The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is officially coming to London.
After promising the move during the 2022 election campaign, the Ford government delivered on the pledge at a news conference at 300 Tartan Drive in east London on Thursday.
The building, which is just off of Veteran's Memorial Parkway, was purchased by WSIB from 3M.
“This is a great day for London and for the WSIB,” said Jeff Lang, President and CEO of WSIB. “Our team will continue to serve people right across Ontario while planting a seed in the forest city as our new home.”
"We just got our final approval on Monday, and Minister David Piccini was able to get this over the finish line," Lang added. "Our commitment to London is that we plan on being here for an awful long time."
Piccini has been the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development for less than a week, taking over following the surprise resignation of Monte McNaughton.
WSIB's current offices are in downtown Toronto on what Piccini called "the most expensive real estate block in the country."
"The new office will open its doors in 2025 with at least 500 workers who will come to worke each and every day right here," Piccini said. "It's expected to generate at least 2,000 jobs in London over the next five years."
"In fact, bringing the WSIB to London is expected to contribute over $100-million a year to the local economy," the minister added.
The WSIB headquarters will be located in the east end, rather than the the city's downtown core.
Piccini and Lang said that was the right decision for the organization and its workers.
"When we were looking at potential sites, we wanted to make sure it was the most cost effective option. That was one," said Piccini. "Two, the opportunity to get this [property] below appraised value."
Lang added that the WSIB move will benefit the downtown - even if the office isn't in the core.
"These people are going to be spending money downtown, they're going to be going to Bud Gardens, they're going to be eating at The Tasting Room or Garlics of Joe Kool's. That money is staying in this community and we're going to be here for a long time," he said.
"This is by far the best location for what we're trying to accomplish, " Lang added. "This will save employers, our customers $70-million, by choosing this location."
Mayor Josh Morgan and Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis were on hand for the announcement.
"Of course as the Deputy Mayor, I’m always happy to welcome good jobs to London, but I’m especially excited that these jobs are coming to Ward 2. We’ve got lots of great shops and restaurants in our Argyle BIA, great amenities like the East Lions Community Centre, and it’s also a great place to buy a home and raise a family," Lewis told London News Today. "I invite the WSIB employees to make themselves at home and settle in, I look forward to meeting them.
WSIB is funded by premiums paid by more than 300,000 workers in Ontario. They then provide wage-loss benefits, medical coverage, and support to people who have suffered a work-related injury or illness.