September 28, 2023 – The Ontario government is moving ahead with relocating the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board’s (WSIB) head office to London—300 Tartan Drive, formerly the Canadian headquarters of 3M.

SEE ALSO “3M Canada headquarters is up for sale” (CTV News London, September 29, 2022).

“This common-sense move will allow the WSIB to save $70 million annually […]” said David Piccini, Minister, Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

The ministry explains that most of Ontario’s 150 government agencies are located 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”.

“This is a great day for London and for the WSIB,” said Jeff Lang, president & CEO, WSIB. “Our team will continue to serve people right across Ontario while planting a seed in ‘the forest city’ as our new home.”

The new HQ will become home to the existing London WSIB team, says the insurer, and will also include head office spaces, training facilities, meeting rooms, and collaboration spaces.

The new office will open its doors in 2025 with at least 500 workers, and is expected to generate at least 2000 jobs in the London area over the next five years, the ministry added.

WSIB says it is among North America’s largest insurance organizations, covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across the province.

SEE ALSO “Manufacturer 3M Canada doubles down on remote work in an effort to access broader talent pool”, Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe and Mail (June 16/17, 2023).