Milton is shaping its future through practical, people-focused innovation grounded in local expertise.
Every growing community reaches moments that signal a shift. Milestones mark the point where a town moves from planning for the future — to building it.
In Milton, one such moment arrived in the form of a blue-and-white transit bus pulling into the Milton GO Station loop.
Except this bus wasn’t ordinary at all.
This was Canada’s first mid-life diesel-to-electric bus conversion — a made-in-Milton innovation born from a partnership between Milton Transit and local business MTB Transit Solutions.
The goal was bold: Reimagine a diesel bus halfway through its life cycle, rather than retire it early or buy a costly new electric vehicle. The result? A bus powered by a new battery-electric system that’s quieter, cleaner, and crafted from local ingenuity.
To make this happen, MTB Transit Solutions removed the diesel engine and other components and installed a fully electric powertrain. The back of the bus was taken apart, rebuilt, and engineered to run as a battery-electric vehicle, while maintaining its original shell.
Gara Hay, president of MTB Transit Solutions, described the converted bus as a made-in-Milton solution that shows what is possible when local expertise and municipal leadership come together. By choosing a local partner, the Town of Milton demonstrated forward-thinking innovation. It’s a model with global potential, and its first chapter is unfolding in Milton.
Smart growth. Local innovation.
As Milton continues to evolve into a more urban centre, it’s seeing strong residential and business growth. Global companies are setting up headquarters here, drawn by Milton’s location near Highways 401 and 407, its proximity to major markets, and its position in one of Canada’s strongest economic regions.
The electric bus isn’t Milton’s only innovation.
In local parks and public spaces, Milton is working with Evolution Data, a local tech company, to install smart sensors that notify staff when garbage bins are close to full. This pilot project shifts service from scheduled to on-demand pickups — helping to keep parks cleaner, reduce fuel use, and save staff time and money. It’s a small change with a big impact.
Innovation in Milton doesn’t have to be flashy. It just has to work.
Built by people, in partnership
Milton’s strength lies in its people — residents, businesses, and innovators who look at everyday challenges and ask, “How can we make this better?”
This mindset fuels the Town’s partnerships with local post-secondary institutions like Wilfrid Laurier University and Conestoga College. With both schools now offering programs in Milton, more opportunities for innovation and talent development are just around the corner.
Milton is a place of possibility — where new residents and businesses are welcomed, where connectivity and quality of life matter, and where public services grow alongside the community.
Projects like the electric bus conversion and bin sensor pilot are just the beginning. They hint at how practical partnerships and local expertise in Milton will continue to foster new approaches with measurable outcomes.
Together, they reflect a place built on a strong economic footing, open to new ideas, and committed to shaping the future with purpose.
To learn more about innovation in Milton, visit investmilton.ca and follow InvestMilton on LinkedIn.
