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Upcoming Events:

Tue. Aug, 2/11 - Sat. Apr, 14/12 - Oshawa Little Theatr... |
Thu. Jan, 12/12 - Wed. Feb, 29/12 - The Driven To Quit S... |
Sat. Feb, 4/12 - BPW Interactive Work... |
Tue. Feb, 7/12 - Thu. May, 10/12 - General Motors Centr... |
Tue. Feb, 7/12 - A Tasting Evening At... |
Wed. Feb, 8/12 - Lunch and Learn |
Wed. Feb, 8/12 - 17th Anuual Durham S... |
Thu. Feb, 9/12 - Chamber Membership O... |
Mon. Feb, 13/12 - Tue. Feb, 14/12 - IPAC 7th Leadership ... |
Wed. Feb, 15/12 - Biz Under 40 - Young... |

Welcome to the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce

CBC's The Big Decision Sends Dragons On The Road Looking for Canadian Companies to Apply for the Show

CBC is announcing that stars of Canada's top-rated entertainment program Dragons' Den are hitting the road to help struggling companies get back on track by offering their expertise - and their own MONEY. Producers of the exciting new series The Big Decision are currently searching for Canadian companies to participate in the show, which will give business owners an opportunity to receive no-nonsense advice and an investment from Canada's most successful and respected entrepreneurs.

Building CANDU in Ontario Would Send Powerful Signal

Patrick Lamarre, Executive Vice-President of SNC-Lavalin Incorporated by Kevin Petersen, UOIT
“To win internationally we have to win domestically”. The need for collaborative efforts between the Canadian nuclear industry, its partners and all levels of government is needed to encourage growth and development in the Canadian Nuclear industry, an industry expert told local business and industry representatives as well as government representatives including Durham MPP John O’Toole, Pickering Scarborough MPP Tracy MacCharles, Regional Chair Roger Anderson, Mayors David Ryan, Pickering, Steve Parish, Ajax, Pat Perkins, Whitby, Adrian Foster, Clarington and Deputy Mayor City of Oshawa, Nester Pidwerbecki.

Canadian Chamber’s Reaction To Minister Flaherty’s Speech

Statement by the Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in reaction to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s speech at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce on November 8, 2011. “The Finance Minister reported today (November 8) on the state of the Canadian economy. Few Canadians will be surprised that the federal government is now anticipating that the books could be balanced two years later than expected. Having just returned from the B20 in Cannes, I can attest that we are seeing an economic slowdown throughout the world. However, we are still anticipating positive growth in Canada. We are looking at a slowdown but not at a recession.

Supporting Our Troops

The City of Oshawa and community partners purchased “Support Our Troops” banners and on November 7th raised the banners at seven local veterans’ associations: Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum; 420 Wing RCAF Association; Canadian Corps Association Unit 42 Oshawa; Oshawa Naval Veterans Club; Polish Veterans’ Association Oshawa; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 43; and Royal Canadian Legion Branch 637. On hand for the banner presentation at the Ontario Regiment RCAC Museum were the following community partners: (from left to right) Bob Pinkney, Manager TD Canada Trust; Inspector Eva Reti, Durham Regional Police Service; Patrick Racine and Jason Pow, Oshawa Professional Fire Fighters Association; Staff Sgt. Dave Brown, Durham Regional Police Service and Steve Leslie, Vice President TD Commercial Banking (South East Ontario District).

OCC Supports Canada’s Decision to Join Trans-Pacific Partnership

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce supports the federal government’s decision to apply for membership to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). On November 13, 2011, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada will formally apply to join the emerging Trans-Pacific Partnership trade group of Asia-Pacific countries.
Read more... [OCC Supports Canada’s Decision to Join Trans-Pacific Partnership]

Toys For Tickets On December 8 & 9!

The City of Oshawa is offering amnesty to motorists who receive parking tickets this festive season by providing the option of donating a new toy in lieu of payment on December 8th and 9th, 2011. The Toys for Tickets program is a great way to give back and assist families in need in our community. All toys will be donated to the Durham Regional Police Service Food and Toy Drive and distributed to children in need for the holidays.

Cyber-Security: A Necessity For Any Business

Submitted by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner , who protects and promotes the privacy rights of individuals.
In a world where more and more business is being done online and information stored digitally, every business needs to ask itself: are we set to face online threats? Some have called 2011 “the year of the breach” as major corporations have fallen victim to hackers who have compromised the personal information of customers held by company databases. While in most cases it’s been high-profile multinationals that have been hit, small business owners shouldn’t gain a false sense of security. Unlike your business, a highly visible multinational may indeed be a blinking target for hackers looking to make a big statement or score. But at the same time, a big business typically has the resources to weather the storm of brand damage and lost trust brought on by such an incident. Do you?

CME Report - New Approach to Essential Skills

Submitted by Ian T. Howcroft, Vice President, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) Ontario
Everyone agrees that our future is dependent on having a well trained workforce with the necessary competencies that will allow us to succeed in the global economy. We often hear about the skills shortages, and the need for more and more advanced training. However, there is also a real need to address the shortfall that we experience in the area of essential skills. These are the foundation skills that one must possess in order to advance to higher learning or to develop technical skills. There are far too many individuals who do not have the basic literacy or numeric skills to operate at a level that is necessary in the workplace. Some have learned great coping skills that have allowed them to function, and remain under the radar to keep their secret from co-workers and their supervisors. Others have had to take limited employment opportunities or jobs that they detest. In all cases, these workers’ are not realizing their full potential, economically or career wise. Furthermore, the economy as a whole is not able to realize its potential so there are multiple benefits to finding solutions to this enormous problem.

GREAT 2-FOR-1 OFFER TO SEE THE OSHAWA POWER IN NOVEMBER!

The Oshawa Power basketball team of the NEW National Basketball League of Canada would like to invite you and a friend to “FEEL THE ENERGY” at any of our HOME games during the month of November. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it your name and contact info, and when you purchase any lower bowl ticket you will receive another of equal value for FREE That means two people can check out Canada’s only professional basketball league for as little as $14! See what the talk is all about at the GM Centre in Oshawa! Offer valid until November 30, 2011!! Free ticket will be issued for the same game as the purchased ticket. Click MORE > for list of upcoming games and more details..

Ontario Requires Bold Leadership

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce feels steering Ontario’s economy through tough economic times will require political leaders to redouble their focus on reducing red tape and bringing down the deficit. With the election behind us and a minority government in place all the parties must now work together on policy priorities most integral to the province’s economic prosperity. In a detailed pre-election survey conducted by the Ontario Chamber of commerce businesses weighed in on their key policy needs identifying the following policy priorities.

OCC Calls For Canadian Exemption To Buy American Plan

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) supports the Canadian government in its efforts to ensure the Buy American provision in the American Jobs Act does not negatively impact Canadian businesses. On September 8th U.S President Barack Obama introduced the $450 billion American Jobs Act to stimulate job growth and economic recovery. Section 4 of the bill, referred to as the Buy American clause, stipulates that all public projects funded by the stimulus use only American produced iron, steel and manufactured goods. Foreign substitutes for American-made products would only be allowed if the American content drove up the cost of a project by 25 percent or if the goods needed for the project are not manufactured or available in the U.S.

Oshawa Power Announce Training Camp Roster

Oshawa Power fans were treated to a sneak peek of what’s in store for the 2011-2012 National Basketball League of Canada season. The team held two intra-squad games at local high schools. The first was held at Pickering H.S. in Ajax on October 15th in front of a packed house. The second was played on October 19th at G.L. Roberts C.V.I. in Oshawa.

The games were well-received by those in attendance. Many left with a new favourite basketball player and great memories, as Oshawa Power head coach, and former NBA player, Mark Strickland and the training camp participants were on hand after each game to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. Pictured here is Toronto native and local legend Denham Brown.

Hard Drives in Short Supply Globally

Submitted by Robert Spruce, Computer Troubleshooters Oshawa Waters broke through and flooded Navanakorn Industrial complex in mid-October following recent floods in Thailand. Navanakorn is home to hard disk drive manufacturers such as Western Digital and Toshiba. Major global players in the industry have had hard drive manufacturing operations in Thailand for decades.
Read more... [Hard Drives in Short Supply Globally]

Need Financing? Canada Small Business Financing Program

Small businesses are an important part of Canada’s economy, but they face unique challenges when seeking financing. The Canada Small Business Financing Program makes it easier for small businesses to obtain loans from financial institutions by sharing the risks with lenders.
Read more... [Need Financing? Canada Small Business Financing Program]

Accessing Public Funding For Business

Did you know that you can now access all the public funding programs that support your business? The Funding Portal is a one-stop go-to site for businesses to search and access Canadian public funding. Each year, Canada's three levels of government invest more than $16 billion in grants and contributions, but yet many companies report that they are unaware of how to access these resources.
Read more... [Accessing Public Funding For Business]

Business Excellence Awards Highlights

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce (GOCC) presented the 16th Annual Business Excellence Awards to honour businesses that excel in all areas of business and display leadership within the business community. The event was held at the Quality Hotel & Conference Centre in Oshawa on Thursday, September 15th, 2011. The GOCC is proud of all its Business Excellence Awards recipients and has posted video clips of the Gala Awards Ceremony hightlighting their achievements. Visit the Chamber's YouTube channel to view videos.

GTA Businesses Deliver Unified Call For New Investment In Transportation

Greater Toronto Area (GTA) businesses are calling for new investment in transportation infrastructure as their top priority for Ontario’s next government. In a province-wide private sector study by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, businesses recently weighed in on their key policy needs. Businesses across the province participated in record numbers in the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Pre-Election Business Survey. The survey identified policy priorities most integral to the province’s economic prosperity.

A Vote For Manufacturing

Submitted by Ian T. Howcroft, President, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporter

There will be numerous provincial elections across the country this fall, including Ontario. CME is a non-partisan organization, but an unabashed advocate for manufacturing. CME takes the election period as another opportunity to raise the issues, concerns and benefits of manufacturing, hoping that all candidates will state where they stand and what they will do to support Ontario’s largest sector.