by admin | Nov 25, 2020 | Chamber News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 26, 2020
BURLINGTON, ONTARIO
Mayor Meed Ward Announces December 2nd as Chamber of Commerce Day in Burlington
Burlington, Ontario (November 26, 2020) – To honour and recognize the work that the Burlington Chamber of Commerce has done to support the business community in Burlington and beyond, December 2, 2020 has been declared Chamber of Commerce Day across the City.
The Burlington Chamber of Commerce has played a critical role in supporting the business community, factoring in all sectors and sizes of business, as a vital partner during the COVID-19 crisis. Early on in the pandemic, the Burlington Chamber committed to keeping the broader business community strongly connected, focussing on bringing leaders together and creating opportunities for collaboration and partnership to position Burlington’s economy for recovery.
“I am thrilled that the Chamber is receiving this honour and recognition from the City of Burlington. At the beginning of the pandemic, we adapted quickly to ensure that Burlington businesses were kept informed and supported to access the tools, programs and resources necessary to get through these difficult times and to ensure their viability beyond this crisis” said President & CEO, Carla Y. Nell. “We have been working tirelessly with our Team Burlington partners and all levels of government to advocate for relief to offset the financial hardship that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in for both employers and employees.”
In honour of this recognition, the Burlington Chamber is launching the #BCofCStrongerTogether campaign to rally further support from the community for local businesses and to recognize the Burlington Chamber of Commerce as an indispensable partner to business. Learn more about how you can show your support at burlingtonchamber.com.
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Media Contact
Lindsay Stevenson
Strategic Communications Coordinator
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
lindsay@burlingtonchamber.com
by admin | May 4, 2020 | Chamber News
May 4, 2020 – Burlington’s business support organizations, known as Team Burlington, are pleased to announce the launch of the Burlington Economic Recovery Network.
Comprised of Burlington Economic Development, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, Burlington Downtown Business Association, Aldershot Village BIA, and Tourism Burlington, Team Burlington has been working closely over the last several weeks to support the business community in dealing with the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Burlington Economic Recovery Network will bring together key stakeholders and business leaders from across Burlington to develop a recovery strategy that will prepare our economy for recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The impacts of the global pandemic are already being felt locally and there is a strong need to align economic stakeholders and business support groups to position Burlington for short and long-term economic recovery.
In a joint statement made by the leadership of the Team Burlington organizations, “We’re being proactive. The Burlington Economic Recovery Network is a natural extension of the work Team Burlington is currently doing to support businesses in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The creation of the network is about preparing businesses to come out strong on the other side and help our local economy recover. Meaningful advocacy, as well as business support and programming, will be key outcomes.”
The impacts of COVID-19 are already being felt in our community and will continue to be felt long after the state of emergency has ended. It is anticipated that in Burlington alone, just under 2,000 businesses and 29,000 jobs may be directly affected. The network will work together to advocate for business support at all levels of government, including targeted relief measures and stimulus funding for the hardest hit sectors, which include agriculture, retail, tourism, healthcare and hospitality. The network will also focus on cutting “red tape” to help all sectors rebound and get back to business.
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward is looking forward to how the Economic Recovery Network will help businesses through recovery. “Our local businesses have not been immune to the negative economic effects of the COVID-19 emergency. I’m very happy with the work Team Burlington has done so far and the support and guidance they have been offering to owners and staff. I support the launch of the Economic Recovery Network as it will work to address, wherever possible, any gaps in existing supports, such as directing guidance to help manufacturers retool; clarity on direct contacts for supports at federally- and provincially-announced programs; and any constraints on our municipality to support. The Economic Recovery Network will be focused on seeing our businesses through COVID-19 and ensuring they can get back on their feet after this crisis and that’s the light at the end of this tunnel that we need.”
More information on the Burlington Economic Recovery Network will be posted on the Team Burlington COVID-19 one-stop-shop resource site, hosted on burlingtonchamber.com.
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Media Contact
Claire Green
Manager, Marketing and Attraction
Burlington Economic Development
Claire.green@burlington.ca
by admin | Mar 21, 2020 | Chamber News
(Toronto, March 21, 2020) – Rocco Rossi, President & CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce released the following statement in reaction to the Government of Ontario’s launch of a new procurement portal, Ontario Together, that will help businesses and their employees work with the province to meet the challenges of COVID-19.
“All businesses across the province and country must shift their focus to the singular cause of slowing the pace of the transmission of the virus. The Government of Ontario’s new procurement portal is critical as it will remove barriers and speed up the process for the government to procure required goods and services and share creative solutions.
“Several of our members have already stepped up and offered to help support on-going public health efforts.
“I echo the Premier in stating extraordinary times call for extraordinary efforts. It is critical that we work collectively to identify the province’s supply challenges and solicit ideas and advice from Ontario’s business and manufacturing communities on how we can work together with government to meet the need.
“Public health and safety are priorities for us all. We applaud the Government of Ontario’s on-going leadership throughout the COVID-19 crisis.”
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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the non-partisan, indispensable partner of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.
For more information, please contact:
Michelle Eaton, Vice President, Public Affairs, Ontario Chamber of Commerce at michelleeaton@occ.ca or 647-261-4594
HOW YOUR BUSINESS OR ORGANIZATION CAN HELP FIGHT CORONAVIRUS
The Government of Ontario is welcoming help from businesses and organizations who can supply emergency products and innovative solutions to support our response to COVID-19.
Click here to learn more.
by admin | Jan 7, 2020 | Chamber News
City of Burlington Media Release – January 7, 2020
Burlington Economic Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Anita Cassidy as Executive Director effective January 1, 2020. Anita has been in the role of Acting Executive Director since May 2018 when former Executive Director Frank McKeown retired. Anita has over 15 years of experience in Economic Development delivering results-oriented strategies and programs that drive economic growth. She first joined Burlington Economic Development in 2011 and has since led a number of important projects.
“Since
being appointed Chair of Burlington Economic Development I have had a close
working relationship with Anita,” said Randy Smallbone, Board Chair of
Burlington Economic Development. “I was pleased to be able to recommend to the
Board that Anita be given the role of Executive Director. She has proven
herself over the last 18 months, in a period of change for the City of
Burlington,” Smallbone concluded.
Anita brings a diverse background that includes fundraising, research and stakeholder management, program and project management, strategic planning, non-profit leadership, and finance administration. Anita is multi-lingual, speaking both Italian and French, and has lived and worked in six countries including Scotland, England, Italy, Belgium, USA, and Canada. Anita also holds an MSc in Economic Development from the University of Glasgow.
Since
becoming Acting Executive Director, Anita has led Burlington Economic
Development to a number of recent successes including the implementation of
several of the recommendations resulting from the Mayor’s Red Tape Red Carpet
taskforce. She also continues to collaborate with the City of
Burlington on the development of a proposed Municipal Development
Corporation, which will be under consideration by City Council in 2020. Anita
oversaw the continued growth of TechPlace, which is going into its third
year of operations this year. It was also under Anita’s leadership that
Burlington Economic Development led a successful pitch to Endress + Hauser to
build a new 47,000 square foot state-of-the-art customer
experience centre in Burlington. The company officially broke ground
on the site in August 2019.
In
2020, Burlington Economic Development will undergo a review of its governance
structure to determine how to best deliver on the economic development mandate
for the city. Anita is looking forward to participating in this process and
sees it as a crucial opportunity to check in on the city’s progress toward
achieving the economic goals laid out in the City’s 25-year Strategic
Plan.
Burlington
Mayor Marianne Meed Ward has been on the Burlington Economic
Development Board of Directors since Fall 2018. “I’m delighted by the closer
bonds between Burlington Economic Development and city staff and council,
fostered under Anita’s leadership. She has shown herself to be an enthusiastic
and collaborative partner throughout recent initiatives, including the Mayor’s
Red Tape Red Carpet task force, taking the lead on implementing several of
these.” Mayor Meed Ward continued, “I look forward to continuing to
work closely together to deliver on our shared goal of attracting new
businesses to Burlington and helping our existing businesses expand.”
Anita
has and will continue to make partnership a top priority at Economic
Development, working closely with colleagues at the City, Halton Region,
Tourism, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and Burlington’s Business
Improvement Areas to support economic prosperity in Burlington and across the
region.
Media Contact:
Claire Green
Manager, Marketing and Attraction
Claire.green@burlington.ca
by admin | Oct 21, 2019 | Chamber News
Chamber Network Highlights Importance of Small Business to Ontario Economy and Communities
Ontario Chamber Network kicks off Small Business Week 2019 Too Big to Ignore Campaign
(Burlington, October 21, 2019) – Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Burlington Chamber of Commerce launched Small Business Too Big to Ignore, a campaign taking place October 21 to 25, 2019 for Small Business Week highlights the important contributions of small businesses to communities across the province.
“Small businesses of 100 or fewer employees are the core of our membership and employ nearly 3 million Ontarians, accounting for over two-thirds of all private sector workers. They are powerful economic drivers in local communities and across the province. That is why for Small Business Week, we’re identifying the challenges small business owners face and celebrating everything they give back to our province,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
The OCC’s report, Obstacles and Opportunities: The Importance of Small Business in Ontario, highlights the contributions of small businesses to the provincial economy, while also recognizing, and offering solutions to, the most pressing challenges that small business owners face.
The report identifies the top three obstacles for small businesses in Ontario:
- Small businesses need access to talent.
- Small businesses need government investment in infrastructure; and
- Small businesses are concerned about the rising costs of doing business.
“Small businesses make up 98 per cent of all Ontario businesses and account for 30 per cent of the provincial GDP. They are the backbone – and heart – of our community,” said Carla Y. Nell, President and CEO of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce. “This week, we’re proud to engage with small businesses across Burlington to recognize and celebrate the significant role they play in our economy and the broader community. We also want to discuss how we can support them to ensure they are not ignored.”
Resources:
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Carla Y. Nell
President and CEO
Burlington Chamber of Commerce
carla@burlingtonchamber.com
