Ian McLean, President & CEO
It was another year of success for the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce at this year’s Ontario Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting. All five of the policy resolutions we submitted were debated and passed by the OCC members. The resolutions will be the focus for lobbying efforts by the OCC staff and local chambers.
1. Reforming the College of Trades
This resolution urges the Government of Ontario to review the mandate of the Ontario College of Trades to ensure that workplaces in all regions of the province are incorporated in the decision-making process of institutional operations in order to display opportunities across Ontario and not centralized in the GTA.
2. Enforcing Wage Restraints for Senior School Board Officials
This resolution asks the Ontario government to enforce the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act and other relevant provincial legislation and regulations as it relates to executive salaries at provincially funded schools boards. As well, the resolution pushes to require school board officials to pay back to their employer all salary increases that were inappropriately awarded during recent periods of legislated wage restraint.
3. Expanding Economic Opportunities through the NGTA Corridor
Transportation and infrastructure are major issues and we are urging the government to immediately commit to the construction of the Niagara to GTA Corridor (NGTA) in order to speed up the movement of goods to international markets. The proposed NGTA corridor offers significant opportunity for economic growth across southwestern Ontario.
4. Support for Ontario Food Processors
This resolution urges the government to collaborate with industry and educational institutions on a provincial Food and Beverage Innovation Centre for elevating technology and productivity. As of right now productivity and innovation levels are restricting growth and opportunities in the Ontario food processing sector.
5. Workforce Development in Ontario Agriculture and Food Processing
This resolution calls on the government to increase capacity in programs that are relevant to agri-food industries, create new programs to address gaps in the current system, and immediately provide additional funding to the university and college agriculture and food processing programs.
For a full list of all the resolutions passed at the OCC AGM, be sure to check out the OCC website.
The OCC AGM was a great success and that is in large part to the fine work of Vice President of Advocacy, Art Sinclair. I would like to thank Art for his excellent work and we look forward to working with the OCC and the Government of Ontario in ensuring these resolutions are taken to the highest government levels in the province.
