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New Report Reveals GTHA Business Opinion On Revenue Tools

Tuesday, May 14, 2013 - Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with other GTHA Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade, released the results of a GTHA-wide consultation of business on how to fund The Big Move, the province's transportation plan to relieve congestion in region.

Face-to-face consultations were held with more than 250 businesses in 10 sessions across the GTHA. In addition, the OCC surveyed its membership, the GTHA and throughout the province regarding their preferences and the results are consolidated in a new report, “The $2 Billion Question: GTHA Business Opinion on Funding The Big Move”. The intent is to outline the findings of the GTHA wide Chamber of Commerce consultations prior to the Metrolinx Report going to the provincial government, at the end of May.

GOCC BIG MOVE Recommendations
GOCC Letter To John Howe - Metrolinx

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce hosted an information session on Thursday, May 9th with keynote speaker Joey Neuhoff, VP of Business Development for Covanta Energy Corporation. Covanta, the world’s largest Energy-from-Waste (EfW) operator, has been selected to design, build and operate the Durham York Energy Centre. Mr. Neuhoff provided information on the state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility, slated to open in Clarington in the latter half of 2014, stating it “will provide an efficient and environmentally friendly way of disposing of 140,000 tonnes of post recycled waste annually while producing power.” Click here to view power point presentation. Pictured here is Chamber President, Dan Carter of Channel 12, Joey Neuhoff and Howard Titus, Facility Manager for the Durham York Energy Centre.

More information about Covanta and the York Durham Energy Centre can be found at www.covantaenergy.com/durham-york or at the project website at www.durhamyorkwaste.ca.

2013 Business Count Is Coming To Oshawa!

The Regional Municipality of Durham will soon be conducting its 2013 Durham Region Business Count. The Business Count team (recognizable by their navy blue Region of Durham shirts and photo ID cards) will be visiting local businesses in Oshawa between approximately May 6 and May 31, to gather basic information about the type and nature of the business, the number of employees, plans for growth, floor space and location. All information will be grouped together with other data, for economic analysis and planning purposes, as well as to update the www.durhambusiness.ca directory. Information collected will be kept confidential. More information is available at www.durham.ca/businesscount.

Shipping Season Kicks Off in Port of Oshawa

The Oshawa Port Authority kicked off this year’s shipping season by officially welcoming the first international vessel, M/V Heloise, to the Port of Oshawa at a special Top Hat ceremony. Along with Gary Valcour, Chair of the Oshawa Port Authority (centre), Donna Taylor, President and CEO of the Oshawa Port Authority (right), presented Captain Huang You Zhong, Master of M/V Heloise with the traditional Top Hat during a special ceremony attended by local elected and industry officials. M/V Heloise arrived from Turkey to offload 18 thousand metric tonnes of steel. Her next port of call will be Duluth, Minnesota. This tradition began back in 1829, and each year, the prestigious Top Hat is presented as a symbol of good luck to the captain of the first international ship to enter the Port of Oshawa through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

30-Minute Off-Peak Lakeshore GO Train Service

On Friday, April 19, 2013 Metrolinx announced that beginning June 29th GO Transit is increasing off-peak service on the Lakeshore lines to meet the needs of its growing number of customers. This is the largest service expansion in GO history and the result of years of careful planning and construction to expand service on this line.

The Lakeshore line currently operates two-way, all day trains service every hour, with a total of 137 weekday trips. With the expansion to half-hourly service, GO Transit will be adding 263 new weekly trips overall or 36,288 more seats every week. This means schedule train times will be less of a factor for residents along the Lakeshore lines and travel will be more comfortable, as promised in its Passenger Charter.

On April 12, 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama issued a presidential permit that will allow construction of a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor. “This is a huge win,” said Bob Malcolmson, CEO & General Manager of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. "Since 2003 the Windsor/Detroit Border issue has been a part of the Ontario and Canadian Chambers of Commerce policy priorities.”

In May 2003 the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce first presented a policy resolution at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM and in the fall of 2003 at the Canadian Chamber AGM calling on federal and provincial cooperation to invest and improve the infrastructure at the outdated Windsor/Detroit crossing.

Partnering with the private sector to deliver more public services could potentially save Ontario billions of dollars, according to a new report on alternative service delivery from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Certified General Accountants of Ontario.

The report, “Public Sector Problems, Private Sector Solutions”, makes the case that many of the services Ontarians rely on can be delivered better and more affordably by businesses and not-for-profits, including in areas of health care and education.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is looking into charging a toll for people driving into the United States. “Charging a toll to travellers crossing the border by ground would be a serious mistake,” stated Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Any fee to travellers crossing the border is bad for individuals and for the economy. Building the walls higher and making the border stickier and thicker is exactly the wrong way to go. Not only would it have a damaging impact on trade and businesses on both sides of the border but goes against the Beyond the Border Action Plan presented by the Prime Minister and President Obama to improve border efficiency and regulatory cooperation. These new fees would break down the sense of North American community we have been working so hard to build. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce will vigorously lobby against this proposal.

Another Major Review For Ontario’s Workers’ Compensation System

Submitted by Ian Howcroft, Vice President, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Ontario...On April 25, 2013 CME presented to Douglas Stanley, who is holding public hearings that will help to shape Ontario’s workers’ compensation system. He is seeking input and will be reporting directly to the Chair of the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB). This is the third major consultation that the WSIB has conducted over the last few years. The system was introduced in Ontario almost 100 years ago, and all recognize that there is a need to update it and ensure that it is relevant and properly and appropriately serving the needs of all stakeholders, particularly the workers and employers of Ontario.

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