For over a century, the province of Ontario has generally maintained a strong balance across the economies of rural and urban regions. Rural southwestern Ontario has prospered from stable manufacturing and agri-food sectors which are still considered the province’s two leading and dominant industries. However, global restructuring leveled a significant economic impact that is now […]
Read moreCanada’s cities are leading centres for creativity and innovation. They attract the talent and investment required for large-scale initiatives to succeed. As fundamental drivers of the economy, cities are best positioned to provide a path to job creation, stable, long-term, prosperity and sustainability for Canada. With a federal election on the horizon, the Federation of […]
Read moreIn an open letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) further echoed the long standing opinion of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce that the upcoming implementation of the Ontario Registered Pension Plan (ORPP) will have far reaching negative impacts on business in Ontario. And, in a recent survey administered […]
Read more
The local, provincial and national business sectors all recognize the importance of infrastructure and infrastructure planning as critical for future economic growth and prosperity. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce 2015 Top Ten Barriers to Competitiveness notes that public investment into infrastructure has not maintained an adequate pace with economic growth to the point that domestic […]
Read more
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 […]
Read more
According to StatsCan Waterloo Region’s unemployment rate as of March 2015 dropped to 5.7% from 6.9% year-over-year. That drop represents thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars in economic growth in our community. According to a Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin, the industries that are pushing this job growth in Kitchener, Waterloo, […]
Read more
Media reports from the 2015 federal budget tabled by Finance Minister Joe Oliver on April 21 indicate that two sectors have emerged as winners – manufacturers and small business. This analysis is significant for the Region of Waterloo, where one in five jobs is directly related to manufacturing. Local companies will benefit from the ten- […]
Read more
The dominant current provincial issue for Ontario business is the proposed Ontario Retirement Pension Plan. My column on Dec. 16 of last year discussed Bill 56, the legislation tabled by Assoc. Finance Minister Mitzi Hunter. Opposition from business has been growing, primarily in relation to the potential cost of a pension plan and its impact […]
Read moreFor Immediate Release February 25, 2015 Press Release Survey Reveals Optimistic Outlook for Waterloo Region Businesses Kitchener, ON – In a recent survey, a majority of Chamber members felt that 2014 was a positive year for their business. There was also an overwhelmingly positive outlook for business growth for 2015. As 2015 begins with lower […]
Read moreMEDIA RELEASE Chambers and Board of Trade Support GO Rail Service Expansion Kitchener, ON – The Chambers of Commerce of Guelph and Greater Kitchener Waterloo and the Brampton Board of Trade strongly support two-way, all-day GO rail service between Waterloo Region and Union Station. A report released in 2014 by the cities of Guelph, Kitchener […]
Read more
