In 2017, the Chamber launched a membership survey, which circulated from April 24th to May 15th. 

The Chamber then convened a series of focus groups aimed at formally engaging key sectors within the Chamber membership and to further explore concerns raised within the membership survey, to investigate key areas of concerns and develop recommendations.

On December 6th, the Government of Ontario  proposed legislation, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, 2018, announced by the Honourable Todd Smith, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is pleased to see that the provincial government implemented legislative change, recommended by the our policy staff earlier this year.

As of October 17th, recreational cannabis was legalized across Canada by the Federal Government.

Presently, Ontarians can access recreational cannabis online through the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS.ca).

As of April 1st, 2019, the private retail model for cannabis that will launch across Ontario, in municipalities that opt-in to physical retail locations.

What You Need to Know About Bill 47

On October 23, 2018, the Government of Ontario’s announced Bill 47, Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018. The announcement included a near full repeal of Bill 148, dissolution of the Ontario College of Trades, and improvements to the journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio.

What do these changes mean for Ontario business?

Four Major Business Associations Partner on Support for LRT

October 9, 2018 – Hamilton, ON: The four largest business associations in Hamilton –
the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Realtor’s Association of Hamilton-Burlington,
the Hamilton Halton Construction Association, and the Hamilton Halton Home Builders’
Association – have joined together to publicly support the B-Line LRT project, which has
once again become a municipal election issue.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce represents our members and their collective interests on the City of Hamilton’s Open for Business Sub-Committee.

This sub-committee is tasked with reducing red tape and improving efficiency in municipal government.

We are pleased to see that significant progress has been made in approval times within the Planning and Economic Development Department.

Hamilton, ON, September 10th – The Hamilton and Thunder Bay Chambers of Commerce submitted a letter today to the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, asking the Federal Government to assume oversight of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project.

You can view the full letter here: Joint Letter to Minister Duclos on Basic Income Pilot – September 10th, 2018

The Mayors of Hamilton, Brantford, Kawartha Lakes, and Thunder Bay have written a joint letter, asking the Federal Government to assume oversight of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project.

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce strongly encourages the Federal Government to consider this request.

The economy has and will continue to drastically change in the years ahead.