Past President of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce and respected community and businessman, Fred Diamond past away on July 24, 2011. Mr. Diamond was President of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce in 1985. Fred was a big part of the Chamber’s history in 1985 dealing with finding the Chamber a new home to hiring a new General Manager for the Chamber. President of the Chamber for 18 months, Mr. Diamond dealt with a number of issues pertaining to Oshawa in that time, including the first air service from Oshawa to Buffalo as well as sending a letter to the Region of Durham in support of the Darlington Nuclear plant.

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a special event, Brunch with Canada's Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, M.P. Whitby-Oshawa hosted by the Durham Region Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the Ajax Convention Centre. This event is open to all GTA Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade members and the general community.

In the midst of a turbulent global economy, Minister Flaherty will speak about Canada's solid economic performance, the challenges and potential dangers facing us and the steps that are being taken to protect and grow the economy for the future.

Registration & Brunch: 8:30 am and Keynote Address 10:00am
Ajax Convention Centre 550 Beck Cres, Ajax  L1Z 1C9  
$45.00+ HST Chamber Member Rate; $55.00 + HST Non Member Rate

The Whitby Chamber of Commerce is handling registrations for this event. Please identify yourself as a Member of the Greater Oshawa Chamber to receive member rates. Click here for more details and to register.

Revenue increased $6.2 billion to $39.4 billion, compared with the second quarter of 2010.  Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted was $3.0 billion compared with $2.0 billion in the second quarter of 2010.  There were no special items in either period.

The producers of Canada's top-rated entertainment program, Dragons' Den, are looking for struggling Canadian companies to participate in an exciting new business show. This new series will offer business owners a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the chance to meet a top-notch investor who could provide the boost that their companies need to survive - AND thrive. The experts are willing to fan out across the country, roll up their sleeves and help change the fortunes of good companies that have fallen on hard times. To top it off, the selected businesses will receive invaluable exposure, with the opportunity to showcase their companies to a national television audience. All interested applicants must apply by Aug. 12, 2011. For more information on the show visit www.cbc.ca/thebigdecision.

The abrupt closing and announcement this past Friday (July 15, 2011) of the bankruptcy by IQT Ltd, in Oshawa and circumstances surrounding the closing and the impact on its over 400 employees shocked the business community. “The Chamber’s monthly publication “Business Matters” announcing IQT Ltd. Oshawa as one of the Business Excellence Award recipients this September had just been mailed to the business community prior to us receiving notice”, stated Bob Malcolmson, CEO & General Manager of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce.The annual event recognizes members of the business community  for extraordinary success in all areas of business and display leadership within the community.  IQT Oshawa and its employees were to be recognized in one of the five award categories.

Thursday, September 15, 2011 is set for the 16th Annual Business Excellence Awards to “Celebrate Business”. Chamber President, Cris Douglas is pleased to announce the 2011 recipients of the prestigious Business Excellence Awards are “Business Person of the Year” - Dan Carter of Dan Carter Productions; “Business Excellence” -This Week Newspapers;“Business Excellence” - Don & Son Building Supplies;  “Civic Pride” - Independent Project Managers and “New Enterprise”, Barnies Ltd.

The Durham Economic Prosperity Conference (DEPC), first introduced in 2006, was an unprecedented success. Since then, every second year forward thinking leaders from across the region meet to discuss the most pressing issues facing Durham Region. In an effort to maximize the Region’s economic opportunities and follow up on the success of the 2010 conference the Committee has met and plans are underway for the fourth Economic Conference on the future of Durham Region.

The Darlington Energy Complex moved from concept to reality on July 6th as representatives from Ontario Power Generation (OPG), joined by business, community and political leaders from across Durham Region, officially broke ground at the site of the future Darlington Engery Complex, which is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2013. Pictured here (left to right) are: Paul Cocker, President and CEO, McKay-Cocker Construction Ltd. ; Roger Anderson, Regional Chair, Region of Durham; Albert Sweetnam, Executive Vice President Nuclear Projects, OPG; Mayor Adrian Foster, Municipality of Clarington; and Dietmar Reiner, Senior Vice President Nuclear Refurbishment, OPG.

Ornge, the provider of transport medicine services for Ontario, is pleased to announce the opening of a new satellite medical helicopter base at the Oshawa Municipal Airport later this year. The new facility, which will operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, will be the home to Ornge paramedics, pilots and a new, state-of-the-art AW139 medically-equipped helicopter, providing critical care transport to patients throughout Southeastern Ontario and throughout the province.

"Ornge continuously strives to improve care for Ontario patients, and this new operation will help us enhance our coverage throughout this region,” said Tom Lepine, Chief Operating Officer for Ornge. “A Southeastern base has always been in our long term vision, and we are delighted to be able to open this facility sooner than expected.”

The announcement in June 2010 that the first end of link for the extension would be at Simcoe Street in Oshawa came as a surprise. Then in March of 2011, the province announced that Highway 407 would be extended to Harmony Road by 2015 and to Highway 35/115 by 2020. Since 2004, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce call for completion of Hwy 407 to Hwy 35/115 stressing that the negative economic, safety and capital investment impact to Ontario of not proceeding to complete the Eastward Extension—Highway 407 eastward from Brock Rd. in Pickering to Hwy 35/115, is real. This position was re-affirmed unanimously in May 2011 at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce AGM.