Further to my motion which was carried by Council on September 28, 2011, I am pleased to announce that the City, in partnership with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal, will be hosting an OLRT Trade Show on February 9, 2012 at the CE Centre (4899 Uplands Drive).

Ottawa’s $2.1 billion investment in the OLRT Project will generate significant economic activity in a variety of sectors, including construction, professional services, technology and others. While trade laws do not permit the City to specify or mandate the inclusion of local companies in the construction project, the City has the ability to play a leadership role in promoting local business participation and local employment within OLRT procurement guidelines and international trade regulations.

Ottawa companies, labour associations, trade schools, colleges and universities are invited to participate in the tradeshow with the opportunity to interact and engage with the three selected consortia competing for the OLRT contract. The three consortia, made up of world-class firms with extensive expertise in transit infrastructure projects, will have an opportunity to become familiar with the quality goods and expertise that Ottawa has to offer as they expand their teams to address the City’s requirements as outlined in the OLRT Project’s Request-for-Proposal (RFP).