Cornwall out to entice remote tech workers
Low cost of living, proximity to larger cities among the draws, councillor says

Cornwall, Ont., once one of the province's major manufacturing centres, is looking to reinvent itself as a hub for remote tech workers.
"Remote work is up and coming," Cornwall Coun. Justin Towndale told CBC Radio's All In A Day. "As a result, I think we should be looking at opportunities to promote ourselves to remote workers as an excellent hub to live, work and play."
Towndale recently tabled a motion he hopes will make the Seaway City a magnet for remote tech workers.
"Cornwall has a lot to offer," he said. There's its proximity to Ottawa, Montreal and the U.S., not to mention the "very reasonable" cost of living.
Moving there would allow remote workers to pull in big salaries, but avoid the big-city costs normally associated with them, Towndale reasoned.

A different way of thinking
Cornwall is already home to employees of major tech companies like Shopify, Towndale said.
"With technology, you don't really need to be that close to your office anymore."
All workers need is an internet connection.
"There's a different way of thinking these days," he said. "You don't necessarily have to be in a major urban centre to have a really high quality of life."
Towndale said the city's infrastructure is capable of supporting up to 60,000 people. Its current population is about 48,000.
Achieving that goal will require some creative thinking, he said. For example, south of the border, Vermont is offering remote workers a $10,000 incentive to relocate to the state.
"It's a chance for the city to re-brand itself and recreate itself," he said.
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