Building on the success of the inaugural 2010 A Tribute to Our Troops dinner, a community-based volunteer committee has again come together to celebrate the troops of The Ontario Regiment and to raise funds for The Ontario Regiment Foundation.

The 2^nd Annual Dinner is set for Thursday, April 7th 2011, at Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility. If you would like to sponsor or attend this amazing event details can be found at www.troopstribute.com and click on partnership opportunities. The Dinner is $150.00 per person. For more information just go to the website or call Sgt. Andrea Downey, Regimental Chief Clerk at 905-721-4000 ext 4027.

February 11, 2011 – Dr. Tim McTiernan will be the third president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), effective July 1, 2011.  Dr. McTiernan, currently a senior administrator at the University of Toronto, replaces President Ronald Bordessa who completes his term on June 30.

"We were very impressed by the calibre of nominations resulting from a comprehensive search and have found a highly respected candidate with outstanding leadership qualities and a compelling vision to lead Canada’s fastest growing new university,” said Peter Williams, board chair of UOIT. “Our new president brings extensive experience having worked in both academic and government organizations with a focus on research, innovation, economic development and commercialization. Dr. McTiernan is an ideal fit for UOIT because he deeply understands the tremendous opportunities of our students, staff and faculty and is strongly committed to our unique academic mandate and research excellence.”

The Australian Canadian Association (YACA) invites you to support a fundraising event for victims of the Australian floods.  Please join the YACA for a ONE NIGHT ONLY special event with the local entertainment industry on Saturday February 19, 2011 from 5:00 p.m. till late at The Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue in Toronto  The funds raised from the event will go towards supporting the disadvantaged in Queensland and Victoria, who have been hit by the horrific floods, and need financial and other assistance on an urgent basis. The tragedy is of epic proportions - current estimates put the damages at $13B with more than 3 million residents affected and too many dead.  Let's hope the ongoing disaster will come to an end as soon as possible. To register, visit www.yaca.ca.

An acceptable alternative needs to be found, or we may all lose. That was the message delivered by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce at the January 19th, public meeting on the Hwy 407 extension, hosted by the City of Oshawa. Chamber C.E.O. Bob Malcolmson said in discussions with business leaders, they all agree it is imperative that Hwy 407 comes to Oshawa. The Chamber recommended putting in place an acceptable alternative that gets the 407 to Oshawa and through Durham Region to the 35/115. Pictured right are Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal and Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Rick Johnson unveiling a sign on Highway 35/115,  just north of Kirby, indicating the future location of the intersection with Highway 407. The sign was unveiled in December 2010 and doesn’t indicate when the government anticipates the extension will be completed. Since the announcement in June 2010 local area politicians at all levels have been lobbying the government.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently announced changes to the Preferred Rate program between TD Merchant Services and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC). The rates for processing Visa, MasterCard credit electronic transactions, and Interac Direct Payment transactions are decreasing! These changes are effective May 1, 2011 but members can take advantage of the new preferred pricing IMMEDIATELY! The process is simple! Chamber members who are currently using the program need to complete a request form and take advantage of the new Preferred Rate program immediately. Click here for new pricing and to download a copy of the waiver.

Not a Chamber Member and want to take advantage of the Preferred Pricing Program? If you are not a GOCC Chamber member, and wish to take advantage of the TD Merchant Services Preferred Pricing Program, or any other Member Advantage program the Chamber offers, please contact the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce at 905-728-1683.

By Ian Howcroft, President, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME)
Manufacturing and exporting outpaced the Canadian economy in 2010 and will do so again in 2011. In fact, sustaining Canada’s economic recovery depends on a continuing rebound in manufacturing production as well as on the strength of our exports of resources, manufactured goods, and services to markets around the world.

By Heather M. O’Connor
Good help is hard to find. Searching for a promising apprentice or qualified journeyperson just got much easier. Tradeability.ca offers a Candidate Manager System (CMS) that supplies employers with a shortlist of qualified candidates, pre-screened to meet their specifications. The CMS matches up mutually compatible profiles. It operates a little like a computer dating service. Candidates with skills to offer enter their resumes into a computer database. Employers post their training or job opportunities or ask Tradeability.ca to do so on their behalf.

Get involved and make a difference. The 3^rd Annual “Challenge” is a great opportunity for networking and there are several areas, including bowling, go karting and air tag, where volunteers are needed to help the event run smoothly. It takes teamwork to make the event work, and the Chamber needs your help. The Annual Challenge will take place at NEB’s World, 1300 Wilson Road N. in Oshawa and if you can spare some time on Wednesday, March 2, between 3PM and 8PM, please contact the Chamber at 905-728-1683 and put your name on the list.

During 2010 the Chamber staff, with the assistance of our volunteer ambassadors and events committee, organized over ninety networking events and committee meetings throughout the year ranging in size from 10 to 12 attendees at a Lunch and Learn to over 300 attending the Disney Institute two day training session. The Chamber boardroom saw a wide variety of people come through the doors to attend over 30 meetings for members and government agencies. All in all, over 4,100 people attended events organized and hosted by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.

Let’s work together to make this a safe winter for our community. With the snow finally arriving, the City of Oshawa asks residents, businesses and landlords to help their community by clearing the way. Property owners are reminded to completely clear snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to their properties by midnight of the first day after precipitation has ended.  Furthermore, if you have a fire hydrant in front of your home or business...

- Report by Perrin Beatty, President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Over the last decade, the Canadian Chamber has led the call for a more competitive tax system, and governments of different political stripes have delivered. There are now ominous signs in Ottawa that this progress may be lost. As Canada emerges from a global recession, our political leaders are searching for strategies to balance the books. Some are proposing to scrap or delay the legislated cuts in corporate income tax rates which have been a central aspect of the federal fiscal plan since being announced in 2007.

The Organization of CANDU Industries (OCI) welcomes the fact that Senator Hervieux-Payette’s Private Member’s Bill regarding the restructuring and reorganization of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) draws attention to an issue that is of considerable importance to Canada’s ongoing position as an energy superpower.