Small Business Week across Canada is celebrated the third week of October, and this year’s Bay of Quinte Small Business Week will run from October 21 to October 25. As of 2024, Canada has 1.29 million small businesses. These enterprises form the backbone of the Canadian economy, making up about 99.8% of all businesses in the country. Ontario has over 444,000 small businesses making home to the largest number of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Canada.
BDC Small Business Week is an annual entrepreneurship event that the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has organized for over 40 years. Every year, more than 10,000 entrepreneurs gather to learn, network, and celebrate Canada’s dreamers and doers, the ambitious, talented, and resilient entrepreneurs. BDC has united Canadian business owners for half a century, recognizing and nurturing their courage as visionaries and creators. This year is no exception.
The purpose of the week is to highlight the importance of SMEs to the Canadian and local economies. This year the Bay of Quinte Chambers of Commerce from Belleville, Prince Edward County, and Quinte West along with the Municipality of Brighton have joined forces to bring a weeks’ worth of events to our local businesses.
Events take place every day starting on Monday Oct 21 at 11:00 AM where the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) will officially kick off Small Business Week at Loyalist College. This event will acknowledge the importance of SMEs in the Bay of Quinte Region with key messages from local Chambers, MPs, MPPs and Mayors. There are three workshops, two business mingles, a ‘Not a Trade Show’ Business Expo, business roundtables and a breakfast event offered during the week, all designed to help businesses network and access relevant information across Quinte. The events are a combination of live and virtual events so check out your local chambers’ website and social media channels for full details or go the event website at https://new.express.adobe.com/webpage/YavgxQIm1rkwC
There is no cost to attend most Small Business Week events, but online registration is required. Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or call 1-800-930-3255 for assistance.
Friday October 25 is the Quinte Business Achievement Awards, held at The National Air Force Museum of Canada. Representatives from local Chambers, municipalities, BDC, Trenval, QEDC (Quinte Economic Development Commission) and RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) form the organizing committee to ensure the success of this program. To learn more and to purchase a ticket for the Awards Presentation Gala go to www.qbaa.ca.
Many organizations have come together with the local Chambers to make Quinte Business Week a success. Special thanks to our sponsors: Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance Plan, BDC, Centre for Workforce Development, Trenval CFDC, the Small Business Centre, Business & Professional Women Hastings & Prince Edward; W.O.R.K; the Municipalities of Belleville, Brighton and Quinte West, the Bay of Quinte Marketing Board, The Co-operators, Thairific, Edward Jones, Northumberland Fine Foods and the Quinte West Public Library.
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The Bay of Quinte Chambers of Commerce collaborates as the regional voice for the Belleville, Prince Edward County and Quinte West Chambers of Commerce. Representing over 1300 businesses of all sizes and all sectors located in the Bay of Quinte riding, this regional voice advocates for fair government policies that allow businesses to thrive and prosper.
For more information, please contact:
Suzanne Andrews, CEO
Quinte West Chamber of Commerce
E: manager@quintewestchamber.ca
T: (613) 392-7635
Jill Raycroft, CEO
Belleville Chamber of Commerce
E: jill@bellevillechamber.ca
T: (613) 962-4597
Duarte Da Silva, CEO
Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce
E: duarte@pecchamber.com
P: 613-476-2421
