Are you a Chamber member and you have a press release or news story about your business that you should like us to share? Email Kim Phair
Using Artificial Intelligence to Develop Workplace Policies
Using Artificial Intelligence to Develop Workplace Policies In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool for various industries, including workplace health and safety. Ensuring the safety and well-being of employees is a major concern for organizations worldwide, and by leveraging AI, businesses can develop more effective and proactive workplace health and safety policies. However, these tools are often prohibitive for smaller
Third Quarter Report on Business Conditions
Third Quarter Report on Business Conditions On September 19, the Business Data Lab released their Canadian Survey on Business Conditions Report for the third quarter of 2023. This report covers business conditions across various sectors, organization sizes, and areas and seeks to make predictions on what to expect for the next year based on information received from the Statistics Canada Survey on Business Conditions. Unfortunately, the business conditions report for Q3 saw previous growth
Statement on Monte McNaughton
Statement on Monte McNaughton In response to the recent announcement of the Hon. Monte McNaughton stepping down from his role in provincial politics, the London Chamber of Commerce would like to express its gratitude to the minister for his hard work and dedication not only in the London area but across all of Ontario. As Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Minister McNaughton played a pivotal role in shaping the labour landscape of Ontario. His efforts and achievements
Now is Not the Time for an EI Premium Increase
Now is Not the Time for an EI Premium Increase With the uncertainty of Canada’s economic recovery still on the minds of the business community, the signals that have been given by the federal government on a possible increase in Employment Insurance (EI) premiums in 2024 has become a cause for concern for the London Chamber of Commerce. The EI program, a lifeline for many Canadians during times of lost income, is now faced with a challenging dilemma that is going to demand a thoughtful response from our
Urgent Call for Extended CEBA Loan Relief
Urgent Call for Extended CEBA Loan Relief: The London Chamber of Commerce Advocates for Small Business On September 14, the federal government made an important announcement regarding the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans. While they extended the repayment deadline for businesses by an additional year, they only granted a mere 18 days to qualify for the crucial $20,000 forgivable portion of the loan. But why is the London Chamber of Commerce expressing dissatisfaction with this decision? To
Home Stretched Report
Home Stretched: Tackling Ontario's Housing Affordability Crisis Through Innovative Solutions and Partnerships The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has released a report on housing affordability in Ontario titled “Home Stretched”. This report looks at the issue of housing affordability and how it affects other areas of the economy as well as provides recommendations on how to tackle this issue. Since housing affordability has increased drastically over the past decade, Ontarians are left with less money to
CEBA Loan Repayment Deadline
CEBA Loan Repayment DeadlineOn July 24, the London Chamber of Commerce signed on to a letter sent to The Honourable Chrystia Freeland in regards to a request for an extension on Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan repayments. Nearly 900,000 CEBA loans were granted to small business loans throughout the pandemic and provided these businesses with up to $60,000 interest-free. A loan repayment by the end of 2023 would result in loan forgiveness of 33% or $20,000 on a $60,000 loan. This letter
Canadian Business Community Expresses Deep Concern Regarding The Labour Dispute at Canada’s West Por
On July 5, 2023, over 120 associations, chambers of commerce, and boards of trade representing the Canadian business community have united in a joint letter to express their deep concern over the labour disruption at Canada’s West Coast ports. The letter, addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urges the government to take immediate action to prevent the disruption and safeguard the country’s supply chain, and calling on the Government to reconvene Parliament and pass back-to-work legislation,
Addressing Ontario’s Housing Affordability Crisis Requires All Hands On Deck
Addressing Ontario’s Housing Affordability Crisis Requires All Hands On Deck Ontario Chamber Brief Highlights Key Recommendations to Meet Ontario’s Current and Future Housing Needs (LONDON – July 5, 2023) – Housing affordability has become a pressing issue impacting communities of all sizes across Ontario. High housing costs are limiting the buying power of households, impacting businesses’ ability to attract and retain talent, and exacerbating homelessness rates throughout the province. The
Chamber Meeting with the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman
Chamber Meeting with the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman On June 14th, the London Chamber of Commerce met with a delegation from the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman in order to discuss opportunities and possibilities for Chamber members to interact with the federal government. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman is an independent organization of the Government of Canada that helps resolve contracting disputes between businesses and the federal government. The federal government
New Transit Routes for London
New Transit Routes for London The London Chamber of Commerce celebrates the announcement of a new bus route that will service the Innovation Park near Veterans Memorial Parkway and the 401. The Chamber has been advocating for more robust transportation to and from industrial areas for a number of years and we consider this announcement a win for London’s business community. The route will be used mostly by workers in the area of the growing Innovation Park. During a press
Federal Government Engagement on Labour Stability on Canada’s West Coast
Federal Government Engagement on Labour Stability on Canada’s West CoastThe London Chamber of Commerce co-signed a letter to Hon. Seamus O’Regan, P.C., M.P, Minister of Labour, and Hon. Omar Alghabra, P.C., M.P., Minister of Transport, expressing concern over the potential for a labour disruption that would affect ports in British Columbia.The letter - signed by over 120 associations, chambers of commerce and boards of trade - requests the government’s active engagement with this bargaining process and that
April 2023 Labour Force Survey
The unemployment rate also continues to hold at 5% which is exceptional considering the record low unemployment rate is 4.9%. In April, this rate translates to 1.1 million people that are currently unemployed with a majority of them having been unemployed for less than 13 weeks. The participation rate also remains steady at 65.6% in April. The total number of reported job vacancies has also dropped by nearly 60,000 openings year over year but still remains high at 856,000 total openings with the average
Policy Win: Canada is One Step Closer to Ending Child and Forced Labour in its Supply Chain
Policy Win: Canada is One Step Closer to Ending Child and Forced Labour in its Supply Chain The London Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce its latest policy win as well as a huge step for the federal government in helping to end child and forced labour in our country’s supply chain. Forced labour, including slavery and child labour, can be found in every country and just about every sector of the economy. The International Labour Organization (ILO), estimates that there are approximately 152
Regional chambers of commerce advance housing policy at provincial AGM
Regional chambers of commerce advance housing policy at provincial AGM London ON - May 8, 2023 – At the 2023 Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) AGM, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, Guelph Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, and London Chamber of Commerce successfully advanced a joint policy resolution on the development of housing. “Housing is not just a social issue, it’s a business issue,” said Graham Henderson, CEO of the
2023 Ontario Chamber AGM & Convention Report
A Postcard from Ontario Chamber AGM and ConventionTo all of our amazing Chamber members, As I sat down to reflect on the highlights of this past weekend and what to share with our Board of Directors about the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) AGM and Convention, it occurred to me that with the exception of those who follow my personal social media feeds, the general Chamber membership often misses out on hearing much about the convention or what we do there. So I’m trying something different in
Business Conditions Terminal Launch
Business Conditions Terminal LaunchOn April 12th, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Business Data Lab (BDL) announced the launch of their new Business Conditions Terminal (BCT) aimed at providing organizations with business analytics that had previously been exclusively offered behind paywalls through other institutes. This BCT has been made possible with the help of Statistics Canada and with funding from Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada. As organizations continue to struggle
SME Institute Launch
SME Institute Launch On March 30th, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with RBC, launched its Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Institute. The SME Institute is set up to provide small and medium organizations with a hub for training, support, and advice. By providing a wide range of training opportunities, the SME Institute will help these organizations navigate through an economic landscape that continues to throw challenges at organizations and businesses. These training programs are
Federal Budget 2023 - Wins for Chamber and the Business Community
Federal Budget 2023: Proposal to Facilitate Employee-Owned Business Models and Freeze on Alcohol Escalator Tax Were Two Big Wins for the Chamber and the Business Community On March 28th, the Government of Canada released the 2023 federal budget. The London Chamber of Commerce was pleased to see investments in the public healthcare system, the green economy, affordable childcare, housing, and bringing more skilled workers to Canada. Furthermore, this budget proposes tax changes that would help to
Canada’s 2023 Budget Must Address Declining Productivity
Canada’s 2023 Budget Must Address Declining Productivity(LONDON – March 27, 2023) – With the economy facing global headwinds, Canada needs competitive investments in innovation, productivity, and sustainable economic growth. However, growth cannot occur without significant and sustained investments from the private sector – and those dollars will flow where productivity is highest. Today, the London Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released the 2023 Federal Budget Submission to
Bill C-18: Letter from Honourable Perrin Beatty to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and M
Bill C-18: Letter from Honourable Perrin Beatty to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and Minister Pablo Rodriguez Addressing a serious threat to the privacy of Canadians and to their rights to hold and express opinions on public issues. Earlier this month, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage signaled he would introduce a motion at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage related to the ongoing review of Bill C-18 that, if adopted, would pose a serious threat to
2023 Ontario Business Confidence Survey
2023 Ontario Business Confidence Survey The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has posted their 2023 Ontario Economic Report detailing both the Business Confidence Survey and the Economic Outlook for the coming year. This article will highlight the Business Confidence Survey and the following article will detail the Economic Outlook. The Business Confidence Survey is a survey conducted every year in order to gather information on OCC members and their performance throughout the year. In total, this survey
2023 Ontario Economic Outlook
2023 Ontario Economic Outlook The second section of the 2023 Ontario Economic Report covers a forecast for the province’s economy in the coming years. Beginning with the key economic indicators for the province, the report suggests that we have not yet felt the full effects of the major interest rate hikes that occurred in 2022. While the rate of growth for Ontario’s real GDP has slowed, there is still growth nonetheless at 3.2% throughout 2022. This growth is forecasted to decrease by 0.4% in the
2023 Provincial Budget Released
Yesterday, the Government of Ontario released its 2023 budget. Overall, the London Chamber of Commerce was pleased with the contents of 2023 Provincial Budget. Measures to support business such as expanding the small business tax rate and the Ontario made manufacturing tax credit will serve to support businesses still struggling with the effects of the pandemic and with high rates of inflation. Furthermore, investing in Ontario's labour force by boosting immigration through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee
The London Chamber in Partnership with the Cultural Community, advocates for important amendments to
Advocacy Win: The London Chamber in Partnership with the Cultural Community, advocates for important amendments to the City of London’s Strategic Plan As the City of London develops and finalizes its new strategic plan to carry us through the next five years, the London Chamber of Commerce is watching with great interest and is providing its input to help ensure that the final version of the plan will be one which supports a strong economy and facilitates an environment where business and culture can
2023 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
2023 Provincial Pre-Budget SubmissionThe London Chamber of Commerce has put together a pre-budget submission for Ontario’s Pre-Budget Consultation process to be sent to the Minister of Finance’s office. This submission is intended to provide recommendations on the Provincial budget from the perspective of business owners across both London and the province as a whole. The 2023 budget comes at an important time as the province is tackling broad and complex issues such as housing shortages, labour
Reboot Plus Program
Reboot Plus ProgramThe London Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with Fanshawe College on Reboot Plus - a youth education program provided with the Thames Valley District School Board and funded by the Future Skills Centre of Canada. The program will run for 16 weeks with participants ranging from 17-24 who mostly have atypical high school experiences. Part of this program will be connecting participants with members of the business community in order to provide the participants with information
2023 Pre-Budget Submission
Dear Minister Bethlenfalvy, The London Chamber of Commerce welcomes the opportunity to participate in Ontario’s Pre-budget Consultation process. The 2023 budget comes at an important time as the province is tackling broad and complex issues such as housing shortages, labour shortages, supply chain disruptions and the persistent issues caused by inflation. London is uniquely positioned as a rapidly growing city attracting a diverse workforce that will be an important keystone for solving the issues
The State of Canadian Supply Chains
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with KPMG, has developed a report on the state of supply chains within Canada. Throughout the pandemic, supply chain issues became more and more apparent as consumers were unable to get the products that they needed. This report suggests that, when working most efficiently, consumers should be entirely unaware of the supply chain itself. Products should be delivered with little to no interaction between the consumer and the distributor. While supply chains
2022 Policy Year in Review
The London Chamber of Commerce is proud to have worked hard throughout 2022 to develop policy and host events to further bolster the business communities position in the city. Not only do these efforts help the business community, they help London as a whole become a more sustainable, more welcoming and more efficient place to work and live. The following are just a few of the projects that we worked on in 2022. Over the course of the year, the Chamber authored several policy papers and letters
London Chamber supporting Youth Career Development with new Reboot Plus Program
LONDON, ON. Wednesday, January 11, 2023— London Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Fanshawe College to provide a youth education and employment program called Reboot Plus. Read press release
