Mayor Paterson announces Kingston Economic Recovery Team

Mayor Bryan Paterson has announced that he will start and lead the Kingston Economic Recovery Team in an effort to plan and coordinate proactive strategies to respond to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The health and well-being of our residents is our top priority. We built local capacity in our healthcare system to manage the virus, we have increased our ability to test and are monitoring the situation as it evolves,” Mayor Paterson said in a press release on Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2020. “In consultation with our Chief Medical Officer of Health, we’re shifting our focus to recovering from the significant impact the virus has had and will continue to have on our community.”

According to information from Paterson, the Recovery Team will be made up of individuals from a range of sectors, including those from stakeholder organizations which support the local business community. The group will work to develop strategies and initiatives to guide policy and support local economic recovery, and will focus on both short-term, rapid-response initiatives, and long-term planning.

“As an economist, part of why I entered politics is to help support the well-being of our community and see it thrive in a lasting way. Our local businesses and not-for-profits are integral to the character of Kingston and they are struggling,” Paterson expressed. “Now more than ever, I hope to draw on my experience, as well as the talented and knowledgeable local leaders assembled on this team, to help lead us through this. This team will act as a central resource to create made-in-Kingston solutions and strategies.”

The Recovery Team will report publicly to Kingston City Council on a regular basis, Paterson said, and the group will receive administrative support from the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, as well as the City of Kingston. Additional details are expected to be made public in the coming days.