Education Takes Flight at Niagara District Airport

Shay Vidal has lofty ambitions. “I want to fly a plane,” said the Grade 8 student at St. Michael Catholic Elementary School. It’s a dream shared by his classmates Marcus De Torres, who hopes to one-day fly fighter jets, and David Shirley, who said he signed up for air cadets in the hopes of flying.

They joined students from Denis Morris, Lakeshore Catholic, Notre Dame, Holy Cross and Saint Francis high schools at Niagara District Airport Wednesday to celebrate Niagara Catholic District School Board and the airport commission’s new partnership to allow grades 11 and 12 students to participate in an aviation and aerospace specialist high skills major program at the airport.

Read more in the Niagara Falls Review

Free Seminar: Retirement Has Changed; What’s Your Next Move?

When you retire, will you volunteer? Work part-time? Go back to school? Whatever you decide, you need to be financially prepared. Edward Jones can help you find your retirement reality at their free seminar on November 1, presented by Nicolle Lalonde.

This seminar discusses how to take inventory of current assets and determine how much money investors may need during retirement. Explore how to organize and record your financial assets, setting realistic goals for retirement spending, and what to do if you’re not where you’d like to be.

Find out more

Canada Games Torch Coming to St. Catharines

Seven athletes and sports enthusiasts will get their moment with the Canada Games torch this weekend. As part of the MNP Canada Games Torch Relay, the Roly McLenahan Torch will be stopping in St. Catharines on Saturday. The public is invited to share in the celebrations as the relay kicks off at 10 a.m. at Market Square.

The torch relay started in Ottawa where it was lit by the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. It’s now making its way across the country, stopping in at 48 communities along the way. St. Catharines and the Niagara region will be the fourth stop on the relay, following its Ottawa kickoff, as well as stops in Halifax, N.S., and Montreal, Que. It will head off to London, Ont., after leaving Niagara.

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Red Roof Retreat Program Targets Youth Mental Health

Youths who are struggling with mental health problems will soon find help at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Red Roof Retreat. The charitable agency that provides a range of respite and recreational programs to children, youths and young adults with special needs and their families in Niagara announced on Tuesday plans for a new initiative targeting the mental health of young people.

Red Roof Retreat is also holding their annual Fall Open House on Saturday, October 20. More information on Red Roof Retreat’s programs will be available then, and in November, they will host an information night for the community to learn more about the goals and objectives of this new initiative.

Find out more

Pathstone Mental Health selected as recipient of 2019 Many Hands Project

Pathstone Mental Health has been selected as the 22nd recipient of Niagara College’s Many Hands project. The annual project sees Niagara College students support a local community non-profit organization with fundraising, marketing and public awareness of the agency.

Throughout the 2018/2019 academic year, students in Niagara College’s Event Management (Graduate Certificate) program as part of their studies will plan, manage and host four unique events to support Pathstone, including a vintage-themed music trivia night, a comedy evening, a designer-purse bingo event and a wellness event that pairs yoga with mimosas.

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Masquerade for Big Brothers Big Sisters

Join Big Brothers Big Sisters St. Catharines, Thorold & District and Darren Stoute Catering and the Garrison House for a Masquerade on November 2, 2018. Held at the historic Court House in Niagara-on-the-Lake, local chefs will demonstrate why you do not need to leave the Niagara Region for sumptuous food and delicious wine.

There will be fun and frivolity for all who attend all for a great cause! Wearing a mask is only the beginning! Keep your eyes on their Facebook and Twitterprofiles as Darren and David reveal who will be participating in this event.

Find out more

Do You Have What It Takes to Beat the Brainiacs?

Join the Education Foundation of Niagara for an evening of rip-roaring fun and brain-tickling trivia at their Beat the Brainiacs Trivia Night on November 8 at Hernder Estate Winery.

Early Bird tickets are available until October 26. The evening includes pizza, snacks, and great fun. To book your table now, contact Nicole Smith at nicole.smith@dsbn.org or call 905-641-2929 extension 37710.

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Storm Hair Group Raises Funds for Client with Lyme Disease

About 4 million Canadians have either been diagnosed or know someone who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease. On November 10, Storm Hair Group is holding a fundraiser for Lorrie McKay, a loyal, long-time client of theirs who was recently diagnosed with the disease.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will help Lorrie with her treatment which is not funded in Ontario at this time. Consequently, Lorrie has to travel to the United States for her treatment. The fundraiser will include door prizes, raffles, and more. If you are interested in helping out, please download their flyer.

Find out more

Avoiding Expensive Tax Mistakes When Buying Property from Non-Residents

In this month’s blog, independent consultant Balaji Katlai takes a look at a court appeal of a withholding tax that was levied following purchase of a condominium in Toronto from a non-resident. The appeal was heard in December 2017 and was dismissed with costs totalling $92,000. Why was this punitive outcome levied on the buyer?

In short, the seller had not obtained a clearance certification nor had the legal representative of the buyer deducted a withholding tax. The buyer was held liable for this tax, which is 25% of the gross sale, as per the law. Such reporting failures can lead to potentially punitive tax costs to the buyer.

Read more in Balaji Katlai’s blog

Engaging Canadians: Statistics Canada’s National Dialogue

During the third week of October, Statistics Canada will host its first ever ‘Engaging Canadians: Statistics Canada’s National Dialogue’ featuring online consultations, over 110 virtual forums, teleconferences and round-table discussions in 19 cities across the country with businesses, students, academics, public servants, journalists, citizens and others.

Statistics Canada has invited the public to complete a short online survey for their National Consultations Week 2018. The views and suggestions provided from the survey will help guide changes to modernize the country’s statistical agency and ensure that the public’s needs are met. All personal information created, held or collected by the agency is protected by the Privacy Act.

Take the survey

Ontario Chamber Celebrates Outstanding Ontario Businesses

The 2018 Ontario Business Achievement Awards will be celebrated on November 21, 2018 at the Liberty Grand in Toronto. This year’s OBAAs will celebrate the inspiring accomplishments of Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser, the pioneers of Ontario’s wine renaissance, through the very first OBAA Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Brock University.

The OBAAs will also feature a charity auction with proceeds going to Wounded Warriors to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Italian campaign and the sacrifices made by thousands of Ontarians.

See the Finalists

Insurance Industry & Calgary Chamber Launch Tool to Prepare Small Businesses for Disasters

The Insurance Bureau of Canada launched a new, one-of-a-kind tool to help businesses prepare for natural disasters. Business owners can take a free diagnostic survey that will assess their level of preparedness and provide recommendations for improvements.

“Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our community and their ability to recover from a disaster directly impacts local, provincial and national economies,” said Celyeste Power, Acting Vice-President, Western. “These online tools will help businesses assess their risk exposure and detail the role that insurance plays in preparing for and recovering from a disaster.”

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If you’re thinking of adding group benefits to your company, there are a lot of good reasons to put your Chamber membership to work for you. Not the least is exclusivity: only members have access to the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan®.

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.