2024 Membership Survey Report
2024 Membership Survey Report The London Chamber of Commerce has recently completed our 2024 Membership Survey. The responses will be used to plan for the coming year, fine-tune events, and craft new policies and advocacy positions. We would like to thank everyone who participated for their valuable input. Read the report
London Chamber of Commerce Supports Ontario Big City Mayors' Call for Urgent Action on Homelessness,
London Chamber of Commerce Supports Ontario Big City Mayors' Call for Urgent Action on Homelessness, Mental Health, Safety, and AddictionsWritten by Kristen Duever The London Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the Ontario Big City Mayors’ (OBCM) urgent call for provincial and federal action to address homelessness, mental health, safety, and addictions issues affecting Ontario’s municipalities. The meeting, chaired by London’s Mayor Josh Morgan, emphasized how these challenges have become a critical
Q3 2024 Report on Business Conditions
Q3 2024 Report on Business ConditionsWritten by Andrew Groves The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab has published their Survey on Business Conditions Report for the third quarter of 2024. This report details the results of a survey that collected data on how businesses across Canada feel about their performance and their outlook for the future. This is an important tool in judging the general perceptions of the Canadian economy and business landscape at the individual level. While
Letter to Minister Steven MacKinnon Regarding Potential Air Canada Labour Disruption
The London Chamber of Commerce, along with 98 other Chambers of Commerce and industry associations, has signed a joint letter to Minister of Labour Steven MacKinnon to express concern about a potential strike by the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) at Air Canada.Read the letter
Candace Laing to Head Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Candace Laing to Head Canadian Chamber of Commerce The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has announced that Candace Laing will step in as their new CEO beginning on September 1st. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, where her family maintains a longstanding farming operation, Ms. Laing brings her experience as a senior executive with more than two decades of experience with both the private and public sectors. During her ten years with Nutrien and its predecessor company, PotashCorp, Ms. Laing served on
Review of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act
Review of the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act The London Chamber of Commerce has officially submitted a policy paper to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in regards to the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act that is included in Bill C-27. This paper points out some flaws with the current draft of the act and some possible solutions that will help make the act more effective and ensure that Canada’s tech sector can remain competitive. While the act does include a large investment into AI, the
London City Council Advances Health and Homelessness Initiatives with New Supportive Housing and Enc
London City Council Advances Health and Homelessness Initiatives with New Supportive Housing and Encampment Response Plans The London Chamber of Commerce is encouraged by the significant process of London City Council in addressing health and homelessness through its Whole of Community System Response. Two major milestones have been reached: the endorsement of the Community Encampment Response Plan and the approval of the next steps for a new highly supportive housing project. The Community Encampment
AI Adoption by Canadian Businesses
AI Adoption by Canadian Businesses The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab has released their report on the state of generative AI in Canada and how it will affect the future of our business landscape. Generative AI is any AI system that can create images, data or text using prompts provided by the user. The current use case for these systems is to fill in some of the productivity and labour gaps that remain in the business environment. This technology represents new opportunities for
Chamber Q1 and Q2 Advocacy Review
Q1 and Q2 Advocacy Review January The London Chamber of Commerce ran our 2024 Advocacy Survey in order to better understand what our members' needs are and how we can address them. We collected recommendations for all levels of government and used the results to better formulate our advocacy strategy for the coming year. The Business Confidence Survey report was released for the fourth quarter of 2023 which took a look at businesses economic outlook and how the labour market was
Report from the 2024 OCC AGM and Convention in Timmins
Kristen Duever represented the London Chamber at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM and Convention. This year, the event took place in Timmins from April 25-27th at Cedar Meadows Resort. Read the report here
Advocacy Win: London Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Success in Helping to Secure International Stude
Advocacy Win: London Chamber of Commerce Celebrates Success in Helping to Secure International Student Visas for Fanshawe College In a significant advocacy win, the London Chamber of Commerce recently celebrated the successful allocation of international student visas to Fanshawe College, safeguarding critical programs and economic contributions to the local community. The London Chamber of Commerce joined its voice with Fanshawe College in advocating for a fair allocation of international student visas
Q1 2024 Business Conditions Report
Q1 2024 Business Conditions Report The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab has released their Business Conditions Report for the first quarter of 2024. This is a quarterly report that seeks to understand how businesses of various types and sizes feel about the economy and their current condition within the business landscape. When looking at various economic indicators compared to the Q4 report of 2023, the Canadian economy has seen some steady growth however, general business
Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act Update
Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act Update The Ontario government announced on April 1st an update to the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act that is intended to increase the amount of public procurement that is allocated to businesses within Ontario. This new regulation will require that all organizations in Ontario’s public sector, including hospitals and schools, must give preference to Ontario business when procuring goods and services including school supplies, medical supplies,
Canadian Federal Budget 2024: A Perspective from the London Chamber of Commerce
Canadian Federal Budget 2024: A Perspective from the London Chamber of Commerce On April 16, 2024, the Government of Canada unveiled its 2024 Federal Budget, outlining a roadmap for economic recovery and growth amidst ongoing challenges. As policy experts from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce dissect the implications of this budget for Canadian businesses, the London Chamber of Commerce stands ready to assess its impact on the local business landscape. General Outlook The budget's unveiling didn't
2024 Ontario Budget - CTV London
2024 Ontario Budget - CTV London Today, the provincial government is set to release the 2024 Ontario Budget. CTV London visited the London Chamber of Commerce yesterday to talk to Graham Henderson about what the Chamber would like to see when the numbers are presented. Watch the CTV London story here
Alcohol Excise Tax Policy Win
Alcohol Excise Tax Policy WinThe London Chamber of Commerce is proud to have collaborated with other industry leaders in order to advocate for a change to the annual alcohol excise tax. This tax on alcohol production increases automatically every year and is tied to inflation, with a potential 4.7% increase to the tax on April 1st of this year. Thanks in part to the Chamber’s advocacy efforts in Ottawa in November of this year, the Government of Canada announced that the tax has been capped at a 2% increase
Canadian Chamber of Commerce Net Zero Report
Canadian Chamber of Commerce Net Zero Report The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has released their annual report on the state of the Net-Zero initiative in Canada. This report is designed to address issues brought about by climate change and how Canada’s workforce must adapt to reach our net-zero emission targets. Canada’s current targets are to reduce emissions by 40-45% by 2030 and to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Reaching these targets will not only help to ensure that we reduce our impact on the
Ontario’s Basic Beer Tax Freeze a Victory for Businesses and Consumers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Ontario’s Basic Beer Tax Freeze a Victory for Businesses and Consumers London, Ontario - The London Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce a significant policy win for Ontario's breweries, tourism, and hospitality sectors. After considerable advocacy efforts by the chamber network as well as Beer Canada, the Minister of Finance of Ontario unveiled plans to freeze the escalator on Ontario's Basic Beer Tax for the next two years. This decision is projected to yield substantial
A Call for Sensible Policy: Addressing the Impact of Federal Cuts to International Study Permits
A Call for Sensible Policy: Addressing the Impact of Federal Cuts to International Study Permits Written by Kristen Duever In recent weeks, the Canadian educational landscape has been shaken by significant policy changes announced by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The London Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of our community's businesses, stands deeply concerned about the ramifications of these abrupt cuts to the international student visa program. An Unwise Policy
Letter from Daniel Tisch in Regards to CEBA Loans
Letter from Daniel Tisch in Regards to CEBA Loans Daniel Tisch has been hired as the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s new President and CEO. Daniel Tisch was the CEO for 20 years at Argyle Communications and had previously held senior policy and communications roles in the Government of Canada. The following is a letter from Daniel Tisch to OCC members in regards to the Canadian Emergency Business Account loans. Dear OCC Members, I am writing to you today with deep concern after hearing from
2023 Q4 Business Conditions Survey
2023 Q4 Business Conditions Survey The Business Data Lab has released their report on the 2023 Q4 Business Conditions Survey which tracks both how businesses feel about their economic outlook as well as how they are performing in the general labour market. There continues to be some growing concern in the business community about profitability and hiring across all sizes of businesses. The cost of goods have become too high for some businesses to remain profitable and with no further extension to
London Chamber Advocacy Survey
2024 London Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Survey The 2024 London Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Survey is now available to be completed by members in order for the Chamber to better understand what issues the membership is facing and how they can be addressed. We value the input of the membership and the results from this survey will be used to develop advocacy initiatives in the coming year.To complete the survey, please visit: https://forms.gle/anjAjgPYW1SizEp1A
London Chamber Meets With Minister Rechie Valdez On November 15th, the London Chamber of Commerce h
London Chamber Meets With Minister Rechie Valdez On November 15th, the London Chamber of Commerce had the honour of hosting Minister Rechie Valdez, the Federal Minister of Small Business, in order to discuss and share about the community and how the federal government can support businesses in London. Joined by members of the Chamber board as well as members of the London business community, the group discussed many of the issues that London businesses are currently facing. This included
AODA Compliance Report Deadline Approaching
AODA Compliance Report Deadline Approaching This is a reminder that the deadline to submit your Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Compliance report is December 31, 2023. This report must be completed if you are a business or nonprofit organization with over 20 employees. It is important that all businesses remain accessible for all people and that there are no barriers for individuals with disabilities. Ensuring that your business is compliant with the AODA will help businesses be
Fall Economic Statement Signals Support for Employee-Owned Busin
Celebrating a Victory for Business: Fall Economic Statement Signals Support for Employee-Owned Businesses Written by Kristen Duever for the London Chamber of Commerce The Fall Economic Statement delivered a mixed bag of news for businesses in Canada, addressing critical issues such as housing, mental health, and labour mobility, albeit without the desired extension on CEBA loans. However, among these developments, there is a standout win for the business community that the London Chamber of Commerce has
Pre-Budget Consultation
Pre-Budget Consultation Good afternoon Mr. Byers, My name is Kristen Duever VP of Public Affairs for the London Chamber of Commerce. The London Chamber represents approximately 1000 London businesses that employ over 60,000 in London and the surrounding area. And on behalf of our members and stakeholders, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share our priorities for the upcoming provincial budget. The themes of our recommendations center around: Cultivating competitiveness and
Provincial Representatives Visit the Chamber
Provincial Representatives Visit the Chamber Throughout the month of October, the London Chamber of Commerce had the privilege of hosting Marit Stiles, leader of the Ontario NDP and leader of the Opposition as well as Rob Flack, MPP for Elgin - Middlesex - London and Associate Minister of Housing for Ontario. We were also pleased to speak with Stephen Lecce, the Ontario Minister of Education, on the future of education in Ontario. Marit Stiles was joined by London MPPs Terence Kernaghan, Teresa
2023 Ontario Economic Summit
2023 Ontario Economic Summit The Ontario Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2023 Ontario Economic Summit from November 1-2 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. This event involves business leaders from the private and public sectors and serves as one of the province’s largest business conferences. The London Chamber of Commerce was pleased to have our CEO Graham Henderson in attendance for the event which will include keynote speakers, interactive panels, and policy debates. Of the topics being
London Shines at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM and Convention
London Shines at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM and Convention October 12-14, 2023, Kristen Duever - VP of Public Affairs for the London Chamber of Commerce attended the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) AGM and Convention in Calgary. While there, Kristen was able to network and share ideas with many of her peers from across the country. Additionally, she had the opportunity to meet Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith; Calgary Mayor, Jyoti Gondek; and even Brett Wilson of Dragon’s Den. Of course,
Reforming Ontario's Beer Tax System: A Crucial Step for Economic Growth
Reforming Ontario's Beer Tax System: A Crucial Step for Economic Growth By Kristen Duever On Behalf of the London Chamber of Commerce Fans of craft beer enjoy it for its diverse and unique flavours, personalized local touch; and for the sense of community that small breweries provide. But the impact of this industry is much larger and more important to our economy than many realize. Ontario boasts over 340 craft breweries, employing 4,600 individuals, making up 80% of all brewing jobs in the province.
