Policy Updates & News 272 results

Media Release: Inaugural Ontario Economic Report Forecasts Outlook for Local and Provincial Economy: Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

· by Huzaifa Saeed

Hamilton, Ontario, February 8th, 2017: Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), released the inaugural Ontario Economic Report (OER), a landmark agenda aimed at shaping and informing future public policy. The OER includes entirely new economic analyses that demonstrate the difficult economic environment faced by Ontario businesses and consumers in 2017.

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Media Release: Health Sustainability Most Important Issue for Ontario Voters While System Confidence Wanes: Ontario Chamber of Commerce Survey Results Reveal

· by Huzaifa Saeed

Hamilton, February 7th, 2017: Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is releasing Health Transformation: An Action Plan for Ontario, which includes new and exclusive survey data from two of Ontario’s top research firms that polled both OCC members and all Ontarians.

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City of Hamilton LRT Subcommittee endorses the Chamber’s proposal for an additional Bay Street stop

· by Huzaifa Saeed

Monday, January 30th: Today, the City of Hamilton LRT Subcommittee passed a motion to formally endorse a proposal by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for an additional stop within the B-line LRT project at King and Bay Street.

We believe the stop would act as a catalyst for a dramatic increase in transit-oriented development around a prominent downtown node that is currently underperforming its potential, with over 270 degrees of parking lots and low-density development. 

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Federal Government looking to tax Employer Health Benefit plans: Canadian Chamber of Commerce Campaign

· by Huzaifa Saeed

The federal government is considering taxing employer-paid health and dental benefits within the next budget. In addition to hundreds or thousands of dollars that would be added to Canadians’ tax bills, it also means that many employers will no longer provide coverage to employees.

The non-taxation of benefits, then, is as much a subsidy to employers as it is to employees, allowing companies to net pay their workers more than they could otherwise.

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Bay Area Economic Summit: Planning in High Gear for 2017

· by Whitney Eames

Pieces are coming together for the third Bay Area Economic Summit (BAES), a marquee leadership initiative of the Hamilton and Burlington chambers of commerce hosted in partnership with our respective municipalities and myriad additional supporters._mg_8771

The purpose of the summit is to deepen cooperation between Hamilton and Burlington with a view to promote the Bay Area as a key component of the Greater Golden Horseshoe mega region and beyond.

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Media Release: Hamilton Chamber of Commerce “leading the charge” on increased affordability and transparency for Ontario’s Energy Challenges

· by Huzaifa Saeed

Hamilton, Ontario, December 14, 2016: Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is calling on the provincial government to take bold steps to address the affordability challenge of energy pricing Hamilton.

In its submission on the Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP), the organization is calling on the provincial government to ensure that future policies regarding energy pricing are affordable, transparent and flexible.

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Chamber Advocacy Update: City of Hamilton to investigate an additional LRT B-Line stop at Bay Street

· by Huzaifa Saeed

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is currently advocating for an additional stop for the LRT B-Line project at Bay Street. We believe the stop would act as a catalyst for a dramatic increase in transit-oriented development around a prominent downtown node that is currently underperforming its potential. The issue was raised by several members during the public consultation process of the project’s environmental design review.

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Open for Business Bulletin (November 2016) : The City of Hamilton’s saves businesses over $360 by removing unnecessary Encroachment Agreements

· by Huzaifa Saeed

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has been actively advocating on behalf of its membership towards making Hamilton more open for business. Municipal red tape issues are a common concern in communities across the world, with the natural state of complicated local bylaws, application processes, and legal requirements clashing with the desire for businesses build, renovate and operate their enterprise in a timely and cost efficient manner.

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