by admin | Jun 16, 2020 | Chamber News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE
JUNE 16, 2020
OCC and Chamber Network report outlines need for strong data governance in modern, post-pandemic economy
(BURLINGTON, JUNE 16) – Today, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce and Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) released their latest report, In Data We Trust: Unlocking the Value of Data in Ontario. With the COVID-19 crisis rapidly transforming the modern economy, the report outlines the need for Ontario to unlock opportunities and manage the threats of its increasingly data-driven economy.
“Long before COVID-19, it was evident that data has quickly become one of the most valuable resources in our economy, revolutionizing traditional business models across finance, health care, manufacturing, and many other sectors,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC. “The reality is that almost everything we do as consumers relies on and is made possible to some extent by data analytics and related technologies, from fraud detection to supply chain optimization. In many ways, the pandemic has accelerated this transformation, as the need for digitization and the integration of health data have become more critical than ever.”
In Data We Trust reflects on the value of data innovation, explores lessons from COVID-19, and outlines organizational best practices and policy recommendations focused on privacy, cybersecurity, data sharing, and artificial intelligence (AI).
“Digital contact tracing, adoption of AI technologies, and expansion of 5G networks: all of these will benefit our society, and will require mobilizing data in responsible and innovative ways,” explains report author Claudia Dessanti, Senior Policy Analyst at the OCC.
Key takeaways include:
- Privacy frameworks should protect individual rights while encouraging data-driven innovation. Ontario and Canada should reinforce their principles-based approach with strong industry standards. Businesses and other organizations have an important role to play to ensure their own privacy practices enhance public trust.
- Cybersecurity breaches are affecting organizations of all kinds. More can be done to build capacity and limit future attacks with stronger adoption of industry standards, information sharing, and best practices around risk assessments, staff training, technology adoption, and insurance.
- Data sharing is an opportunity to improve efficiencies and spur innovation across the economy. Organizations should collaborate on shared standards and infrastructure to enable data sharing across all sectors, including health care, without compromising privacy. Meanwhile, governments should improve the use of their open data programs.
- AI is a competitive advantage that Ontario should leverage. Going forward, the province should prioritize expansion of regional broadband infrastructure, translate AI research expertise into widespread adoption of the technology, prepare the workforce for an AI-driven economy, and mitigate ethical risks related to AI use.
“The data revolution does come with certain risks, including the erosion of personal privacy, data security breaches, labour market disruption, ethical challenges, and increasing regional inequality,” says Carla Y. Nell, President & CEO. “That is why the Burlington Chamber of Commerce is committed to working with our community to create an environment that encourages data-driven innovation while protecting against these very real challenges.”
In Data We Trust was informed by a Data Working Group composed of leading experts from a range of sectors across the province.
Read the report.
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About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, 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
michelleeaton@occ.ca or 647-261-4594
by admin | Jun 11, 2020 | Chamber News
JUNE 11, 2020 – BURLINGTON – HALTECH REGIONAL INNOVATION CENTRE
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on businesses of all sizes across the country. In particular, retail-oriented main street businesses have suffered, with stores closed and in-person commerce halted. To regain revenues, many businesses are transitioning from traditional storefronts to online stores to serve more clients and capitalize on new markets.
With Ontario’s economy reopening, the federal and provincial governments have joined together to help small businesses go digital — both to recover and to generate revenue — through a pan-Ontario collaborative project.
Building on Toronto’s foundational investments into Digital Main Street and, most recently, ShopHERE, the federal and provincial governments today announced a $57-million investment that will extend the support to businesses across Ontario. Digital Main Street is a program that helps small main street businesses better promote themselves online and adopt digital tools and technology.
This investment includes $12.2 million from the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), targeting support to retail, hospitality and service businesses in Southwestern Ontario. The funds will be used to create digital service teams to help small businesses establish their online presence, implement e-commerce tools and develop digital transformation and digital marketing plans.
The partnership brings together Communitech, Haltech Regional Innovation Centre (Halton), Innovation Guelph (Guelph), Innovation Factory (Hamilton), Innovate Niagara (Niagara), TechAlliance (London) and WETech (Windosor Essex) to deliver a new Futureproofing Businesses program as part of the Digital Main Street Platform. The partners will work to ensure local businesses have access to all Digital Main Street resources — helping them pivot their operations to digital business models in order to regain lost revenue and become more resilient and competitive as the economy recovers.
To carry out this effort in Halton Region, Haltech Regional Innovation Centre is proud to partner with the Region of Halton’s Small Business Centre, Economic Development teams, the Chambers of Commerce and local Business Improvement Areas’s to help small businesses have the resources and support they need to adopt digital technologies to compete now and in the future. “Our effort has been working with innovation businesses to help accelerate their growth and navigate the challenges. Recently, the focus has been on helping them pivot and find the path from survive to thrive during and after the pandemic. We are excited to now be working with FedDev and our Halton partners to add increased support for small businesses in adopting the power of technology,” said Shann McGrail, Executive Director of Haltech.
As one of the leading innovation hubs in Southwestern Ontario, Haltech will work together with its partners to help enterprises from all walks of life to adapt their companies as they focus on recovery. The program will also create job opportunities for students. Over the summer and fall terms, students will gain valuable work experience creating online storefronts, developing digital marketing plans and supporting small businesses as they leverage e-commerce and other digital platforms.
For more information or to apply, visit the Digital Main Street website.
Federal and Provincial Quotes
“As local economies across Ontario reopen, we’re focused on ensuring that our main streets don’t just survive but thrive. These businesses are the backbone of our economy, a source of local jobs – and local pride. Thanks to this major investment, they’ll be able to expand their offerings and seize the many opportunities presented by online commerce. Our message to “Ontario’s small businesses and those whose livelihoods rely on them is clear: we’re working with you to help our economy come back stronger than ever.”
- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
“In southern Ontario, the stores along downtown streets are critical to a city’s identity. FedDev Ontario and its partners will offer the support these businesses rebuild and retool in the digital world, while providing valuable work experience to students that may have been displaced from other opportunities by the pandemic.”
-Kate Young, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (FedDev Ontario)
“Ontario’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and their economic recovery is critical to Ontario’s recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic saw thousands of small businesses across the province close their doors and halt business as many had no ability to shift sales or services online. I am very pleased, that together with Minister Joly and our federal partners, we are providing small businesses with the tools they need to not only adapt to the challenges of today, but to re-establish, recover and flourish throughout this phased reopening and into the future.”
–The Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction
Local Stakeholder Support and Quotes:
Region:
“Halton Region’s Small Business Centre has continued to work with community partners to support local businesses impacted by COVID-19. As the Province starts to reopen and small businesses continue to adjust to new ways of doing business, this funding will provide valuable assistance for those looking to boost their digital presence and support employers as they plan their recovery.”-Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr
Mayors:
“This global pandemic has been difficult on everyone, including our local shops. We’ve all had to find more digital and virtual ways to do the things we’ve been used to doing to carry on. This joint federal and provincial governments’ commitment to help our struggling small businesses thrive digitally is great news and another example of all levels of government working together to help those residents and businesses who need it.” – Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward
“The last few months have put a tremendous strain on the business sector across Ontario. In Milton, our small business owners and retailers have shown their resiliency. The ShopHERE program is one of ways the Town is supporting our business community in Milton. The investment today ensures that even more independent businesses in our community will receive the help they need to move their products and services online.” Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz
Chambers of Commerce:
“The impacts of the global pandemic are being felt by local small businesses and will be felt long after the state of emergency has ended. The Burlington Chamber of Commerce is pleased to partner to offer this timely support to equip small businesses with the necessary tools and resources to adapt to the changing landscape that COVID-19 has brought on. This much needed support is a significant step to prepare our economy for recovery and to ensure the viability of business into the future,” –Carla Y. Nell, President & CEO, Burlington Chamber of Commerce
“Early in the pandemic, many small businesses were thrust into the world of e-commerce, some by choice and some for sheer survival. As we emerge from the shutdown, these same businesses want to now take the time to create a more effective and sophisticated online presence. Digital Main Street will be an invaluable resource” – Scott McCammon, Executive Director, Milton Chamber of Commerce
“The Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce is pleased to see the additional funding for Futureproofing Businesses program targeting our hardest hit sectors: retail, hospitality and services and we look forward to working with Haltech to connect our community to these resources.” – Kathleen Dills, General Manager, Halton Hills Chamber of Commerce
Quick Facts
- The Digital Main Street Platform is funded by both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
- Support through the Digital Main Street Platform will be offered in three tiers customized to the level of support required by each company to develop or strengthen their online presence. More information on the levels of support is available in the Backgrounder.
- The strategic partners involved in this project have a broad reach to tens of thousands of the region’s businesses from all walks of life. They offer a wealth of expertise ranging from business improvement, technology, innovation, marketing and economic development. Therefore, they are best-suited to deliver this widespread support and make the greatest possible impact across the region. Read more about this pivotal project.
About Haltech:
Haltech is a not for profit Regional Innovation Centre funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade. Haltech provides entrepreneurial education, advisory services and strategic connections to technology start up and scale up companies in Halton Region to help them accelerate growth and bring innovations to market. Since it’s inception, Haltech has worked with over 800 technology and innovation companies. In its last fiscal year, clients of Haltech generated over $63 million dollars of revenue, created 428 jobs, and raised $21.5m in capital.
Contact
Shann McGrail – Executive Director, Haltech
Shann.mcgrail@haltech.ca
905 302 3519
by admin | Jun 11, 2020 | Chamber News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE
JUNE 11, 2020
Small Business Rebound Necessary for Economic Recovery
Ontario Chamber & Burlington Chamber: RBC report underscores vital need to focus on small business recovery
(Toronto – June 11, 2020) – Today, the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) released Small Business, Big Pivot: A devasting downturn, and how Canadian enterprises can transition. The report contains proprietary economic research which outlines how the landscape has shifted for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document also includes a tangible plan to help Canadian small businesses thrive in a post-pandemic economy.
“The recession at-hand is unlike the one Canada or the world witnessed in 2008, in terms of both its structure and scale,” says, President & CEO, Carla Y. Nell. “The majority of our members are small businesses; businesses that are cornerstones of our community and the engine of Ontario’s economy. The data presented in RBC’s report echoes the concerns that we have been hearing from small businesses, one of the groups hardest-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
RBC’s analysis found that small firms experienced twice the number of job losses in comparison to mid- and large-sized firms in Canada. Women, youth, minorities, and First Nations were found to have been particularly impacted since they tend to be are employed within the most disrupted parts of the small-business economy. The report also identifies which industries face significant challenges (i.e., accommodation and food service) and those that are in a stronger position to manage short-term losses (i.e., manufacturing and wholesale trade).
“Small Business, Big Pivot underscores that small firms need to leverage new technologies with the aim of adapting to the virtual economy. This will be further explored in our upcoming policy brief, Small Business, Big Impact: How SMEs are Pivoting During COVID-19, which will be released on June 22, profiling how various small businesses have succeeded in this regard,” says Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC).
Both reports identify the rise in e-commerce as Canadians take advantage of online shopping and home delivery options. Small businesses that have successfully leveraged technology and online platforms are identified as remaining resilient during this unprecedented period. Yet, changing consumer trends present challenges for small firms, especially those that are digital novices, have limited capital, or are located in parts of the province with poor or unreliable broadband internet access.
“As consumer behaviour shifts, the ability of small businesses to adapt and pivot will be a major determinant of Ontario’s long-term economic recovery. While the federal and provincial governments have taken swift action and extraordinary steps to keep small businesses afloat, permanent closures will have ramifications for local supply chains, workers, and communities alike. Policymakers, therefore, should consider the recommendations contained in Small Business, Big Pivot, as we continue to strengthen small businesses and work towards Canada’s economic rebuild,” Rossi added.
Read RBC’s Report.
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Media Contact
Lindsay Stevenson
Strategic Communications Coordinator
289 208 2844
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
