The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is encouraged by the Government of Ontario’s decision to delay the implementation of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP) for one year. The OCC is now restating its call for government to support businesses’ transition to the new plan through a series of offset measures. On January 22, 2016,…

With Ontario Finance Charles Sousa scheduled to present the provincial Budget at Queen’s Park tomorrow, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) presented its thoughts in a formal submission. The submission outlines key priorities that address the need to eliminate the deficit and establish some much needed regulatory reforms. According to the most recent OCC membership…

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) has identified the Top 10 Barriers to Competitiveness for 2016, a list of key impediments that are preventing Canadian businesses from reaching their full potential and, in turn, Canada from improving its productivity and economic prosperity. In a fiercely competitive world, business needs more than its own skills to…

Hamilton is undertaking a review of its Transportation Master Plan. This review will examine many aspects of transportation throughout the entire city – including non-vehicular traffic (bicycles, etc), oversize vehicles and truck routes. In a pro-active move, the FCC is hosting a ‘Business Roundtable’ on Wednesday, March 2 at noon. More details will be released…

The organizing committee for the Outstanding Business Achievement Awards Gala (OBA) is meeting next week to finalize recommendations for consideration by the FCC Board of Directors (BOD) when it meets next on Wednesday February 17. If there is anyone that you think deserves recognition please let the office know as soon as possible. All the…

The City of Hamilton has asked Flamborough Chamber of Commerce (FCC) Executive Director Arend Kersten to sit on its LRT (Light Rail Transit) Committee in an advisory capacity. The committee is comprised of Mayor Fred Eisenberger and six councillors (Aiden Johnson, Jason Farr, Matthew Green and Sam Merulla from the lower city, Terry Whitehead from the…

FCC President Kyle Hampson and Executive Director Arend Kersten recently sat down with Dianne Cornish of the Flamborough Review to outline priorities for 2016. You can read the article by clicking HERE.

At a closed door meeting last Thursday, Executive Director Arend Kersten presented a pre-budget submission to Ontario’s Associate Minister of Finance Mitzi Hunter on behalf of the FCC. The FCC submission was one of about two dozen shared with Minister Hunter who was joined by long-time St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley (who is the powerful…

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce (FCC) – in partnership with the Mowat Centre – released the fifth and final iteration of Emerging Stronger today. A detailed economic agenda for Ontario, Emerging Stronger 2016 identifies the immediate steps that government and the private sector must take to enhance Ontario’s…

Every year, the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce (FCC) honours and celebrates the very best in corporate excellence and community service at its Outstanding Business Achievement (OBA) awards gala. The gala – which has evolved into ‘the social event of the year in Flamborough’ – is scheduled for the evening of Friday, April 1, 2016 (no…