Why Summerside?

Welcome to Summerside.ca – Official Site of the Municipal Government

Why Summerside?

Small City. Big Possibilities.

Island Lifestyle

Summerside has a compact urban core cradled by an idyllic, rural landscape and shores washed by a calm and warm sea. It offers a unique combination of convenience and serenity. Among the many advantages for businesses are:

A home to office commute of less than 5 minutes. The complete absence of a stressful commute allows for flexibility in work hours and contributes to the contentment and productivity of employees.
A re-developed waterfront with theatres, museums, recreational facilities, restaurants and quaint shops. This is a model family friendly environment for entertainment and relaxation.
A municipally owned and operated high-speed wireless network. It is one of the largest wireless networks in Canada with a 100 per cent fibre optic backbone.
A continuing investment in expanding and up-dating municipal amenities and creating new ones. Among these are a state-of-the-art hospital and Credit Union Place which delivers fitness and recreation programming as well as hosting sporting and cultural events.
A selection of development properties created to facilitate eco-friendly construction. Further, the Province of Prince Edward Island is a long-time, committed investor in green energy sources.
A variety of affordable housing. Prince Edward Island has one of the highest home ownership rates in North America. This is a result of abundant, affordable housing where, for example, the average cost of a two-story home is surprisingly low at $250,000.

Skilled Workforce

In Prince Edward Island companies have profited from a high degree of stability and productivity in the workforce. Key drivers of successful business are the work ethics, stability and single digit turnover in the island workforce. This provides enterprise with a competitive advantage in our strategic sectors.

Advantages for businesses in Prince Edward Island

The second highest worker participation rate in Canada. This means employers have ready access to full time workers.
Comprehensive recruitment support
One of the lowest rates of days lost per worker in Canada
An average job tenure rate of 8.5 years
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 10%

Summerside’s economy continues to diversify. As it does, employment attraction intensifies. Economic growth, in turn, is met with increased community support for diversification.

Employers in Summerside have access to excellent services supporting recruitment, training, and skills upgrading.

Increasing the expertise of a workforce is a key element in corporate growth. With the support of forward-looking, provincial and federal educational partners, Summerside’s collaborative approach to workforce development ensures that the labour needs of all employers are met.

Operating Costs

Once again, in 2016, KPMG identified Prince Edward Island as one of the most competitive locations for doing business in Canada, ranking it in the top quartile for its strategic sectors. Summerside continues to be a leader when it comes to operating costs.

Through our focused approach we ensure that our business environment is competitive and stable positively affecting the corporate bottom line. Summerside is the lowest commercially taxed city on Prince Edward Island, and boasts tax-free zones for the aerospace industry. It has a diverse offering of commercial and retail space that rival many jurisdictions in Atlantic Canada.

Taxation in Prince Edward Island means:

no payroll tax
no corporate minimum tax
no corporate capital or franchise tax
no business or occupation tax

Summerside is committed to delivering the most cost competitive business environment, be it through our investments in state of the art infrastructure or through our innovative electric utility programs. We stand behind our collaborative approach to growing businesses through our competitive cost environment. Certainties in cost nurture business growth.

For more information about the benefits of doing business in Summerside, contact:

Mike Thususka
Director of Economic Development
[email protected]
902-432-0103
City of Summerside, 275 Fitzroy Street, Summerside, PE C1N 1H9

Related External Links:

BigPossibilities.ca
City of Summerside YouTube Channel
Slemon Park
Holman Centre
Finance PEI