Chamber Blog

The Province of Ontario released it’s “pre-budget” – “Ontario’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook in Brief”. In strengthening Ontario’s infrastructure and systems, the pre-budget details key Government commitments for the coming years. In its big commitment to infrastructure, the government is: Introducing the new arms-length, board-governed agency “Ontario Infrastructure Bank” (OIB), which will work to attract public-sector Read More

On October 17th WCC hosted its sixth annual TD Economic Update and again, Mr. Derek Burleton, Deputy Chief Economist at TD Bank, provided an informative presentation of the global and Canadian economies. Here are my (an economics laymen) takeaways from his presentation. General Trends The general consensus is that growth is expected to continue into Read More

On August 14th the Federal government announced policy changes that may likely impact and support your business. Most notably, having heard from countless business communities across Canada, including our Chamber, the government is extending the term loan repayment and grant qualification deadline under the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program. Businesses that repay their loan Read More

Recently, on behalf of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce I attended a roundtable on Durham Region’s economic development with federal leaders Honourable Minister Filomena Tassi and our own MP Ryan Turnbull. Minister Tassi highlighted that fundamentals like affordable housing, transit, and healthcare are needed to prepare the groundwork for economic growth and healthy vibrant communities. Read More

As PRIDE month draws to a close, it’s important to remember that allyship for our 2SLGBTQI+ community is something that should be actively demonstrated throughout the year.   We’ve taken great strides toward making our community safer and more inclusive for all, and this includes the ever-expanding list of events and programming that happen in our Read More

As I sat in my office today on my break, braiding my hair to get it tidy for the remainder of the day, I was reflecting on the past month, June 2023, National Indigenous History Month, National Indigenous People’s Day which was June 21. As I remove some of the tangles while sitting by an Read More

Growing crises Durham Region, along with cities and towns across the country, is experiencing  homelessness, mental health and addictions crises. In 2022, there were more than 14,000 emergency room visits to Lakeridge Health related to mental health and substance abuse, and a 67 per cent increase in people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Durham compared to Read More

The last few months have been active and exciting for the Chamber from an Advocacy perspective. After reporting on the federal and provincial budgets, and reviewing your responses to our 2023 Advocacy Survey, the Whitby Chamber of Commerce hosted our local elected officials for some invaluable discussions. At our Fireside Chat on April 25th, Trinda Read More