Chamber This Week – January 27, 2017
January 27, 2017 | Submissions? email brad@gncc.ca |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
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!
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
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
Offers
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Member Spotlight:
Niagara Segway
Niagara Region Segway Tours – Leasing – Sales & Service
Niagara Segway was founded in 2012 by Archie Hardie and Gloria Lawson. The main focus is guided Segway tours in the Niagara area. Our tours are all by reservation and consist of tours along the Welland Canals Parkway which includes a narative of its history or a tour of Rennie and Jaycee Parks in Port Dalhousie where the canals began. At present our only vineyard tour is at Henry of Pelham which includes one hour on the Segways through the vineyards, a narative of the history on the property and ending with wine tasting.
Visit Niagara Segway online at www.niagarasegway.ca or call 289-213-1532. To see pictures of their many guests visit the Niagara Segway Facebook page.
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.
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.”
Members
In the News
Up to 80% of the cost of our Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program could be funded through Canada Ontario Job Grant
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.
Niagara’s population retention efforts need to focus on a wider age range
Contrary to popular belief, the population of 20-somethings in Niagara is increasing, so efforts to attract and keep young people in the region need to be extended to more age groups, new Brock University-led research shows.
Youth attraction initiatives in communities tend to focus on those in the 20-29 age bracket. However, the Niagara population of people in their 20s has actually grown over the past 15 years, says the latest Niagara Community Observatory brief, titled Growing Niagara: A closer look at Niagara’s aging population.
Denim, Diamonds & Diplomas
The Denim, Diamonds & Diplomas Gala is returning on February 11 for a second year! The evening will include great food and entertainment to raise money for the Education Foundation of Niagara’s DSBN Academy bursary fund.
Wear your favourite pair of jeans, and glitz them up with your best jewelry! Denim, Diamonds & Diplomas is proudly hosted by the Brock Leaders Citizenship Society, a group of academically driven students at Brock University with a passion for community service and philanthropy.
Welding & SIC Programs from NPAAMB
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.
Chorus Niagara holds 11th Annual Singathon
Chorus Niagara holds the 11th annual Singathon Fundraiser again this year at ‘The Most Famous Food Court in the World,’ Welland’s Seaway mall. Singathon is a continuous 5 hour marathon of choral performance where their YouTube viral fame began.
The public is invited to attend this free concert with celebrity conductors. Each year several community leaders take up the baton to conduct the 100 voices of Chorus Niagara with some tips from Artistic Director Robert Cooper. The choir will sing selections from their repertoire including the famed Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.
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.
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.
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
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:
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
www.h2only.ca
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
