On July 1, 2010, the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia will implement the harmonized sales tax (HST). The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will administer that tax. Here are a few helpful links to more information on the Harmonized Sales Tax. While you should certainly contact your accountant or bookkeeper to understand the transition rules and regulations as they pertain specifically to your business, these links may help:

In an effort to better integrate foreign trained workers into the labour force, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is assisting fifteen communities as they facilitate bridging between workers and potential employers. “Ontario is a magnet for the world – we attract people from around the globe who want to pursue new careers, and lifetime ambitions. But so often we fail to make these dreams come true. We need to better integrate these talented new Ontarians into businesses that can benefit from their expertise, insight, global experience and connections,” says Len Crispino, President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

The 99th Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) was held in Windsor from April 29 to May 2, 2010. During the policy session on Saturday May 1st, the delegates from over 160 Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade in the province of Ontario, representing 60,000 businesses of all sizes, in all economic sectors and from every area of the province, debated and overwhelmingly adopted the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce resolution calling for “Accountability of School Boards to Property Taxpayers”.

May 13, 2010, Oshawa This Week, Editorial Comment - School closure review process remains transparent, accountable

Editorial Mis-Representative Of The Facts
Chamber's Response to Editorial Comment, Oshawa This Week, Thursday May 13, 2010

The US Office of Management and Budget has just released the regulations pertaining to the Buy American deal that was reached in February.  It is important that Canadian companies who are selling into U.S. markets impacted by the Buy American restrictions understand these rules and share them with their customers. Documentation is available which outlines how the regulations are to be applied and may be useful for Canadian firms who find procurement officers that lack an understanding of the new exceptions for Canadian goods.

At the Annual General Meeting (AGM), held at the GM Centre on March 30th, Chamber members learned that the Chamber was financially sound and for the 12th straight year the Auditor reported a surplus. The Chamber ended the year with a slight dip in membership and in the first quarter of 2010 membership was rebounding. Dave Hare, President of the Chamber in 2009, submitted the 2009 Annual Report reflecting on the actions of the Chamber during the past year—stating the Chamber remained focused on putting in place a marketing strategy, continuing its pro-active support for the completion of Highway 407 and the finalizing of the Oshawa Harbour.

Oshawa residents responded to the Earth Hour challenge by reducing the demand for electricity this past Saturday evening from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. Oshawa’s demand for electricity dropped 6.84 per cent or 10 megawatts during the one hour worldwide initiative, compared to Ontario’s drop of approximately 4 per cent or 560 megawatts as reported by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO).

In a unique joint partnership, Corus Entertainment’s Channel 12 – CHEX TV Durham and Dan Carter Productions are relocating this fall, and moving together into the new Carter Centre for Media and Cultural Studies in downtown Oshawa. The new location in the downtown core will become a media hub, committed to fostering media innovation, education and creativity.

As part of the March 18th open house in Oshawa, Trent University unveiled a sign at its new Oshawa Thornton Road campus and announced a generous $1.2 million bequest that will provide direct financial support to students. The open house event attracted over 100 people, including prospective students and their families, to Trent’s current location at the UOIT/Durham College campus. Students were personally greeted by his worship John Gray, Mayor of the City of Oshawa and Trent’s President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Steven E. Franklin. At the open house students participated in sample lectures, toured the existing facility, engaged in one-on-one discussions with faculty and liaison staff, and learned more about Trent’s plans for a new campus in Oshawa.