In this issue...
Get your tickets! Hamilton Honey Badgers | Business After Hours: Hampton Inn
2022 Membership Survey | Employer Roundtables | Meridian Affinity Program
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Wow, it is nearly mid-May, and the warmer weather is finally here. It was great to see a full room last week at the 38th Annual Business Excellence Awards. It was a very special night for each of our finalists and award winners, and I encourage you to check out the recording once finalized (and highlighted here!) in the coming weeks.
Our 2022 Candidates’ Meet and Greet, Debate, and Panel Discussion was last night, Tuesday, May 10th, presented by our friends at BRREA and hosted at the Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course. It was a new format and structure, and while we missed our incumbent candidate due to a last-minute emergency, it provided an engaging discussion across a number of issues pertinent to business, and the party volunteers on the panel contributed to a great analysis afterward. Look for the airing on RogersTV beginning May 14th at 10:00 p.m. on the current schedule and repeated several times leading up to June 2nd. We are beginning the planning of the municipal election events shortly and have a small team of our Advocacy Committee members looking at those events and a special event in lieu of the Mayors’ Luncheon.
As noted last week, our co-authored policy, Create and Implement a Provincial Strategy on Homelessness, Addictions, and Mental Health received unanimous support at the OCC AGM and Policy Convention. We are building our Advocacy platform on our website to reflect our past work, current work, and looking for future opportunities to address needs in our business community. We are looking at a couple of issues regarding labour supply, both provincially and nationally and welcome any ideas and engagement you may offer.
Have a great week, and we look forward to seeing you soon.
Dave
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Don't Miss It! Upcoming Chamber Events |
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55th Annual Golf Tournament |
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Thank you to those of you who have registered, we are now officially SOLD OUT!
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Business Before Basketball
with Hamilton Honey Badgers
Don't miss out on this unique networking experience!
The Hamilton Honey Badgers invite members of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant to their Business Before Basketball Co-Chamber networking event ahead of their home opener.
The Honey Badgers provide world-class entertainment and the highest quality pro basketball experience outside of the NBA!
Join us for this unique networking experience at 5pm, and then enjoy the game afterward!
May 25th, 2022
Networking: 5-7pm | Tip-Off: 7pm
Early bird tickets: $25 per guest
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2022 Membership Survey REOI |
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The Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant is seeking Expressions of Interest to execute our 2022 Membership Survey.
A full scope of work can be obtained from David Prang.
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Updates From the Chamber Network |
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Employer Roundtables - Accessible Workforce Entry
Business + Higher Education Roundtable
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In partnership with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), the Business + Higher Education Roundtable (BHER) is hosting a series of roundtable events with HR and Talent leaders from across Canada.
Our goal is to better understand what employers need to effectively recruit, hire, and support employees with disabilities and to help develop the Employment Standards, tools, and resources that will get them there.
This virtual forum is also an opportunity for employers and practitioners to network and exchange best practices to address shared challenges.
Roundtables are 60 minutes in length, and all participants will be offered a $100 honorarium (optional) as a token of appreciation.
Please note, the purpose of this form is to indicate your interest in participating in a roundtable event. We will follow up with interested participants to schedule event sessions.
Dates:
Thursday, May 19th @ 4-5 pm EST
Thursday, May 26th @ 4-5 pm EST
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Ladies Who Lead Presents
Arlene Dickinson: Reinvention
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Widely known as the “Dragon with a heart”, Arlene is full of fire, shattering glass ceilings, inspirational and blazing trails as she discovers her rhythm for success in business and in life. Join us for an evening of inspiration and community.
Thursday May 26th, 2022
7:00 PM | $75 | Sanderson Center
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Meridian offers DOUBLE the welcome bonus to new Members! |
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To celebrate and recognize the success of our OCC Affinity Program launched one year ago, Meridian is now offering DOUBLE the welcome bonus to new Members as their way of saying thank you.
There’s no better time than now to bring your banking to Meridian – with double the BONUS!
Transfer your day-to-day business banking to Meridian from May 1st to May 31st to take advantage of this great offer:
- A $400 welcome bonus*
- No-fee daily banking
- 30% off service fees
- More than $800 in exclusive offers for your employees
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Tourism Brantford’s Visitor Services relocates to the
Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre
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Tourism Brantford’s Visitor Services has relocated to the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre at 254 North Park St.
The new, accessible Tourism Information desk is located inside the main entrance, adjacent to the Arena Information desk, and welcomes visitors and residents looking for trip ideas, directions and exclusive branded souvenirs.
The hours of operation for the winter season (October 1 to May 14) are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hours of operation for the summer season (May 15 to September 30) are Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On tournament days, the Tourism Information desk will be open until 6 p.m.
The Visitor Services team can be reached through Tourism Brantford’s main line at 519-751-9900, the toll-free line 1-800-265-6299, or through email at tourism@brantford.ca.
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Canadian Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) |
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The Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) can help get your business online, give your e-commerce presence a boost or help digitalize your business's operations.
The program offers two grants:
The Grow your Business Online grant helps small businesses take advantage of
e-commerce opportunities.
- You can access a network of e-commerce advisors for advice and support
- You can get up to $2,400 to buy new e-commerce tools
The Boost Your Business Technology grant helps small and medium-sized businesses adopt new digital technologies.
- Use a free digital assessment tool to evaluate your own digital readiness
- Get up $15,000 to consult a digital expert and develop a digital adoption plan for your business
- Get up to $100,000 in interest-free loans from BDC to implement your digital adoption plan
- Leverage a subsidized work placement to bring on a recent graduate or student to help with your digital transformation
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Supports for Local Businesses |
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PROVINCIAL:
For a full overview of programs provided by the Ontario provincial government, click here.
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FEDERAL:
For a full overview of programs provided by the Canadian Federal government, click here.
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Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant
brantfordbrantchamber.com
519-753-2617
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