street underpass, that means road widenings as appropriate, that means putting in the sufficient infrastructure often underground. It may not be sexy but it is absolutely critical it be done," said Holder.
He urged council to find “areas of consensus” on major transportation projects so the city can provide a plan to the province in the next 60 days to avoid missing out on funding from the upper levels of government.
Speaking after Holder wrapped up his address, Ward 2 Councillor Shawn Lewis said he was impressed the mayor did not try to view the city through rose-coloured glasses or make any grandiose promises.
"The mayor did not gloss over the fact that we have some real challenges in London," said Lewis. "Whether that is the addictions issue or the number of not employed who aren't actively seeking work, those are real challenges that we have to tackle as part of making London even stronger than it already is."
Lewis also stated there was a deliberate reason why Holder seemed to avoid the topic of BRT.
"Those three letters have become a bit of a flashpoint and divisive in the community. I think what Mayor Holder is trying to do right now is send a message that people need to come together, that some give-and-take is going to have to happen on both sides," said Lewis.
The annual State of the City event is hosted by the London Chamber of Commerce.
