[LINK] "Ontario a place to grow -- at least in the 905"

[rfmcdonald]

Jennifer Lewington at The Globe and Mail is one reporter of many who is commenting on this Toronto Board of Trade report which claims that Toronto's suburbs are outpacing Toronto economically.

Toronto is struggling economically compared with its suburban neighbours, according to a new study released yesterday that concludes the city "can do better" to compete with other regions around the world.

However, the study prepared by the Conference Board of Canada for the Toronto Board of Trade showed the city ranked ahead of its suburban neighbours in livability, and would have stood first among global cities based on the diversity of its population.

"Toronto has a great brand, it's a great place to come to live and work but its economic platform is vulnerable," said Conference Board president Anne Golden, whose organization carried out the research for the business lobby group.

In a comparison of 21 global regions based on 25 indicators related to the economy and quality of life, the Toronto region as a whole tied for the fourth spot with Boston, London and New York, with Calgary in first place.

However, when Toronto itself was ranked against other global regions on economic measures, such as growth in output, employment and after-tax income, the city tumbled to the bottom half of the standing. On its own, the 905 area would have jumped to second place behind Calgary.

But Toronto outperformed the suburbs on quality-of-life measures, such as public transit, education levels and population growth. The comparisons, based on data collected over a five-year period up to 2007, do not factor in the impact of the recent economic downturn.

Board of Trade president Carol Wilding said the scorecard on the city and the 905 suburbs amounts to a "tale of two cities" that underscores the need for the entire region to work together on transit, immigration and other issues to become more globally competitive.

"The Toronto region is a strong magnet for talent but its economy isn't keeping pace," she said.