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High tech businesses can be found throughout the city, but if you talk about high tech in Ottawa, most people in-the-know will think about Kanata North.
In fact, this isn’t just a local thing. Kanata North is considered a high tech hub of not just local but national importance.
The 550 hectares that make up Kanata North is home to more than 540 companies, generating more than 30,000 jobs, primarily in the tech sector. According to the Kanata North Business Association (KNBA), the park contributes more than $13-billion annually to Canada’s GDP.
But wait, there’s more. According to Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis (CBRE), the U.S.-based real estate services and investment firm, Canada’s tech talent workforce grew by 15.7 per cent from 2020 to 2022, outpacing the U.S. growth rate of about 11 per cent. CBRE also says that tech represents 13.3 per cent of Ottawa’s workforce, which is a higher concentration than any other market in North America.
This is why Kanata North has been designated a Special Economic District within the City’s Official Plan. What does that mean? To answer that question, we’re going to let the Official Plan do the talking for a while:
"Special Districts are target areas of the city that are important to our national and international image as the capital of Canada. They are key regional economic districts that are important to our local identity.
"Land is also designated for employment uses like goods movement and manufacturing in strategic locations to support those industries and allow for their evolution."
In short, Kanata North is a nationally significant technology cluster and a major contributor to Ottawa’s metropolitan economy.
The City has other significant districts, such as the ByWard Market, Lansdowne and the Ottawa International Airport.
The district designation is one way Kanata North’s economic development has been included in the City’s planning policies. Here is another: in 2025, Council will have the opportunity to adopt a new streamlined process for approving new development in Kanata North. Once the Community Planning Permit (CPP) is in place, the process of applying for a building permit, a site plan and an official plan amendment, will be rolled up into one permit. Instead of taking up to 150 days to put shovels into the ground, the process will take only 45.
Details are still being worked out, but the CPP pilot project began in August 2020 and is on track to be adopted sometime in 2025. If all goes well, we’ll see more just like it in other parts of Ottawa.
Speaking of pilot projects, the KNBA has been working with a long list of partners to develop an autonomous vehicle that can work as a shuttle between parts of Kanata North. The vehicle is being tested for winter road conditions right now. We should see the autonomous vehicles on the road in Kanata North in the summer of 2025.
Partners on this project include Invest Ottawa, Aurigo, the City of Ottawa, uOttawa, Deaf AI, EcoSafeSense and more.
Finally, if you think it’s all business and no pleasure in Kanata North, consider this:
- The area is home to the Marshes Golf Club and Brookstreet Hotel
- It’s also home to the Richcraft Recreation Complex which includes five pieces of public art and an access point to 15 kilometres of biking trail through the Trillium Woods
- Construction of a new $70 million Nokia campus – we haven’t even mentioned the new Nokia campus yet - will include a residential tower with close to 2,000 units by 2027.
- Additional highrise towers by Kanata Research Park Properties and Main + Main will bring a combined 5,000 residential units more, also by 2027.
With numbers like that, it’s no wonder civic pride in Ward 4 is spelled 1010010011. And, it’s no wonder why City staff in Planning, Transportation, Housing and Economic Development all have a keen eye on Kanata North.
Your city, your ideas!
Supporting significant districts like Kanata North is just one example of how we’re working with our partners to create policies that attract customers and investors to create prosperity for our economy. Do you have ideas related to this or other City services? Share your ideas at engage.ottawa.ca.
For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401). or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.