| July 21, 2017 | Submissions? email brad@gncc.ca |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
WIN Connect
Presented by FirstOntario Business
July 27, 2017 • 5:00pm—7:00pm
The St. Catharines Club
77 Ontario St., St. Catharines
Business Breakfast Before 9
August 23, 2017 • 7:15am—9:00am
Hilton Garden Inn
500 York Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Business After 5
Hosted in September by Greg Frewin Theatre
September 5, 2017 • 5:00pm—7:00pm
5781 Ellen Ave.
Niagara Falls
Fall Classic Golf Tournament
September 11, 2017 • 11:00am—8:00pm
St. Catharines Golf & Country Club
70 Westchester Ave.
St. Catharines
Priceless 2017 • Save the Date!
September 21, 2017 • 6:30pm—9:30pm
13th Street Winery
1776 Fourth Ave.
St. Catharines
Niagara Economic Summit • Save The Date!
October 26, 2017 • 7:00am—2:00pm
White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa
253 Taylor Road
Niagara-on-the-Lake
NEW MEMBERS:
JUNE 2017
Please join us in welcoming the new members who joined in June 2017.
MEMBER
OFFERS
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CHAMBER
ADVOCACY
GNCC Advocates For Evidence-Based Policy, Warns Of Dangers In Bill 148 Standing Committee Hearing
On July 19th, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs convened a public hearing in Niagara Falls to gather community input on Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act (2017). The GNCC represented the interests of Niagara’s employers.
The Act includes a large number of changes to Ontario’s labour law, including raising the minimum wage to $15/hr. The GNCC noted that the pace of this change was unprecedented, and while Seattle, New York, and California have opted to phase a similar increase in over four to six years, Ontario will complete the bulk of the increase within only seven months.
Chamber Concerns Slammed at Hearing
Concerns about the impact Ontario’s proposed minimum wage hike could have on businesses were described as too pessimistic and “a bit too one-sided,” during a hearing to discuss the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act 2017, Wednesday.
“The only thing I’m struck with was just your negative pessimism about Niagara and Ontario,” Ontario’s parliamentary assistant to the minister of labour MPP Mike Colle told Mishka Balsom, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer.
Hamilton’s poverty activists clash with business groups, Tory MPPs over labour reforms
Hamilton poverty activists encouraged the province’s all-party committee studying the Liberal’s labour reforms that they don’t go far enough to help the 1.7 million working poor in the province.
But Progressive Conservatives and business representatives countered bumping the minimum wage up to $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019, providing two paid sick days, and making it easier to unionize is going “too fast, too soon” and will result in job losses and businesses closing starting next year.
MEMBERS
IN THE NEWS
Rankin’s humble roots lead to humbling award
Tom Rankin’s parents didn’t have much to give, but they still taught him the importance of giving. “You’ve heard the expression, ‘Poor as church mice.’ We were,” he said.
And through it all, Rankin learned how important it was to give back to the community he calls home. Thursday, Rankin’s interest in giving back to his community earned him the recognition of Niagara’s community leaders. He was selected as the recipient of Niagara’s 15th T. Roy Adams Humanitarian Award.
Innovation Insights: I am Finally Home
Since he was a child, Masoud Reza Aziminajjar had a dream to live in Canada. “Innovate Niagara, introduced to me by [Canada Immigration and Citizenship], gave me a great support system and paved the way for my success in life and business, and helped me to prepare myself for a new chapter in my life,” said Masoud.
“…A warm welcome from Innovate Niagara and the amazing people of St. Catharines, removed all the tension and very soon this amazing country became the only place that I proudly call home.”
Local florist team thanking volunteers
Volunteers who help care for Niagara’s homeless and distressed animals are receiving a token of appreciation from a local team of florists who want to acknowledge the importance of their work.
The staff of VanNoort Flower Studio in Virgil have worked on their own time this week to put together 475 bouquets to deliver to volunteers who help out at the Niagara Falls, Lincoln County and Welland humane societies, and the Fort Erie SPCA.
Cullen Auto Group wins CADA Laureate dealer recognition award
Canadian Automobile Dealers Association Chairman Marc Bourassa has announced that Brian J. Cullen of Cullen Auto Group, St. Catharines, ON, has won the CADA Laureate dealer recognition award for 2017 in the category of Ambassadorship.
The Laureate award is considered to be the highest honour a new car and truck dealer can receive over the course of his or her career. “The Laureate is a true industry award,” said Bourassa. “It is the only recognition program for new car and truck dealers in Canada that spans all franchises.”
SummerFest Wellspring 2017
The SummerFest Concert for Wellspring returns on July 30 at the Port Dalhousie Legion. The event will featured live music including Battered Egos, Big Rude Jake, Eklectic, Hidden Agenda, and more.
This fundraising event is held in support of cancer survivors and their families. Tickets are $10. The eventfeatures a BBQ, silent auction, 50/50 draw, and much more.
Working toward a more inclusive community
Ashley MacSporran has always been up front about her intentions. When she was interviewing with Brock University for the head coach position with the women’s basketball team, she made sure to say that giving back to the community would be a priority not just for her, but for her team as well.
“It’s important to me, building strong young women and especially leaders so they can go on after basketball and really excel in what is they want to do,” said Ashley.
Local businesses bracing for NAFTA renegotiation
With negotiations soon to begin on revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement, Niagara area business and industry representatives hope they aren’t left holding the short end of the stick.
In addition to issues like softwood lumber and more opportunities for U.S. financial-service providers, the U.S. wish list includes several elements that could have a direct impact on local business.
Food Starter and Niagara College offer unique mentoring expertise to budding food entrepreneurs
Generations of your family have relished Great Aunt Gertha’s seasoned gherkins, but would jars of the delicious homemade pickles fly off the local grocery store shelf?
Food Starter and Niagara College’s Canadian Food and Wine Institute specialists may help you come up with the answer. The two have combined culinary skills and business marketing expertise to offer Food Business Feasibility workshops to budding entrepreneurs.
Niagara Construction Association hosting Member Appreciation Day
On September 20, the Niagara Construction Association is hosting a Member Appreciation Day at Club Roma in St. Catharines. This event is an opportunity to meet other NCN members, build your network and discover new businesses and friends.
The day will include a member showcase, a Canadian BBQ, Canadian 150 Trivia, and more. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Under the Tuscan Sun: Welland Mayor’s Charity Event
The 2017 Welland Mayor’s Charity Event, Under the Tuscan Sun will be held on Saturday, October 28, 2017 at Casa Dante Lodge #19. Proceeds from the event will support Niagara Nutrition Partners, YMCA Pro Kids Program, Family & Children Services Sponsorship Fund, and another youth organization to be chosen by the Presenting Sponsor.
Proceeds from 2016 Welland Mayor’s Charity Event totaled over $16,000. Sponsorship is still available for this event; sponsors will receive exposure in all promotions for this prestigious event and will be spotlighted during the event to an audience of influential community leaders.
Brock profs developing $500,000 cooling suit
Brock University and Jannatec Technologies are about to start developing a suit like something out of science-fiction. The goal? A smart suit that can non-invasively detect over-heated temperatures of its wearer and strategically cool them down in the best places for their body and mind.
Who would use such a suit? Well, it’s being developed for deep-earth miners — but the potential uses don’t stop there.
Measuring Inclusive Growth
The global economy is facing increasing levels of inequality, while growth and productivity have slowed considerably. The 47th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting called for “a deeper commitment to inclusive development and equitable growth, both nationally and globally.”
The WEF recently released the Inclusive Growth and Development Report that measures the inclusive growth performance of 109 countries by considering 12 Key Performance Indicators within three pillars.
NETWORK
NEWS
The Explosive Debate Around Minimum Wage
Big increases to minimum wage are becoming fashionable in Canada: first Alberta (from $12.20 currently to $15 in October 2018), then B.C. (from $10.35 to $11.35 in September 2017) and now Ontario (from $11.40 to $15.00 in January 2019, a 30% hike in 18 months).
Are workers better off or does it mean fewer jobs? The debate has been ferocious because economists don’t agree.
Proposed income-splitting rules could land outsized hit on small businesses
On Wednesday, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau proposed changes that would, among other things, curtail income-splitting and introduce a new regime for the taxation of passive investment.
Not surprisingly, pushback to the potential changes was immediate. KPMG, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses warned of the potential unanticipated or undesirable impact of the changes.
Stuck in Traffic for 10,000 Years: Canadian Problems that Infrastructure Investment Can Solve
Lack of proper infrastructure is leading to lost opportunities and wasted time for both companies and residents, says a new report by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Entitled Stuck in Traffic for 10,000 Years: Canadian Problems that Infrastructure Investment Can Solve, the CCC’s report examines several infrastructure challenges that government must target to keep Canada competitive.
RENEWING MEMBERS:
JUNE 2017
The following members renewed their membership in June 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.
MEMBER
PARTNERS
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