Suncor to move its Toronto-area offices to Calgary next year

Suncor will be moving its Toronto-area head offices to Calgary.

The Calgary-based energy company confirmed the move in a statement on Monday evening, saying it spoke with its employees in Mississauga and Oakville earlier in the day.

Ontario is where Suncor's refining and marketing business, under its Petro-Canada brand, is based.

There are currently 700 people working in the Ontario offices. It's not clear how many jobs will be coming to Calgary.

The move is expected to happen over the course of 2021.

"The decision supports work to ensure Suncor remains competitive for the long term and we see an opportunity for our downstream business to be more efficient, effective, and integrated with the rest of Suncor," a company spokesperson said.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said he would encourage other large companies that have a presence in the city to think about how they can move more of their staff out of what he described as "overheated economies in other parts of the country."

"I think that that's a very nice example of how people are finding the cost of doing business in Calgary is worthwhile," he said.

Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said she was disappointed by the news and that her thoughts are with affected employees and their families.

"Suncor has been a strong member of the Mississauga community and we have been proud to share a productive relationship for many years," she said in an emailed statement.

Crombie said she has spoken to senior leadership at Suncor and understands employees will be supported through the transition.

The mayor said Mississauga remains a top business destination, and has been steadily growing its clean tech sector.