10 Reasons to Get a Life in Waterloo Region

A primer on Waterloo Region: “The Facts”

Comprised of Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and surrounding municipalities

½ million people Unemployment rate of 5.5%(StatsCan2006) $21.5 billion GDP (StatsCan2006) $18 billion revenue tech sector

Tech firms by city in Waterloo Region/Guelph

• ICT Employment Growth has been fantastic!

• Waterloo Region/Guelph trounces other

areas

10 different categories of tech

Now....

the top 10 reasons for you to

Get a Life in Waterloo Region

#10. We live outside

More than 3,000 acres of parks

Six conservation areas

22 golf courses

The Grand River, the world’s Best Managed Waterway (2001)

St. Jacob’s Country-farmers’ markets, outlet shopping centres and more

#9. You *can* get there from here

A local international airport (flights to Ottawa daily), served by Northwest Airlines

About 50 minutes to Canada’s busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International (traffic pending)

About one hour’s drive to downtown Toronto (traffic pending)

#8. Loft, urban and country living Trendy lofts, revitalized warehouse districts Three urban core locations (Cambridge, Kitchener & Waterloo) Suburban neighbourhoods Rural settings (complete with a thriving Mennonite community)

80% of residents live within a 30 minute drive to work - !

#7. A high tech haven Over 700 tech companies in Waterloo Region

You might recognize a few of them:

And a few more...

#6.World’s Top Intelligent Community

Waterloo Region is proud to be named ‘Intelligent Community of the Year’ by New York’s Intelligent Communities Forum (www.intelligentcommunity.org)

#5.Benefits of affordability

Inexpensive housing

Comparative salaries and wages to Ottawa, Toronto

Highly competitive cost of living

#4. Access to world class education

“There are many years when Waterloo has the most people (at MicroSoft) of any university in the world … Waterloo has always been in the top five every year” Bill Gates

50,000 students annually University of Waterloo the “MIT” of Canada Largest & oldest cooperative education program in the world Conestoga College ranked best in Ontario

#3. Opportunity for you and your family

Opportunities for your partner: in tech, or in insurance, not-for-profits, education or service businesses

Over 30 minor sports organizations in Waterloo Region, as well as music, arts, drama...whatever your interests, Waterloo Region has something for you!

#2. Cultural festivals to creative spaces

Waterloo Region is home to more than 60 arts, culture and heritage festivals, galleries, a world-class symphony, poets, painters, sculptors and painters.

Perimeter Institute hosts speaker series in their world-class facility

#1. Cool Jobs. Hot Technology. Top Companies.

What more could you ask for?

Find out more….

Visit www.waterlootechjobs.com (check out many of the opportunities or create a profile)

or

Contact Karen Gallant at karen@communitech.ca

Or

Bill Elliot at bill@techtriangle.com