Chamber This Week – September 9, 2016
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September 9, 2016 |
Submissions? email brad@gncc.ca |
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Fall Classic Golf Tournament
September 12, 2016 • 11:00am—8:00pm
St. Catharines Golf & Country Club
St. Catharines
Table Talks
September 15, 2016 • 12:00pm—1:30pm
Johnny Rocco’s Italian Grill & Restaurant, 271 Merritt Street
Niagara Falls
Savour Niagara
September 22, 2016 • 6:00pm—10:00pm
Niagara District Airport
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Lunch & Learn
7 Ways to Make your Customer Experience Sweeter than Christmas Morning
September 27, 2016
Best Western Hotel and Conference Centre
2 North Service Rd., St. Catharines
Business After Five
October 4, 2016 • 5:00pm—7:00pm
Royal LePage
Niagara Real Estate Centre
33 Maywood Ave., St. Catharines
No registration required
Women in Business Awards
October 14, 2016 • 11:00am — 2:00pm
Crowne Plaza
Niagara Falls
NEW
MEMBERS
Please join us in welcoming the new members who joined in August 2016!
MEMBER
OFFERS
MEDIA
PARTNERS
GNCC
ADVOCACY
Ontario in the Red — Part I
The Ontario government owes a lot of money, currently over three hundred billion dollars. Why did they borrow all this money? Who did they borrow it all from? Is it too much to handle, and do we need to panic?
In this first edition, we’ll look at the size of the debt and what it means to our members.
Dual-Direct Representation for St. Catharines
Niagara Region and Niagara’s municipal councils will shortly discuss allowing dual-direct councillors for St. Catharines. At the GNCC, we would like to know what you think of this issue. Please take our very quick two-question survey and let us know.
This will not affect any other municipality, nor does it change the representation St. Catharines will have in regional council. It will simply mean that the six St. Catharines regional councillors are also city councillors. The total number of councillors on city and on the regional council will stay the same as the measure would combine the two roles.
Port Colborne City Council Waives Sidewalk Encroachment Fees
After previous advocacy work from the GNCC, Port Colborne City Council directed staff to review the sidewalk encroachment fee schedule in the city.
On top of the highest property taxes for neighbourhood stores anywhere in Niagara, these fees were making it hard to do business in the city.
President Clinton, Canada, and You
Since we’re almost certain to have a President Clinton in 2017, and not a President Trump, what would that mean for Canada and Canadian business?
What we can probably expect is mostly a continuation of Obama-style governance and policy. On balance, that’s not a bad thing.
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement
It’s not NAFTA. It’s not CETA. It’s not TPP. This is a new free trade agreement just for Canada, between the provinces and territories. What is it, and what does it mean?
On July 22nd, the 13 premiers reached an agreement-in-principle on the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) at Whitehorse, Yukon…
What would a Trump Presidency Mean to Canada?
With the conventions wrapped up, it’s now official — Donald Trump is the Republican Party candidate for President of the United States
The odds that he’ll win the election are very slim (at best), but why, and what would a Trump victory mean for Canada?
MEMBER
PARTNERS
Members
In the News
Stand Out, Win Trust & Gain Credibility
Join author and TED Talk Alumni Mark Bowden for a new Inspirational Speaker Series presented by Barbara Devine, founder of Professional Image By Design.
This is a unique opportunity to hear a world renowned expert and author on Human Behavior, Body Language and Communication. Mark is highly entertaining and will share his world class communication techniques that teach how to use the most influential nonverbal language to stand out, win trust and gain credibility every time you speak.
Get your brushes ready for Paint Nite Niagara
Join the Pen Centre’s Behind Closed Doors charity Paint Nite this coming Saturday Sept. 10th in support of 7 local charities! Paint, shop and give back to the community.
Ticket holders in attendance will receive exclusive discounts, sales and promotions, free product and food samples, live roaming entertainment and so much more!
Do you have the Hardest Shot?
Hockey season is just around the corner. This year you can prove you belong in the ranks of Boom Boom Geoffrion and Al MacInnis by taking part in the Hardest Shot Challenge.
Hardest Shot IV opens on Fri. Sept. 16 at 3:30pm in the Sears Concourse at the Pen Centre with St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik.
Let Them Fly! Disc Golf Tournament
St.Catharines Right to Life wants to invite you to try out a fun “new” sport! (It’s been around for 40 years) — Disc golf! It’s like regular golf, but played with frisbees!
This is your opportunity to learn how to play, almost everyone coming will be a beginner! The tournament will be held at the Centennial Gardens Disc Golf Course in St. Catharines. All proceeds go to St. Catharines Right to Life.
Verbatim Expo brings Next Gen Den, entrepreneurs to Niagara
The first annual Verbatim Exposition will take place on Sept. 15, 2016, at Queen’s Landing Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The keynote speaker will be Dragons’ Den: Next Gen cast member Nicole Verkindt.
The Expo will be a gathering of students, successful business leaders, and entrepreneurs from leading post-secondary institutions and up-and-coming companies.
Superhero Run for Niagara Children’s Centre
Grab your cape for the 2nd Annual Superhero Run|Walk in support of Niagara Children’s Centre!
The Superhero Run|Walk is an interactive day of fun featuring Superhero Race Marshalls, fully-accessible child-friendly activities, inflatables, food, and more.
MEMBER
OFFERS
Please visit gncc.ca for more stories. Have a submission? Send it to brad@gncc.ca
Network
News
Building the Skills to Pay the Bills (and Rule the World)
What’s the best way to improve the skills of the Canadian workforce? Consider that 65% of children now entering grade school will end up working in careers that haven’t even been invented yet and that a young person entering the workforce today will change jobs 15 times in her career
Canada has excellent colleges and universities, but none of us really know what skills are needed in the future. How, then, can we prepare people for a lifetime of learning and new ideas?
5 Minutes for Business: The End of Growth
It’s August, and everyone’s least favorite summertime ritual is here—it’s the annual revising down of global growth forecasts.
The trouble is rich countries: they’re just not growing fast enough. From jobs and wages to pension returns and tax revenue, we depend on growth in the 3%–range. We expect it to return and, every year, we’re disappointed.
OCC Releases “Breaking Barriers: Ontario’s Scale Up Challenge”
Breaking Barriers: Ontario’s Scale Up Challenge identifies the major roadblocks preventing Ontario businesses from expanding and presents recommendations to best support business owners in taking their ventures to the next stage of growth.
According to the report, based on interviews…
Strategic Framework For Tourism In Ontario
Ontario’s tourism industry is a critical economic driver in many communities across the province. In 2012, total tourism receipts exceeded $28 billion and the industry supported almost 360,000 jobs in all regions of the province.
More importantly, however, we see the tourism industry’s potential for growth…
OCC Releases Passport to Prosperity
The OCC has released Passport to Prosperity, documenting its recommendations on immigration reform.
The recommendations aim to increase Canada’s global competitiveness and close the skills gap by making Canada and Ontario more receptive and flexible when it comes to welcoming skilled and talented immigrants…
Crystal Ball Report: Canada In A Volative World: Economic And Political Outlook For 2016-2017
The Crystal Ball Report examines the most significant economic, political and technological issues facing Canadian business in order to forecast critical opportunities and challenges in the years ahead.
This report is the culmination of extensive research and input from businesses across Canada and from the global experts who helped us gaze into the crystal ball. …
Renewing
Members
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
Try the purest, freshest water available — one month absolutely FREE! Experience the taste of clean water AND discover why so many homes, schools, and businesses love H2Only… it’s the service! No contracts, no set schedules. You call, we deliver the following business day. That simple since 1995!
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!
