Closing Remarks by Todd Attridge
Port Hope Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Q&A Event
October 5, 2026
Port Hope has a lot going for it but, we also have some real challenges ahead of us.
Infrastructure is expensive. Housing is difficult to find. Businesses are competing for workers.
Our commercial and industrial tax base needs to grow. And too often, people trying to invest here tell us the municipal process is harder to navigate than it needs to be.
The solution isn’t growth at any cost. We need to grow without sacrificing public safety, environment, heritage, or the community we love. I believe we can do that.
It means helping the existing businesses make their next investment right here in Port Hope.
It means making employment lands ready for new businesses instead of simply identifying where they’re located.
It means growing agriculture by helping farmers capture more of the value from what they produce.
It means using our heritage, downtown, waterfront, tourism and culture as economic assets.
And it means making municipal government clearer, faster and more predictable without sacrificing good planning, environmental protection or public safety.
Most importantly, we need to remember why economic development matters.
It’s not simply about attracting another company or announcing another project.
It’s about creating good jobs. Keeping young families here.
Supporting the businesses that sponsor our teams and events, employ our neighbours and give back to our community.
And it is about building a stronger commercial and industrial tax base, so homeowners are not carrying more of the burden.
Over the next four years, I want Port Hope to become known as a community that is supportive of business, serious about responsible growth, and determined to protect what makes our home so special.
That is the Port Hope I plan to build together.
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