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Business Retention and Expansion

Strong local businesses are the backbone of Belleville’s economy and helping them grow, adapt and thrive is a top priority.

- Nov 06, 2025

A BR+E program is a community-driven consultation process designed to better understand the needs, challenges and opportunities facing businesses in Belleville.

Led by the City’s Economic Development team and guided by trained community volunteers, BR+E initiatives involve confidential, face-to-face interviews with business owners and senior management. These conversations provide real-time insights that help the City:

    • Identify priority issues impacting local businesses
    • Support business growth and expansion
    • Shape economic development strategy and investment attraction
    • Inform municipal planning and budgeting decisions

Because it is grounded in direct business input, BR+E delivers practical, actionable results that matter.

The impact of BR+E in Belleville is proven and lasting.

Insights gathered from past BR+E projects continue to shape City decisions today, leading to meaningful improvements across the community, including:

    • A successful Family Physician Recruitment Program
    • The Work in Quinte labour attraction initiative
    • Transportation improvements such as intersection upgrades, road enhancements and transit route changes
    • Infrastructure investments including water mains, sewer extensions and fibre optic service expansion
    • Downtown and Community Improvement Plans (CIPs)
    • Business park signage and wayfinding
    • Workforce training programs aligned with local business needs

These outcomes demonstrate how listening to businesses leads to smarter investments and a stronger local economy.

Prosper Belleville: Manufacturing BR+E

In 2023, the City launched Prosper Belleville, a Manufacturing-focused BR+E initiative supported by funding from the Rural Economic Development Fund. The project was designed to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing manufacturers and to inform future business park planning.

Economic Development staff partnered with a 28-member volunteer task force to conduct extensive outreach through interviews, surveys and industry site visits.

Project Highlights:

    • 746 hours invested by staff and volunteers
    • 38 interviews and site visits completed
    • 86% industry participation rate

∗ 26 actionable recommendations identified

Prosper Belleville - Key themes

The Prosper Belleville BR+E identified 26 action items across four key themes. Each aimed at strengthening Belleville’s workforce, business environment and municipal services:

Supporting the integration and retention of immigrant workers through:

  • Employer guidance on immigration and Permanent Residency pathways
  • Training programs on Canadian workplace culture
  • Clear communication tools for newcomers and employers
  • Promotion of inclusive workplaces through the Workplace Inclusion Charter

Positioning Belleville as a place to live, work, and build a career by:

  • Promoting manufacturing careers through education and public campaigns
  • Partnering with youth to retain local talent
  • Continuing physician recruitment and community well-being initiatives

Enhancing the City’s image and livability

Enabling industry growth through:

  • Exploring innovative housing solutions for employees
  • Assessing safety and security concerns impacting businesses

Improving transparency, efficiency, and communication by:

  • Educating businesses and developers on City processes
  • Developing explainer videos and process maps
  • Strengthening Economic Development communications and digital tools
  • Enhancing transit, childcare and infrastructure planning to support industry

The next phase of Prosper Belleville focuses on implementation.

Over the next 3–5 years, the City of Belleville—through its Economic Development Division—will work closely with community stakeholders to advance the 26 action items, track progress and report on outcomes, challenges and successes.

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