Economic Development News

Nordstrong’s Cannington Plant Makes Heavy Work Look Easy

Tucked into the rural landscape of Cannington in north Durham, Nordstrong Equipment Limited is quietly shaping industries across North America.

You may not spot their name on store shelves or city billboards, but if you’ve ever eaten packaged food, walked on concrete, or seen a train packed with industrial materials, chances are Nordstrong’s equipment helped move the ingredients and parts behind the scenes.

“If you need to move bulk material, we build the equipment that makes it happen,” says...

Inside Tetra Tech’s Clean Energy Expansion

California-based Tetra Tech didn’t arrive in Durham Region by accident; it came for the proximity to market, talent, and momentum: but stayed because all three are accelerating.

As Director of Engineering for Tetra Tech’s Canadian Nuclear Unit (CNU), Mark Browne sums it up plainly: “We chose a while back to focus a lot of our efforts here in Ontario, because of the nuclear industry that is just exploding here right now.”

From their Canadian home-base in Pickering, Tetra Tech serves utilities like...

A Letter to My Former Self: Mike

Leaving the city wasn’t just a change of scenery—it was an invitation into a vibrant close-knit community with unexpected opportunity. In this “Letter To My Former Self,” Michael Cascone looks back on taking the leap to north Durham and how that decision created space for a more present family life, renewed career purpose, and a quiet sense of belonging that reshaped what success looked like.

Dear Mike,

You’re probably reading this from your downtown office, somewhere between your afternoon coffee...

A Letter to My Former Self: Mary

Sometimes the biggest life changes start with a single, unexpected choice. For one former city dweller, that choice became a turning point. In this “Letter To My Former Self,” Mary Bridger reflects on what she didn’t know about north Durham back then—the calm she’d find, the community she’d grow into, and the surprising way life got more exciting.

Dear Mary,

I know you’re reading this while on the subway or sitting in your condo, scrolling the real estate ads, and convinced that a place with a...

The Rise of Rural Makers: Why Woodland Mills Fits the Movement

What began as two childhood friends tinkering in a backyard has become a forestry-equipment company with its global headquarters, and heart,locatedin their hometown of Port Perry, Ontario.

Woodland Mills was founded in 2009 by Josh Malcolm and Neil Bramley. The pair set out to solve a problem they understood firsthand: landowners needed dependable, professional‑grade equipment that didn’t cost a fortune.  Their first product was a sawmill, built in a backyard and sold to neighbours through local ads. Word...