Relocating WSIB from Toronto to London, Ont. will save about $70 million annually, according to the provincial government. PHOTO courtesy ProShop.
The Ontario government is moving forward with the relocation of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) head office to London, announcing the selection of the new location at 300 Tartan Drive. The move is expected to bring a $100 million boost to the London area and comes as the agency renews its focus on increasing support for injured workers and improving services to businesses.
Most of Ontario’s 150 government agencies are in downtown Toronto, and the WSIB’s current head office is on one of the most expensive real estate blocks in the country. The move is part of the government’s Community Jobs Initiative, a strategy to save taxpayer dollars while bringing good jobs and economic development to more communities across Ontario.
The relocation will result in $70 million in annual savings for the WSIB, reducing costs by 40 per cent compared to Toronto. The new office will open its doors in 2025 with at least 500 workers and is expected to generate at least 2,000 jobs in the London area over the next five years.
The WSIB is also expanding online services and extending phone hours to make it easier to access help anytime, anywhere.
The WSIB, which is completely funded by employer premiums, provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people get back to work after a work-related injury or illness. As of January 1, 2023, people on WSIB benefits received a cost-of-living increase of 6.5 per cent. This amount is fully indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
