Don Drummond believes that cities will increasingly become the key economic engines in modern economies, and that universities and colleges have the potential to be a driving force in a city’s economic success.

“Kingston is in an interesting position. It has the stability of a large public sector but its traditional manufacturing base is threatened. The economy could go either way and the City’s strategies will determine the result,” says Mr. Drummond. “A city like Kingston needs skilled workers, and skilled workers graduate from Queen’s every year. The university and the city need to work together to be at the forefront of creating economic growth and jobs.”

Mr. Drummond will address the potential contributions of the town-gown relationship to Kingston’s economic and social growth in a talk this week at City Hall.

In June 2010, Mr. Drummond was named the new Matthews Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Queen’s School of Policy Studies. He is a former Associate Deputy Minister of finance for the federal government and was most recently the Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at TD Bank.

A new plan outlining the future direction for university-city relations and setting priorities for moving forward was recently presented to Kingston’s city council. The plan draws on ongoing partnerships between Queen’s, the City, and the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), and supports Principal Daniel Woolf’s commitment to building a stronger town and gown relationship.

“The university and the city are committed to working on several key areas, including student engagement and community planning,” says Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Bob Silverman. “This is a truly collaborative effort that stands to benefit everyone involved.”

Queen’s, the City and KEDCO also partnered recently for Work in Kingston Day, a hugely successful event that connected Queen’s students and recent graduates with Kingston employers.