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Universities and Municipalities Meet to Strengthen Collaboration for a Better Canada

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This post is 4 years old and may be out of date.

By Roxanne Toronto

Posted on April 27, 2016 | Updated August 06, 2019, 9:06am

A joint statement by members of Universities Canada and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Emily Carr University of Art + Design is a full member of Universities Canada.


April 26, 2016

OTTAWA – Partnerships between Canada’s municipalities and universities are vital to driving economic growth, building vibrant communities, preparing students for the future and enhancing quality of life for all Canadians. That was the conclusion of a national gathering of municipal and university leaders today.
Universities and cities: partners for prosperity, hosted by Universities Canada in cooperation with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), brought together dozens of university presidents and prominent city mayors to discuss a shared agenda on issues of national importance, including economic development, the impact of immigration and refugee resettlement, and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. Held at the University of Toronto, the meeting featured presentations by expert speakers, including Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto and renowned authority on innovation, creativity and culture as drivers of the economic dynamism of city-regions.
Universities help shape the economic, cultural and social well-being of Canadian communities. Working together with municipalities, they create a more innovative and inclusive Canada. Through community-engaged research, universities help municipalities address local challenges and foster economic growth.
The forum reinforced FCM and Universities Canada’s commitment to collaborate in advancing public policy that builds stronger communities, and in nurturing connections with business and civil society for the benefit of all Canadians. The topic of collaboration was the focus of Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie’s keynote speech at the event.
Today’s discussion demonstrates that we’re better together. Universities and municipalities will continue to strengthen one another and put their shared talent, resources and know-how towards building a better Canada.

About Universities Canada
Universities Canada is the voice of Canada’s universities at home and abroad, representing the interests of 97 Canadian public and private not-for-profit universities and university degree-level colleges.

About the Federation of Canadian Municipalities
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is the national voice of municipal government with almost 2,000 members representing 90 percent of Canada's municipal population.

On behalf of Universities Canada:
Paul Davidson
President
Universities Canada
On behalf of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities:
Bonnie Crombie
Mayor
City of Mississauga


Media Contacts:
Helen Murphy
Director of communications
Universities Canada
613 563-3961 ext. 238 or cell: 613 608-8749
@univcan
Robin Walsh
Senior strategist, media relations
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
rwalsh@fcm.ca
613 907-6241
@fcm_online

www.fcm.ca