Congratulations to the Ontario Chamber Network on outstanding success at this year’s Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) Annual General Meeting (AGM). A total of 14 policy resolutions authored or co-sponsored by Ontario chambers of commerce and boards of trade met the approval of AGM delegates (a full list of successful Ontario resolutions is below).
Among the successful resolutions was a joint effort by nearly 20 chambers of commerce and boards of trade from across the province to bring attention to the generous incentives being offered by competitor jurisdictions in an effort to lure Ontario businesses out of the province. The Chamber Network’s successful resolution calls on the federal government to recognize the problem and gain a clear understanding of its impact on Canada’s economy. The OCC will work closely with its partners to ensure that this resolution is clearly on the federal government’s radar.
We would never have enjoyed this much success at the AGM were it not for the work of the Ontario Caucus. The Caucus, a voluntary group of 25 chamber staff, executives, and volunteers, spent their summer reviewing and debating resolutions in order to ensure that resolutions were in Ontario’s economic interests. The Caucus was ably led by Gerry Macartney of the London Chamber of Commerce and Charla Robinson of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. Stay tuned as we examine ways to make the Caucus work even better for the Chamber Network.
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Successful Ontario Resolutions
A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Canada – Burlington Chamber of Commerce
Expanding Markets and Technology for Canadian Food & Beverage Manufacturers – Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
Fostering Growth in Canadian Productivity – London Chamber of Commerce
Fostering the Role of Municipalities within the North America Advanced Manufacturing and Trade Corridor – Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Improving Canada’s Immigration System: Visa Processes and Foreign Qualification Recognition – Northumberland Central Chamber of Commerce and others
Invest in Labour Market Information to Close the Skills Gap – Timmins Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, and others
Leveraging CETA to Eliminate Interprovincial Trade Barriers – London Chamber of Commerce and others
Maritime Goods Movement Act – Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce
Natural Resources are the Power of Canada – Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and others
Prioritizing Regional Cluster Development – Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Recognizing and devising strategies to counteract the generous incentives offered by competitor jurisdictions – London Chamber of Commerce, Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce, Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade, Belleville Chamber of Commerce, Brantford-Brant Chamber of Commerce, Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Newmarket Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce, Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce, Timmins Chamber of Commerce, Toronto Region Board of Trade, and Woodstock Chamber of Commerce
Reduce Costs to Improve Canadian Aviation Competitiveness – Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and others
Reinstate the Canadian Mandatory Long-Form Census – Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Timmins Chamber of Commerce, and others
Tax Credits for Supporting Growth in Canada’s Music Industry – Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce
