Niagara Health Seeks Board of Directors Members

Niagara Health Foundation is currently seeking persons interested in serving on the Board of Directors. As a health care foundation, the foundation prides itself on ensuring patients are the number one priority by providing comfort, care and hope with respect and dignity to thousands of Niagara residents.

The Niagara Health Foudnation is committed to keeping our hospitals equipped to provide first-class care for the greater good of all the people of Niagara. The foundation invites applications of individuals from the Niagara Region who have demonstrated community leadership, have an interest in governance and who share the passion of the mission, vision and values of Niagara Health Foundation.

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Paint the Meridian Red

Brock University is once again taking over the Meridian Centre for the annual Paint the Meridian Red basketball event on November 17. Watch the Brock women’s and men’s basketball teams take on the Ryerson Rams. Women at 6pm and men at 8pm. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.ca.

For every student ticket sold, $1 will be donated to the Brock University Students’ Union Food First Program, an on-campus food bank supporting undergraduate and graduate students. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first 500 fans into the Meridian Centre will receive a free Brock Badgers T-shirt.

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New Functional Fitness Studio Opens at YMCA in Niagara Falls

Folks squeezing in a workout at the Niagara Falls YMCA now have a whole new slew of exercise options, including climbing overhead bars and wailing away at heavy boxing bags with the introduction of the centre’s first functional fitness studio.

YMCA officials gathered in a former squash court inside the centre at McBain Community Centre on Montrose Road couldn’t resist doing some climbing, punching and pulling on pulleys as the new addition officially opened on November 7.

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Holiday Events for Positive Living Niagara

Positive Living Niagara is a community-based organization that provides support, education, and advocacy in a safe and confidential environment for HIV-positive individuals, their families, and their friends. To recognize HIV/AIDs Awareness Week as well as World AIDS Day, Positive Living Niagara has several events taking place during the holiday season.

On November 23, St. Paul Street will be wrapped in red scarves as part of HIV/Aids Awareness Week at St. Catharines City Hall. A Girls Night Out evening of burlesque takes place on November 24. There is also a World AIDS Day Vigil on December 1st at 6:00pm at the St. Catharines Museum. If you’d like to support Positive Living, you can also take part in their online silent auction which runs until December 1st.

See the Auction

Big Changes Coming to Pen Centre in 2019

The Pen Centre is carving its former Sears department store into smaller retail spaces — a move that will bring big changes to the mall in addition to a new Walmart currently under construction. “One of our key successes has really been always evolving and bringing the latest and greatest retail concepts to Niagara,” said John Bragagnolo, manager of the Pen Centre in St. Catharines, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

“I think this is just another evolution of that vision that we have,” added John. The former Sears space is currently undergoing about $3 million of asbestos abatement work in anticipation of massive redevelopment.

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Hornblower Extends Season Into December

Hornblower Niagara Cruises will be extending its season into December for the second straight year. Now in its fifth season operating on the Niagara River, the San Francisco-based company will stretch its season one more weekend, offering boat tours until Dec. 2. It caps a record-breaking season for the company, which got off to a late start in May because of ice build-up in the water.

Hornblower Niagara vice-president and general manager Mory DiMaurizo says the company usually ends its season in late November, but based on weather and co-operation with Niagara Parks, the last two years have seen an opportunity to go longer. Last year, Hornblower’s season ended Dec. 4.

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Minister Targets Tourism Growth at Falls Event

Canada’s fall from being a top 10 world tourism destination is behind the launch of a new federal strategy to attract more visitors. “Over the last 10 years, we’ve begun to fall behind,” and Canada currently sits at No. 17 on the list, said federal Tourism Minister Melanie Joly, at Table Rock Centre in Niagara Falls on November 12.

Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna, who will chair the group, agreed, saying, “we can grow this industry much larger than it is today.” In Niagara, about 2,800 businesses and 40,000 jobs are dependent to some extent on tourism.

Read more in the Welland Tribune

Senate Committee to Probe Statistics Canada’s Request for Canadians’ Banking Data

Following confirmation that Statistics Canada intends to compel major financial institutions to provide detailed customer banking information, the Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce announced that it will hold at least one hearing to hear views on whether such information should be required by Statistics Canada.

A recent Global News report revealed that Statistics Canada is seeking full details of every banking transaction made by 500,000 Canadians over a designated period, without their consent. Statistics Canada told Global that responses to its surveys are low; the agency said the data will be used to track household spending and consumer trends, and that the data collected will be made anonymous.

Read more from the Senate

Entrepreneurship: It is an Ongoing Evolution

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week, which commemorates the power entrepreneurs have to transform economies worldwide. To celebrate, Nicole Verkindt, an entrepreneur, a board member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and CEO of OMX, has shared with us her perspective on Canadian entrepreneurship.

“Being an entrepreneur in Canada has changed enormously since I started out a decade ago. There is now a much larger community and ecosystem around entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs. There is a lot more support for both entrepreneurship and the merits of embracing innovation,” said Nicole.

Read More from the CCC

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To contact your local insurance rep, call Jim Garrett or Cindy Haines at 905-468-8575

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MEMBER 2 MEMBER SAVINGS PROGRAM

Many other Chamber of Commerce members feature discounts and special offers — tailored specifically for other GNCC members. Check out the full Member 2 Member database. If you’d like to add an offer for your company, sign in to your account. You can add and update your offer any time you wish.

BUSINESS SAVINGS PROGRAMS

The GNCC offers many business resources that are regionally, provincially or nationally endorsed – programs offered to Chamber Members through the OCC (Ontario Chamber of Commerce) or the CCC (Canadian Chamber of Commerce). Affinity programs include the Chamber Group Insurance, FedEx savings, Gales Gas discounts, Desjardins payroll service, Chase Paymentech and FirstData merchant services, etc. For more information click HERE.

If your organization is interested in partnering with the GNCC on an affinity program, please feel free to reach out to Mishka Balsom, CEO, at mishka@gncc.ca.

GNCC REFERRAL PROGRAM

From the beginning, the GNCC has grown because of your word-of-mouth support.

This Referral Program is our way of saying thanks.

Get your choice of a $25 Starbucks Gift Card for every new member you refer and who joins the Chamber -OR- $50 in GNCC Cash for every new member you refer and joins the Chamber towards GNCC ads, sponsorship or event tickets.

More program information HERE.