Chamber This Week – February 14, 2017
February 13, 2017 | Submissions? email brad@gncc.ca |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Table Talks
February 16, 2017 • 12:00pm—1:30pm
Big Marco’s Italian Restaurant
274 Fourth Ave.
St. Catharines
Learning Session with Brandon Currie:
Ensure You Have Money For Life
February 17, 2017 • 12:00pm—2:00pm
Coppola’s Ristorante & Banquet Facility
203 Carlton Street
St. Catharines
Mind The Gap:Is there a skills gap? Understanding what Niagara employers are looking for in recent graduates
February 28, 2017 • 9:00am—11:00am
Pond Inlet
Brock University
St. Catharines
Lunch and Learn: Sales is a Give and Take
February 28, 2017 • 12:00pm—1:30pm
Coppola’s Ristorante & Banquet Facility
203 Carlton Street
St. Catharines
International Women’s Day
March 3, 2017 • 11:00am—2:00pm
Club Roma
125 Vansickle Road
St. Catharines
State of the Region
March 24, 2017 • 11:00am—2:00pm
John Michael’s Banquet & Conference Centre
1368 Uppers Lane
Thorold
NEW MEMBERS:
January 2017
Please join us in welcoming the new members who joined in January 2017.
Member
Offers
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GNCC
NEWS
Trio crafts spirits from passion
Niagara Falls Craft Distillers has opened its doors with a trio of offerings crafted by GNCC Chair Ian Kowalchuk, Andy Murison, and Chris Jeffries.
Kowalchuk has degrees in business and sciences, including a recently obtained MBA from Brock University. He is actively involved in community organizations, and is currently chair of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.
Balsom on 610 CKTB Roundtable with Tim Denis
On January 26, Mishka Balsom joined Tim Denis on 610 CKTB for their morning Round Table, where the history of the State of the City and the record attendance for this year’s address were both discussed.
The mayor’s annual address to the business community was held for the first time at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines. Over 500 people attended the event.
Niagara: The Land of Opportunity
“I’ve had many opportunities to meet and collaborate with amazing organizations and individuals who share a great passion for engaging Niagara’s emerging generation in community leadership,” says NEXTNiagara chair Rachel Crane.
Crane compiled a list of amazing contributions these community-minded people have made in our community, specifically with a focus on governance.
Teresa Cascioli to speak at International Women’s Day
Teresa Cascioli is one of Canada’s top business minds. She is the former CEO of Lakeport Brewing, who took the company from bankruptcy to a $201 million sale, and the author of M is for Money, a book series that introuduces children to the world of financial literacy
Cascioli has been featured on Profit and Chatelaine Magazine’s lists of Canada’s most successful women and was named one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women. She will speak on March 3 at the International Women’s Day celebration, held this year at Club Roma in St. Catharines.
Balsom: Go outside the box with tax system
Ontario’s cap and trade program went into effect on Jan. 1. At Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, we recognize the importance of fighting climate change and passing on a habitable planet to our children, and we acknowledge that costs for some services will have to rise.
What we don’t accept are policies conceived and implemented in isolation, without balancing incentives to businesses that would stimulate growth and investment.
Pitch series will ignite businesses
Entrepreneurs from across the region will have their chance to pitch their business ideas to win money and prizes to help get their enterprise off the ground in a series of Niagara’s own pitch competitions.
This year, Meridian Credit Union has partnered with Niagara College and the GNCC to support these local entrepreneurs through the Meridian Ignite! series, including Niagara College’s Pitch Perfect competition, the Startup Weekend event and the the GNCC’s Ignite pitch competition.
Members
In the News
Niagara 2021 Canada Games Bid
The Niagara Sport Commission would like to let you know that Niagara has been selected as one of four finalists for hosting the 2021 Canada Summer Games. We are up against Kitchener-Waterloo, Sudbury, and Ottawa.
We will find out on Thursday, March 30, 2017 what community will be awarded the games.
Our bid is strong and with your support it can even be stronger! Please take 30 seconds to sign-up and show your support.
Calling All Food & Beverage Makers
On March 2nd & 3rd, 2017 the Agri-food Management Institute is hosting the Food & Beverage Convention: Niagara 2017, a robust conference for food and beverage processing businesses.
The conference theme is “Growing your Business” and will work to prepare small— to medium—sized processing enterprises for further expansion and export opportunities by learning from leading business experts.
Flatwater Centre plans for most active season
The 2017 event season will be the busiest yet for the Welland International Flatwater Centre as it prepares to host 32 events along Welland Recreational Waterway between April and December.
The events’ size and scope will range from small camps to regional and provincial competitions and two national championships. One of the key highlights will be Canoe Polo Welland 2017 taking place in September, which will serve as a test event for the 2018 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships.
Walk The Coldest Night of the Year
The Coldest Night of the Year is a fantastically fun, family-friendly 2, 5 or 10km walk that raises money for the hungry, homeless and hurting in 80+ communities across Canada.
Proceeds raised will support Project SHARE’s emergency services and provide participants the opportunity to experience a hint of the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness in their own community. All walkers receive a signature Coldest Night of the Year toque, welcome swag and a light hot meal and beverages.
Seaway Mall Job Fair February 28
Register your booth today for the largest job fair event in Niagara. Almost 100 employers have already registered for this event — click here to see the list.
The job fair is open to the public and there is no fee for employers. For more information contact Melissa Wilson, Job Gym.
Funding available for Professional Development Courses
The Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program is a collaboration between the GNCC and the Goodman School of Business’s Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise Education (CIMEE) at Brock University.
Are you part of an organization looking to invest in your employees? An individual seeking to advance to leadership positions? A leader in Niagara looking to expand your professional development? Then this program is for you. Newly announced, the Canada Ontario Job Grant may cover up to 80% of the cost of the program.
Network
News
The year when populism meets policy
If 2016 was the year of Populist Surprise (none of us predicted Brexit or the victory of Mr. Trump), then 2017 will be the year of Populist Policy. More precisely, this will be the year we find out whether this global wave of populism will translate into concrete policies.
A new U.S. president has taken office and his supporters’ expectations are beyond sky-high. Mr. Trump didn’t just promise to strengthen the economy, he promised a people’s revolution to bring back manufacturing and coal mines… and “unleash massive wealth for American workers.”
Closing the Tourism Gap
On November 17, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has released new data that reveals a significant tourism opportunity gap when compared to international growth rates.
According to the organization’s report, Closing the Tourism Gap: Creating a Long-Term Advantage for Ontario, Ontario has foregone nearly $16 billion in visitor spending between 2006 and 2012 by not keeping up with global growth trends.
Mr. Trump and the Economy: Making Bond Yields Great Again
Market reaction to Mr. Trump’s victory has been mixed, but one part of the world economy is unambiguously grumpy. In the month following his surprise election win, a staggering $1.7 trillion was been wiped off global bond markets.
So what does it mean for Canadian business? Who cares if bond yields rise? We do. Canadian rates closely follow those in the U.S.
Renewing MEMBERS:
January 2017
The following members renewed their membership in January for another year. Thank you for supporting the Chamber — and supporting business in Niagara.
MEMBER
PROGRAMS
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.
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PARTNERS
