Chamber This Week – January 20, 2017
January 20, 2017 | Submissions? email brad@gncc.ca |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
State of the City
January 26, 2017 • 11:00am—2:00pm
Meridian Centre
1 IceDogs Way
St. Catharines
Lunch and Learn: NAFTA – 20 Years Later
January 31, 2017 • 12:00pm—1:30pm
Coppola’s Ristorante & Banquet Facility
203 Carlton Street
St. Catharines
Business After 5
St. Catharines Club
February 7, 2017 • 5:00pm—7:00pm
77 Ontario St., St. Catharines
Full BA5 Schedule coming soon!
Niagara Chinese Business Council
Inaugural Business Dinner
February 9, 2017 • 5:00pm—9:00pm
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Parkway Conference Centre
327 Ontario 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:
FALL 2016
Please join us in welcoming the new members who joined in Fall 2016!
Member Spotlight:
Ferrante Framing
Voted Readers’ Choice #1 Framer in Niagara (2016)
Since opening its doors in 1992, Ferrante Picture Framing has established itself as the best custom-framing store in the region by virtue of being selected Niagara’s number-one choice for custom framing in numerous “readers’ choice” surveys.
Family owned and operated, Joe Ferrante handles all custom framing as well as conservation framing, limited edition prints, needlework stretching, oil painting (stretching & framing), diploma framing, poster framing, and object framing of war medals, magazines, books, sports jerseys, christening gowns or anything worthy of displaying.
As they say, “You name it, we frame it.”
Great customer service is what sets Ferrante Picture Framing apart from big box stores. At Ferrante Picture Framing, you’re always dealing with the same person, Joe Ferrante. With over 40 years of framing experience, Joe helps you choose your framing, does your framing and is there when you pick up your framing — unlike those big box stores whose workers may have little or no framing experience!
Pick up, Delivery & Hanging Services are always available — whether Ferrante Picture Framing framed the items or not!
Ferrante Picture Framing serves as an authorized dealer for Niagara-on-the-Lake artist Trisha Romance, Toronto artist James Lumbers, as well as local artist George Upper. They also handle “Scenes of Niagara,” an exclusive collection of custom framed black-and-white photographs taken in the Niagara area including images of the Horseshoe Falls, the Port Dalhousie Lighthouse, the Niagara on the Lake Gazebo and the Welland Canal.
Ferrante Picture Framing is also an authorized Plak-It dealer (since 1992) providing the best Plak-mounting service, including a fast three-business-day turn around on regular Plak mounting. Looking for your image to be printed on Canvas, Acrylic or Aluminum? Just ask for a quote.
Ferrante Home is also your source for Unique Home Accessories. Discover very unique giftware, perfect for a house warming gift or for any gift giving occasion!
With over 40 years of custom framing experience, great customer service, and the best price, it’s a difficult combination to beat. Ferrante Picture Framing: serving Niagara for all your Custom Framing needs.
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.
Niagara-US trade built on enduring relationships
Thomas Beach is an optimist. He has to be. Currency markets, business shocks and surprises must be deftly navigated in his world. So the shock-election of Donald Trump as America’s next president won’t change things for his Grimsby company.
“I have relationships that I believe in,” said Beach, president of Handling Specialty. “And I believe they will outlive a short-term ripple effect of Trump’s appointment.”
NextNiagara: 2016 Year in Review
The end of a year can be bittersweet…reflection of the year that has passed (not wanting it to be over just yet) and excitement about the year ahead (anticipation for all that it will bring).
“This year I had the privilege of working with some amazing members of the emerging generation and supporting a number of awesome initiatives that were led by the NEXTNiagara council,” said NEXTNiagara chair Stephanie Harper.
GNCC works for fee review in Port Colborne
On November 14th in Port Colborne, the GNCC represented local businesses shocked by a 350 per cent rise in fire inspection fees since last year. In his address to Port Colborne City Council, Policy & Government Relations Manager Hugo Chesshire remarked that for the affected businesses, Port Colborne already levied the highest taxes in Niagara at 25 per cent more than the regional average.
Taxes and user fees represent opposite ends of a continuum, he said, and while high taxes represent a view that the public goods of government ought to be paid for by all, high fees reflect a belief that government services ought to be funded by those who benefit most. However, it was unfair to charge both.
Members
In the News
Elvis will be in the house… in support of 8 fabulous charities
A tribute to Elvis with a twist! World-renowned performer Roy Leblanc will bring Elvis to life with over 40 songs and dozens of costume changes.
Eight charities will benefit from this event, including Pathstone, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Niagara Regional Sexual Assault Centre, Community Care, Community Living, Red Roof Retreat, Lions/Lioness Guide Dog Program and Bethlehem Place.
Canada Summer Jobs application period extended
Canada Summer Jobs is a Government of Canada initiative. It provides funding for not-for-profit organizations, public sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees to create summer jobs for students between the ages of 15 and 30.
All eligible employers are invited to apply for funding by February 3. You can submit your application online, by mail or in person at any Service Canada Centre.
Advocating for Excellency at Black History Dinner
The Welland Heritage Council and Multicultural Centre, partnered with TOES Niagara, is holding a Black History Dinner on Friday February 10, 2017. This fun-filled and educational evening will celebrate Black History Month while Advocating for Excellency, the theme of this dinner event.
Funds raised from this event will go towards a scholarship that will be awarded to a student pursuing post-secondary education. Dr. Charles Conteh of Brock University’s political science department will deliver the keynote address.
Welding & SIC Programs from NPAAMB
The Niagara Peninsula Aboriginal Area Management Board is offering a number of Information Sessions on their 15-Week Welding Pre-Apprenticeship and Specialized Independent Competencies Programs.
Upcoming sessions are being held on January 26 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, February 14 in St. Catharines, and Febryart 17 in Fort Erie. As well, sessions are also available in Hamilton, Brantford and Kitchener-Waterloo
Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program
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!
Many Hands Multimedia Trivia Event: Been There, Scene That!
Been There, Scene That brings you a red carpet multimedia experience with classic movie theatre elements. Enjoy an evening of trivia combining questions from movies, music and television from the past 60 years.
Come as a star — or come as you are. This Many Hands Project event is organized by the students of Niagara College’s Event Management program
Network
News
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.
Keep Calm and Climate On
The fight against climate change had what we in the biz like to call “momentum.” Countries agreed to limit rising temperatures in the UN’s 2015 Paris Agreement. Two other deals were struck to check emissions. The world was on a roll!
This undoubtedly pleased the Prime Minister, who champions action on climate change both at home and abroad. But political climates can change even faster than global ones and some cold winds are blowing on Canada now.
Renewing MEMBERS:
FALL 2016
The following members renewed their membership in autumn 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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Contact: 905-934-0966
sales@h2only.ca
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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!
MEMBER
PARTNERS
