At a ceremony in Oshawa on November 9th, Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa (left); Oshawa Mayor John Gray (centre), and Mr. Pierre Santoni, VIA Rail's National Sales Director (right), announced VIA’s plans for a new station with improved and expanded facilities. VIA estimates that it will invest as much as $7 million for the new station and related improvements from recent capital funding for VIA announced by the Government of Canada. Of the project’s total cost, $3 million will come from the government’s Economic Action Plan. “Investment in a new VIA station for Oshawa will not only create new jobs and stimulate the economy but also allow VIA to provide better service to its local customers,” said MP Carrie.

Ontario Chamber of Commerce Report:  The Smart Taxation Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of business leaders and organizations, is pleased to see legislation introduced today in the provincial legislature to put into place the tax reform measures announced in the 2009 Ontario budget. “The changes introduced in Ontario Tax Plan for More Jobs and Growth Act, 2009  today will fuel a stronger business investment climate in Ontario, create much needed jobs and accelerate Ontario’s recovery,” says Doug Brooks, FCGA, CEO, Certified General Accountants of Ontario, and member of the Smart Taxation Alliance.

Chamber of Commerce members – did you know...71% of Canadians state they would purchase or use the services of a company supporting the blood program.  (Ipsos Reid)

This year, show the Durham region your company cares by sharing your health and vitality through blood donation.  Start your commitment to save lives by making blood donation part of your company holiday gift plan. Foster life-saving goodwill among employees when you give blood together as a Canadian Blood Services’ Partners for Life team. Canadian Blood Services will proudly acknowledge your dedication on our Partner’s for Life board in the Oshawa permanent blood donor clinic.

The automotive industry has been hard hit by the global recession but will remain a driving force across the country and in the City of Oshawa, Minister of Industry Tony Clement has assured business leaders here. “I have sometimes been accused of being an optimist … but let me say this: We will have an auto industry. It may look a bit different than it has in the past, but we will build cars and trucks in Canada, in Oshawa, and I believe that our domestic automakers can once again be competitive,” Clement said at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Durham Economic Prosperity Committee and Organization of Candu Industries.

The Honorable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, confirmed that the government remains on track to make an authorized H1N1 vaccine available for Canadians in early November.

“Let me be perfectly clear, in early November we will have a safe and effective vaccine that will begin rolling out to all Canadians who want and need it,” said Minister Aglukkaq.  “It is a vaccine that can be administered to both healthy Canadians and those with underlying medical conditions.”

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce in co-operation with the Durham Region Association of Realtors and Durham Region Homebuilders hosted a breakfast meeting on October 14th to learn first hand from Ontario’s Revenue Minister John Wilkinson why the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is good for business, consumers and the broader Ontario economy.

Click here to read the Minister's Speech