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Hiring: Director of Stakeholder Relations & Policy

Hiring: Director of Stakeholder Relations & Policy

by | Nov 9, 2020 | Chamber News

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce (BCofC) provides value to its members through active advocacy, connecting leaders and creating opportunities. The Chamber is the voice of business in Burlington and advocates at the local, regional, provincial and federal levels on behalf of 900 companies representing 30,000 employees.

For more than 70 years, the BCC has been the trusted advocate and tireless champion for local businesses. With a long-standing reputation for excellence and leadership, BCC continually generates opportunities to connect people by bringing life to business. Doing so provides a vehicle for success for its members and the future of Burlington’s business community.

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce seeks an experienced individual for the position of Director, Stakeholder Relations & Policy. This position provides leadership to the organization’s stakeholder engagement and advocacy efforts through teamwork, consultation, strategic thinking, and creativity.

Review the Director, Stakeholder Relations & Policy position.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Expressions of interest including career profiles will be accepted until November 24, 2020, at 4:30 pm., and should be sent confidentially to shawna@burlingtonchamber.com.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO: Property Tax Reform and Advocacy Update

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO: Property Tax Reform and Advocacy Update

by | Nov 6, 2020 | Chamber News

 Earlier this year, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber submitted a resolution to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) focused on addressing major challenges caused by Ontario’s property tax system for business taxpayers.  The resolution called for the Province of Ontario to conduct a comprehensive review of the current property tax regime, as well as the introduction of enhanced flexibility/new tax tools for municipalities to address property tax inequities and changes to unduly burdensome education tax rates for commercial and industrial taxpayers.  This resolution, supported by Chambers and Boards of Trade across the province, was subsequently adopted as part of the OCC’s advocacy agenda for this year.

I am delighted to announce that the budget unveiled yesterday by the Province of Ontario has heeded our call to action and includes significant measures to resolve these longstanding concerns including:

  • Reductions in business education tax rates,
  • The creation of a new optional tax class for small commercial properties to allow municipalities to target relief to business property owners, and a commitment on the part of the Province to match eligible property tax reductions, and
  • Future changes to property valuation methodologies to protect areas undergoing redevelopment and to provide stability and fairness for other complex property types.

These changes represent majors gains for business property owners and tenants not just in Burlington, but throughout Ontario.

I would like to extend sincere thanks to the members of the Chamber’s volunteer Political Action Committee for their insight and leadership on these important issues, as well as to our Team Burlington partners and the City of Burlington for their added support to advocate for property tax reform on behalf of the business community.  Special thanks also go to Burlington MPP, Jane McKenna and MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North-Burlington) for your willingness to listen and tireless efforts to respond to our stakeholder concerns.

The spirit of partnership and collaboration that defines us in Burlington has yet again proven that we are Stronger Together.

Sincerely,

Carla Y. Nell

2020 Distinguished Entrepreneur

by | Nov 4, 2020 | Uncategorized

POSTPONED until a later date. 

Due to the recent Provincial update in response to COVID-19 moving Halton Region into the Red – Control zone, we are sad to announce that we will be postponing our 2020 Distinguished Entrepreneur Event, originally scheduled for November 26th.

Honouring Kenna Danyliw and her accomplishments in her industry and our community is of utmost importance to the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and deserves the attention of the entire business community. In order to do proper justice to the profile of this award and our 2020 Recipient, this event will be reimagined in late Spring 2021 and will dovetail this celebration with our prestigious Business Excellence Awards Gala. Further details will be announced in 2021. 

Kenna Danyliw, President & CEO and Founding Partner, Danyliw & Mann Professional Corporation

Kenna is the President / CEO and founding partner of Danyliw & Mann, a boutique firm that specializes in providing business management, tax and accounting services to the music industry.  The business started 15 years ago in the spare bedroom of her family’s home while she had two young daughters, a stepson and one very supportive husband.  

Read more

Danyliw & Mann has grown out of that bedroom and into one of the leading Canadian firms in the industry and represents several Juno and Grammy award-winning or nominated artists across Canada, the United States and beyond.  Kenna is a CPA, CA who started her career with Coopers & Lybrand and also worked with Laidlaw and Pricewaterhouse Coopers before founding Danyliw & Mann. Kenna and her family are Burlington residents who have lived in the community for 20 years.  Kenna is the Treasurer on the Sarah McLachlan Foundation board, is the former Vice-Chair of the Art Gallery of Burlington Board of Directors, is a new member of the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Women4Change group, is a member of the JR Digs Acoustic Christmas organizing committee, volunteers services for The Avril Lavigne Foundation and was on the board of the Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute and Planned Parenthood Hamilton.

With Live Performances by

With Virtual Performances by

Victor Micallef

from The Tenors

Whitehorse

Sarah McLachlan

Barenaked Ladies

With Live Performances by

Victor Micallef 

from The Tenors

Whitehorse

With Virtual Performances by

Sarah McLachlan

Barenaked Ladies

2020 Distinguished Entrepreneur Sponsors

Sponsorship Opportunities are available! Please contact ashlee@ourforte.ca to become a sponsor and help us celebrate entrepreneurship and in Burlington.

Presented by

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsors

Dessert Sponsor

Burlington Safe Restart Program First Round Funding Recipients Announced

Burlington Safe Restart Program First Round Funding Recipients Announced

by | Oct 15, 2020 | Chamber News

Burlington to provide $124,689 to 59 Burlington Businesses in first round of Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant

October 15, 2020 – Burlington, ON – The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small businesses who need to adapt quickly to public health guidelines. Burlington’s business support organizations, known as Team Burlington (Burlington Economic Development, Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA and Tourism Burlington), heard about these challenges and took decisive action in partnering with the City of Burlington and POST Promise to launch the Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant on September 29.

The response to the program has been extremely positive, with more than 95 applications received in the two-week application window that closed on October 13th.

Today, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward was joined by the Honourable Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Jane McKenna, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development and Member of Provincial Parliament for Burlington to announce the Burlington businesses that will receive a grant in the first round of funding. Through the grant, $124,689 in funding will be released across 59 businesses. These businesses fall across a broad range of industries including hospitality, retail, health, wellness & sports. A full list of companies supported can be found online here.

The Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant is an innovative municipal program that aims to support businesses through a one-time grant of up to $2500 that can be used towards related COVID-19 costs such as PPE and renovations to physical space to allow businesses to properly adhere to public health guidelines. As part of the eligibility requirements, recipients are also required to make the POST Promise, a private sector-led initiative that provides essential information on how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Watch the full announcement here, and find more information on the Burlington Safe Restart program here.

QUOTES

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“I’m glad to see our local small businesses have taken advantage of the first round of the Burlington Safe Restart Program relief grants and, at the same time, made the POST Promise. As the backbone of the local economy, our small businesses need all the support we can give them to help adapt and make their shops as safe as possible. This, in turn, will help the public feel more confident in participating in the economy again and in visiting their favourite local stores.”

The Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction

“The POST Promise and the Safe Restart program are shining examples of the tools available to small businesses to help address the need to keep customers and employees safe. I commend the City for their leadership on combatting COVID-19 and I am certain we will emerge stronger than ever from this virus.”

Anita Cassidy, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development

“The Burlington Safe Restart Program will help ease some of the financial impacts that COVID-19 has had on our business community. The importance of restarting the economy and rebuilding consumer and employee trust was something Team Burlington was hearing loud and clear from our business community, and we knew we needed to find a way to provide direct, hands-on support. We are thrilled that The City of Burlington has stepped up to support our business community. Additionally, the partnership with POST Promise has equipped us to ensure our businesses are doing everything they can to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers, and I’m thrilled to have them on board.”

Aidan Tracey, POST Promise Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors

“The POST Promise is proud to be partnering with Team Burlington, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Safe Restart Program to support local small businesses. We congratulate all grant recipients and businesses who have made the POST Promise and are doing their part to let Canadians know they can confidently return to public spaces.”

Carla Y. Nell, President & CEO, Burlington Chamber of Commerce

“We are pleased to champion the Burlington Safe Restart Program that will provide much-needed relief to businesses across our City. We are very proud that Burlington is the first municipality we know of to launch a program of this kind and to be taking actionable steps toward helping businesses reopen safely and effectively. Restoring consumer confidence is key to economic recovery and the steps businesses take to protect employees and consumers is an essential part of that process, and we encourage all businesses to take the POST promise.”

Media Contact

Claire Green
Manager, Marketing and Attraction
Burlington Economic Development
Claire.Green@burlington.ca

Burlington to provide $124,689 to 59 Burlington Businesses in first round of Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Gran

October 15, 2020 – Burlington, ON – The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small businesses who need to adapt quickly to public health guidelines. Burlington’s business support organizations, known as Team Burlington (Burlington Economic Development, Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA and Tourism Burlington), heard about these challenges and took decisive action in partnering with the City of Burlington and POST Promise to launch the Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant on September 29.

The response to the program has been extremely positive, with more than 95 applications received in the two-week application window that closed on October 13th.

Today, Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward was joined by the Honourable Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Jane McKenna, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development and Member of Provincial Parliament for Burlington to announce the Burlington businesses that will receive a grant in the first round of funding. Through the grant, $124,689 in funding will be released across 59 businesses. These businesses fall across a broad range of industries including hospitality, retail, health, wellness & sports. A full list of companies supported can be found online here.

The Burlington Safe Restart COVID-19 Business Relief Grant is an innovative municipal program that aims to support businesses through a one-time grant of up to $2500 that can be used towards related COVID-19 costs such as PPE and renovations to physical space to allow businesses to properly adhere to public health guidelines. As part of the eligibility requirements, recipients are also required to make the POST Promise, a private sector-led initiative that provides essential information on how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Watch the full announcement here, and find more information on the Burlington Safe Restart program here.

QUOTES

Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“I’m glad to see our local small businesses have taken advantage of the first round of the Burlington Safe Restart Program relief grants and, at the same time, made the POST Promise. As the backbone of the local economy, our small businesses need all the support we can give them to help adapt and make their shops as safe as possible. This, in turn, will help the public feel more confident in participating in the economy again and in visiting their favourite local stores.”

The Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction

“The POST Promise and the Safe Restart program are shining examples of the tools available to small businesses to help address the need to keep customers and employees safe. I commend the City for their leadership on combatting COVID-19 and I am certain we will emerge stronger than ever from this virus.”

Anita Cassidy, Executive Director, Burlington Economic Development

“The Burlington Safe Restart Program will help ease some of the financial impacts that COVID-19 has had on our business community. The importance of restarting the economy and rebuilding consumer and employee trust was something Team Burlington was hearing loud and clear from our business community, and we knew we needed to find a way to provide direct, hands-on support. We are thrilled that The City of Burlington has stepped up to support our business community. Additionally, the partnership with POST Promise has equipped us to ensure our businesses are doing everything they can to protect themselves, their employees, and their customers, and I’m thrilled to have them on board.”

Aidan Tracey, POST Promise Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors

“The POST Promise is proud to be partnering with Team Burlington, the City of Burlington and the Burlington Safe Restart Program to support local small businesses. We congratulate all grant recipients and businesses who have made the POST Promise and are doing their part to let Canadians know they can confidently return to public spaces.”

Carla Y. Nell, President & CEO, Burlington Chamber of Commerce

“We are pleased to champion the Burlington Safe Restart Program that will provide much-needed relief to businesses across our City. We are very proud that Burlington is the first municipality we know of to launch a program of this kind and to be taking actionable steps toward helping businesses reopen safely and effectively. Restoring consumer confidence is key to economic recovery and the steps businesses take to protect employees and consumers is an essential part of that process, and we encourage all businesses to take the POST promise.”

Media Contact

Claire Green
Manager, Marketing and Attraction
Burlington Economic Development
Claire.Green@burlington.ca

Recovery Activation Program Expands to Burlington

Recovery Activation Program Expands to Burlington

by | Jul 24, 2020 | Chamber News

New Program Will Help Local Businesses go Digital in Response to COVID-19

Recovery Activation Program expands to Burlington

BURLINGTON, JULY 24 – COVID-19 has changed everything, requiring telecommuting, on-demand delivery and services, supply chain resiliency and virtual collaborations. Even as the province begins to reopen, the pandemic has heightened the urgency for businesses to digitize to survive.

To address this change, Toronto Region Board of Trade and World Trade Centre Toronto created the Recovery Activation Program, or RAP. RAP offers businesses the know-how, blueprint and partners to address the conditions that COVID-19 has created by implementing digital solutions to their front, middle and back-offices. It will not only equip them to come through COVID-19 intact, but to thrive.

With the support of a $7.7 million investment from the Government of Canada and Government of Ontario, RAP is now expanding to businesses of all sizes throughout the province, including Burlington. The Burlington Chamber of Commerce has been selected as an important partner to help ensure local businesses benefit from the customized services and mentorship that RAP offers.  The goal is to help participants develop an effective strategy to attack their unique barriers to connectivity and support their digital restructuring.

“The Burlington Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to offer this timely and important support for our membership and the Burlington business community. As we continue moving through the staged approach to reopening, this program will allow business to strengthen their digital presence and infrastructure to support their economic recovery in the long term,” said President & CEO Carla Y. Nell.

By enabling this partnership between the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, the governments’ investment in RAP will also help make sure at least half of RAP’s participants are based outside of Toronto.

“The Recovery Activation Program is a direct response to what we’re hearing from our members and the business community at large: digital tools and services are crucial to success, but challenging to implement,” said Jan De Silva, President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. “The Burlington Chamber of Commerce’s involvement in this program will result in the digital transformation of businesses outside of Toronto who will now be in a position to shore up their current business offerings, create new businesses opportunities and explore new markets.”

With recruitment currently open, the first RAP cohort will run through July 2020. Interested businesses can apply here.

ABOUT THE TORONTO REGION BOARD OF TRADE 

The Toronto Region Board of Trade is one of the largest and most influential chambers of commerce in North America and is a catalyst for the region’s economic growth agenda. Backed by more than 13,500 members, we pursue policy change to drive the growth and competitiveness of the Toronto region and facilitate market opportunities with programs, partnerships and connections to help our members succeed – domestically and internationally. We want Toronto to be recognized as one of the most competitive and sought-after business regions in the world, and believe this reputation starts with our businesses. Learn more at bot.com and follow us at @TorontoRBOT.

To book an interview, please contact:

Rebecca Tsehay
Toronto Region Board of Trade
647-216-2686
RTsehay@bot.com