WIFC Plans For Most Active Season With 32 Scheduled Events

February 9, 2017 | Members in the News

Mayor Frank Campion, Richard Dalton (WRCC Interim General Manager), Gary Long (Welland CAO)

Mayor Frank Campion, Richard Dalton (WRCC Interim General Manager), Gary Long (Welland CAO)

The 2017 event season will be the busiest yet for the Welland International Flatwater Centre (WIFC) 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. Six different sports are represented on the schedule: canoe kayak, rowing, open water swim, triathlon, dragon boat, and canoe polo. 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 being hosted at the WIFC North course.

The wide range of events will be spread across the WIFC’s three main hosting locations: WIFC North Course, WIFC South Course (Dain City), and PenFinancial Credit Union Flatwater Community Centre at the end of Thorold Rd. From community-based initiatives, to training sessions, to hard fought competitions and championships, the activities around the Welland International Flatwater Centre will continue to be a catalyst for economic benefit to local businesses and broader community engagement. More than 12,000 athletes are expected to visit Welland and race on Welland’s Waterway in 2017, a tremendous number considering this is what we now consider a “standard” year for the WIFC.

Interim General Manager of the WRCC, Richard Dalton comments: “The WIFC is proud to continue a strong sport hosting legacy within the City of Welland into the 2017 season and beyond. Our vision for the future is firmly rooted in delivering value to the citizens of Welland through hosting superior events along the Waterway that will keep visitors and guests returning to the City every year. Each step of the way we strive to maximize the tremendous investment that Welland has made in building the Welland International Flatwater Centre, and we look forward to many years of successful events taking place in Welland”

The WRCC has benefitted from a strong partnership with the City of Welland in the recent past and works closely with City management and Council. Mayor Campion comments:  “Our full roster of events for the 2017 season is indicative of Mr. Dalton’s exemplary management of our world class venue.  We have worked effectively and cooperatively with our many local, regional, national and international rowing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming and triathlon partners to ensure another successful season on the water here in Welland.”

For more information visit www.canalcorp.ca  www.wifc.ca

– 30 –

For further information please contact:
Richard Dalton
Interim General Manager
Welland Recreational Canal Corporation
905.788.9511
info@canalcorp.ca

 

2017 Event Schedule

Be part of the action on the   waterway this summer

2017 DATES EVENT COURSE DISCIPLINE ATHLETES
April 8-9 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 30
May 6-7 RCA Junior Assessment Camp South Rowing 50
Ⓥ May 13 ROWONTARIO Spring Regatta South Rowing 240
May 14 Banana Belt Rowing Tour North Rowing 40
May 20-21 South Niagara Rowing Club High School Invitational South Rowing 1200
June 3-4 OCSRA Ontario Team Trials North Canoe Kayak 350
June 3-4 ROWONTARIO Camp South Rowing 30
June 5-8 RCA Junior Selection Camp South Rowing 40
June 10 Welland Dragon Boat Festival North Dragon Boat 600
June 17 Tony Biernacki Sr. Memorial Regatta North Rowing 250
June 17-18 OCSRA Camp South Canoe Kayak 150
June 23-25 Rose City Triathlon North Triathlon 1500
July 8-9 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 40
July 15 Central Ontario Rowing Association (CORA) Regatta South Rowing 350
Ⓥ July 16 ROWONTARIO Masters Championships North Rowing 400
Ⓥ July 18-20 North American Indigenous Games North Canoe Kayak 200
July 22 Balmy Beach Regatta North Canoe Kayak 200
July 29-30 Western Ontario Division Trials & Championships North Canoe Kayak 500
Ⓥ July 29-30 ROWONTARIO Championships South Rowing 1000
Ⓥ Aug 3-6 Canadian Dragon Boat Championships North Dragon Boat 2000
Aug 12 Triathlon Ontario Provincial Championships North Triathlon 350
Aug 13 Welland Canal Open Water Swim North Swimming 125
Ⓥ Aug 22-27 Canoe Welland 2017 – CKC National Championships North Canoe Kayak 1500
Sept 2-3 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 40
Ⓥ Sept 8-10 Canoe Polo World Championships Test Event North Canoe Polo 200
Sept 9 Welland Canal SwimRun Waterway Swim/Run 125
Sept 15-17 Niagara Falls Barrelman Triathlon Waterway Triathlon 700
Sept 23 Head of the Welland – Five Bridges Classic Waterway Rowing 500
Sept 22-24 OCSRA Camp South Canoe Kayak 40
Oct 7-8 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 40
Nov 4-5 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 40
Dec 2-3 ROWONTARIO Camp North Rowing 40

 Ⓥ This event requires WIFC Volunteers

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Rosemary Hale to Receive 2017 International Women’s Day Award

February 7, 2017 | Media Releases

The Women In Niagara (WIN) council in concert with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Rosemary Hale, an accomplished author and passionate advocate for the arts in Niagara – is this year’s recipient of the International Women’s Day Award.

The award will be bestowed to Hale during the 16th Annual International Women’s Day Luncheon, to be held on Friday, March 3, 2017 at Club Roma in St. Catharines.

“The combination of Rosemary’s commitment to expanding artistic culture in Niagara, and her caring and supportive nature of those in this industry make her a well-deserved recipient of this award, as we celebrate International Women’s Day,” says Ruth Unrau, Past Chair of WIN.

After moving to St. Catharines 16 years ago, Rosemary Hale’s passion for the arts made her a perfect fit at Brock University, where she became Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Notably, she was Brock’s first ever female Dean, and was instrumental in relocating the school’s Arts faculty to downtown St. Catharines, where the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts was established. Now retired, Hale remains dedicated to arts advocacy, but has also developed a new passion as a volunteer at Hospice Niagara, where she assists with their bereavement programs.

“Rosemary Hale is known as an affectionate force of nature, and this is evident in all that she has accomplished for our community in such a short span of time,” continues Unrau. “She championed the creation of an incredible facility for students interested in pursuing the arts, which in turn has helped redefine the downtown core as a prime destination for artistic performances. We look forward to celebrating her impressive achievements on March 3.”

WIN’s International Women’s Day event attracted over 400 attendees from across Niagara last year. The event is a chance to recognize local women who exemplify all the best qualities of leadership and whose sense of strength and ingenuity serve as an inspiration to others.

In January, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce announced Teresa Cascioli, former CEO of Lakeport Brewing and author of M is for Money, as the distinguished guest speaker for the event.

The luncheon, jointly sponsored by Performance Acura and PenFinancial Credit Union, will be held on Friday, March 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Club Roma on 125 Vansickle Rd. in St. Catharines. Tickets are $60 plus tax for members. For details and registration please visit: www.gncc.ca

—30—

Women In Niagara represents more than 18,000 women in business across Niagara. A Council of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, its mission is to foster the growth and success of women in business in Niagara.

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the champion for the Niagara business community. With over 1,600 members representing 50,000 employees, it is the largest business organization in Niagara and the third largest Chamber in Ontario. The Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada has recognized the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce with its highest level of distinction.

For further information, contact:
Mishka Balsom
President & CEO
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
905-684-2361 ext. 227 or mishka@gncc.ca

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Time to take inventory

February 7, 2017 | In The News

It may not have an exciting title — the Niagara Region Employment Inventory — but the innovative new study may prove to be a treasure trove of data for local businesses and potential investors.

Niagara Region’s planning department tackled the process of creating a detailed “inventory” of all area employers and employees over the summer. The department’s John Docker said the results are better than expected.

The survey is the first of its kind for Niagara.

The data could ultimately be used to help spur growth and attract investment.

“We are trying to build nuts-and-bolts employment information,” Docker said. “We are sharing it with our local municipalities, the workforce planning board and the local Ontario employment agencies.

“We are building this for people to use. It won’t be long before we make it available publicly. We will have to modify the attributes, but data needs to be in the hands of people. It doesn’t do us any good to keep it under lock and key up here.”

The survey was completed in the summer, Docker told the Region’s planning and development committee last week in a bid for continued funding.

University students conducted face-to-face interviews with business owners and compiled the information on mobile devices.

The statistics include general business characteristics, employee counts and industry classifications. As the database is improved and, updated, it will help in analyzing trends and year-to-year changes.

“We should do this every year,” said Tim Reynolds, a manager with Niagara Region Economic Development. “We need the primary data from an employment survey. It arms us for the competition ahead.”

Students visited 11,000 visible businesses and mapped the location of about 110,000 jobs. Only about 200 companies refused to participate.

Regional staff then added to the information with outside sources — such as census data — to complete the picture.

Mishka Balsom, president and CEO of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, said the business community welcomes this kind of aggregation of information.

“It is critical that we have the data to compare with other regions in Ontario,” she said. “The information will give us a competitive advantage when we talk to potential investors and businesses.

“We also need to keep following it up, so the data is consistent. That allows us to define where the clusters are, the movement within those clusters and the shifts in various sectors. Asset mapping and a continuous supply of data help in a number of different ways.”

Docker explained that part of the problem with surveys is getting people to participate.

Fresh-faced and enthusiastic students visiting the businesses in apparel branded with the Region’s logo kickstarted the process.

“We used a very traditional model, but we took a very innovative approach in collecting it,” Docker said. “We used Cloud-based technology. We used Samsung Galaxy phones as opposed to tablets.

“Primary data is where it’s at, but it isn’t an easy process to undertake. You need some strong checks and balances and a good process. The trends are a huge value in a project like this.”

The process also helps build rapport with businesses and regional government. The students concluded by asking for feedback on the question “What can Niagara do to support your business?”

The three top answers were business exposure, networking and incentives; taxes, development charges, zoning and utilities; and, beautification, infrastructure maintenance and traffic issues.

The initiative cost about $92,000 with most going to student wages and mileage. The hardware cost $2,000. Cellular fees were $1,500.

“We had some amazing students,” Docker said. “It was a lean team, and students were out of this world.

“We made deployment maps, and said to them, ‘Get out there and discover.’ Everything you see with a sign, do an inventory from the street and then approach the business owner.

“Tracking the number of employees is huge for us from a planning perspective. We need to know on the ground where folks are working.

“So many of our services are dependent on it. We are thrilled with what we achieved in Year 1. Now, we want to strengthen the brand and get people to buy in and see the value. We want the number at 100 per cent.”

Another first for Niagara was using geographic markers for the data. That will also allow the Region to track the movement of businesses and will provide municipalities, as well as investors, insight into the development opportunities available within Niagara.

Original article: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/02/07/time-to-take-inventory

 

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Chamber This Week – February 3, 2017

February 3, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

 

Chamber This Week – February 3, 2017

 

 

 

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Chamber This Week – January 27, 2017

January 27, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

 

Chamber This Week – January 27, 2017

 

 

 

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Chamber This Week – January 20, 2017

January 20, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

 

Chamber This Week – January 20, 2017

 

 

 

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Greater Niagara Chamber forms Niagara Chinese Business Council

January 17, 2017 | In The News, Media Releases

In 2017, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) hosted the first meeting of the newly-formed Niagara Chinese Business Council (NCBC).

The GNCC was approached by a group of Chinese businesspeople in Niagara who sought to form a new business organization for Niagara’s Chinese business community. Their goal were to create a forum for the exchange of business information and an avenue for fostering regional communication and promotion of trade and commerce. The NCBC will do this through joint events, educational seminars, research, and meetings with policymakers.

Housed in the GNCC, the NCBC will be comprised of people with significant knowledge and experience of the Chinese business communities both in Niagara and overseas. The NCBC will also assist Niagara’s Chinese businesses with integration into the broader economy.

As Niagara’s largest business organization and as the third-largest Chamber in Ontario, with over 1,600 members representing 50,000 employees, the GNCC is uniquely positioned to host this new organization and to help it make the connections it will need to fulfill its mission.

The NCBC is the newest of many GNCC councils, including the Government Affairs Council, which promotes effective government policies that help the business community; the Non-Profit Council, championing Niagara’s sizeable and important non-profit sector; the Women In Niagara Council, which promotes and assists Niagara’s women in business; the NEXTNiagara Council, the voice of the emerging generation in Niagara charged with representing Niagara’s young leaders; and the Small Business Niagara Council, which assists Niagara’s hugely important small business community.

The inaugural NCBC business dinner event will take place on Thursday, February 09th from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in St. Catharines. For more information, please contact the GNCC at 905 684-2362 or visit gncc.ca.

Quotes:

“We are tremendously excited to have been approached with this opportunity. The GNCC’s mission is to help Niagara’s businesses succeed, and we are glad to help Niagara’s Chinese business community.”

– Mishka Balsom, President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

“As Niagara’s largest business organization, the GNCC was uniquely positioned to help us achieve our goals. Greater integration and understanding between Chinese businesses and the rest of Niagara will be enormously beneficial to both. We look forward to that and to the prosperity that will follow.”

– Chris Zhu, Chair of NCBC

Media:

Image 1
Caption: Members of the Niagara Chinese Business Council with NCBC Chair Chris Zhu (seated, centre), NCBC Vice-Chair Tony Zhang (standing, third from left), GNCC CEO Mishka Balsom (seated, at right), and GNCC Chair Ian Kowalchuk (standing, far right)

Image 2
Caption: GNCC Board of Directors with GNCC CEO Mishka Balsom (front, at far left), NCBC Chair Chris Zhu (front, second from left), GNCC Chair Ian Kowalchuk (front, second from right) and NCBC Vice-Chair Tony Zhang (front, far right)

—30—

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the champion for the Niagara business community. With over 1,600 members representing 50,000 employees, it is the largest business organization in Niagara and the third largest Chamber in Ontario. The Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada has recognized the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce with its highest level of distinction.

For further information, contact:
Mishka Balsom
President & CEO
Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
905-684-2361 ext. 227 or mishka@gncc.ca

Chris Zhu
Investors Group
905-687-2198
chunyangzhu@yahoo.com

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Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program

January 16, 2017 | In The News, Latest News

Register online: https://gncc.ca/cimee-registration/

Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program

The Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program is a collaboration between the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) and the Goodman School of Business’s Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise Education (CIMEE) at Brock University.

ARE YOU…

  • 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

The Professional Leadership Development Certificate Program is the right choice for you.

Key Benefits

  • Improve efficiency and productivity
  • Learn from award-winning Brock professors
    (e.g. Dr. Barry Wright, Dr. Don Cyr and Dr. Dave Bouckenooghe)
  • Boost employee morale
  • Succession planning
  • Reduce turnover costs
  • Network and learn from other industries as well as your industry

Certificate Program Cost $2,500 + HST (per person)
Up to 80% of the cost could be funded through Canada Ontario Job Grant.

Seminar Topics

  • Personality Dimensions
  • Embracing the Leadership Challenge
  • Leading Change in Your Work Environment
  • Finance for Non-Finance Managers
  • Building Successful Mentoring Relationships
  • Coaching for Performance
  • Human Resources for the Non-HR Manager
  • Bringing it all together – 30/60/90 day plans

Seminar Dates

Day 1: April 25, 2017
Day 2: May 2, 2017
Day 3: May 9, 2017
Day 4: May 16, 2017
Day 5: May 30, 2017
Day 6: June 6, 2017

Days 1 and 6: 8:30 am – 4:30 p.m.
All other days: 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

Seminar Location
Goodman School of Business
Brock University
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way
St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1

cimee.ca

Click here to register or contact the GNCC at jane@gncc.ca or 905-684-2361

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Chamber This Week – January 13, 2017

January 13, 2017 | Non-Advocacy

 

Chamber This Week – January 13, 2017

 

 

 

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