Ontario Chamber of Commerce

OCC LETTER TO ONTARIO ENERGY BOARD

OCC President Len Crispino has sent a letter to Paul Pudge, Board Secretary at the Ontario Energy Board recommending that it amend the consumer security deposit policies of electric Local Distribution Companies (LDCs).   The OCC’s position is that the current policy of some LDCs to demand a blanket and upfront security deposit from all their customers, regardless of their payment history and financial standing, is utterly unfair. The OCC further recommends the adoption of a firm, consistent and fair policy by all LDCs, and one that takes into account the payment history of a firm when determining the need for a security deposit.

Event Marketing Fund Available For Ontario Communities

The Provincial government has launched a $5-million event marketing and development fund designed to assist Ontario communities revitalize their tourism industries which have been beset by the triple whammy of SARS, the Iraq war and the surging Canadian dollar.  

The fund will be available to support marketing campaigns aimed at boosting attendance at events and festivals and increasing visitor spending in communities across the province. 

Skilled Trades Summit Addresses Critical Issue

The recent Skilled Trades Summit held at Waterloo’s RIM Park on May 27th was an outstanding affair with a well balanced group of participants that discussed possible solutions to Canada’s critical shortage of skilled workers. 

The Summit, which was held in conjunction with the annual Skilled Trades Competition for high school and college students, was organized by Skills Canada and more than 200 attendees from government (Federal and Provincial), business and education worked in roundtable groups to brainstorm solutions to three questions:

 1. What action steps does business and industry need to take to address the issue?

2. What action steps does government need to take?

3. What steps does the education system need to take?

The OCC, which was a sponsor of the event, and other Chambers were well represented at the session, with OCC President and CEO Len Crispino providing welcoming remarks, and other Chambers including Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Caledon and Brampton participating in the discussion. Between discussion sessions participants were given an eye-opening tour of the Skills Competition which had more than 1,000 students competing in a wide range of skilled trades ranging from autobody repair to floral arranging to computer programming.

In addition the audience was treated to some compelling presentations from Perrin Beatty President and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, University of Waterloo professor Larry Smith and Mike Scott from the Ontario Council of Technology Educators.

Results from the discussions will be tabulated and the next steps determined, but the overwhelming message was clear – Ontario (and Canada) needs to increase its skilled workforce to remain competitive in the global economy.

On Thursday, April 10 the OCC, in partnership with the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, will hold a news conference in Toronto to address the issue on cross border transportation, and the impact that a cooling of U.S. - Canada relations could have on business in Ontario. The Michigan Chamber’s President, Jim Barrett will be in attendance to reinforce the message that trade is a two-way concern. Michigan represents Ontario’s largest single trading partner with the combined cross border trade between the two jurisdictions valued at $100-billion almost annually. At the news conference, the OCC will announce several initiatives to address this important issue.

A similar news conference will be held in Lansing, Michigan the following week. For more information on this news conference please contact Clive Hobson at 416 482-5222, ext. 232.

Business Survey Program Requests Your Feedback

The Ontario Business Survey Program (BSP) is a new initiative that the OCC has introduced this year as we continue to rejuvenate and improve our policy development and advocacy activities.

Surveys will be conducted ten times a year on relevant business issues and used to identify emerging public policy issues and enhance overall policy development.

The BSP allows members to have direct input into the OCC policy process as the results of the survey assist in making submissions and reports more substantive. Once a survey is completed a report is developed on significant findings and made available to members.

To date we have conducted two surveys, one on health issues in addition to our annual provincial Pre-Budget survey. Both surveys received great response rates and some of the results have already been used in consultations with the government. The Health Survey Results report is available online at www.occ.on.ca.

The OCC is currently completing the 2003 schedule for the BSP and would appreciate any feedback members may have regarding the topics under review. Some of the suggested topics include: education, borders, tourism, energy, property tax reform, red tape, government priorities, health policy and finance and taxation. Comments and suggestions are encouraged and can be forwarded to Atul Sharma at atulsharma@occ.on.ca.