www.burlingtonchamber.com

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE BURLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WINTER 2015

BURLINGTON CHAMBER WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR ADVOCACY

Burlington Chamber of Commerce414 Locust Street, Suite 201,Burlington, ON L7S 1T7

www.burlingtonchamber.com

CONTENTS

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE BURLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

WINTER 2015

Photos: Berni Wood, ReelMedia cover; Chris Fraser: pages 15 & 16. Keith Hoey page 15.

Contributing Writers: Keith Hoey, Jean MacKinnon, Elaine Slatter, Rob Stonehewer, Wayne Taylor

Editors: Keith Hoey & Barbara French

Message from the Chair

Message from the President

Burlington Chamber Wins National Award for Advocacy

Canada-Ontario Job Grant

Member Profiles

SHiFT Event

Social Media Policy

Member Milestones

Business After 5

Business Before 9

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05

06

06

07

09

09

14

15

16

04 R E V I E W M A G A Z I N E

Chamber Advocacy In Action: A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Canada

Message from the Chair

Jean A. MacKinnon, MBA, CPA, CMAChair, Burlington Chamber of Commerce

Very recently we have all seen the effects of the severe weather events that have taken place here in Burlington, from the ice storm last December to the most recent flooding, which happened in August, where more than two months of rain fell in a matter of hours. In both of these storms, property was destroyed, people were put in harm’s way and business was interrupted. These events have had a direct and immediate impact on the way that millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent.

My reason for mentioning the storms is it was with these thoughts that I attended the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) conference in Charlottetown, PEI this fall on behalf of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce, along with President Keith Hoey.

The conference is an annual event allowing Chambers and Boards of Trade from across the country to present issues in the form of resolutions that impact businesses in Canada. The resolutions are discussed, debated and voted on by delegates. This year, the Burlington Chamber of Commerce has again taken a leadership role at the conference by introducing the resolution “A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Canada” and I am proud to report the CCC has adopted this resolution. What this means is the Climate Change Adaptation Strategy resolution will now be present-ed to the Government of Canada by the CCC.

I would like to thank and recognize the Chamber Environment Com-mittee for its hard work on making this important resolution a reality and for demonstrating just how we, as a Chamber, can and do make a difference in the shaping of government policy, whether it be at the municipal, provincial or federal government levels. So, let us know your ideas and issues and help us to continue to be a strong and effective voice for business in Burlington.

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Message from the President

Keith Hoey, PresidentBurlington Chamber of Commerce

As a Chamber of Commerce executive, I pay close attention to the makeup of the local business community. I’ve come to believe that an important aspect of a vibrant business commu-nity is the variety of businesses that are in a city. Burlington has long had a wide variety of businesses and sectors associated with it. Just take a drive along the QEW through Burlington and try to keep track of the different sectors represented by the businesses along the highway and you’ll soon see how varied businesses in our city are. A quick look at a list of Burlington’s largest private sector employers includes TV/Internet service, food processing, insurance, electronics manufacturing, finan-cial services, pharmaceuticals and retail sales – a very diverse list, and these are just the largest employers.

For such a diverse business community as Burlington’s to succeed, there needs to be not only support but also encour-agement from local government. This is very much the case in Burlington as the mayor, council, city departments and commit-tees actively work to ensure that the infrastructure, transporta-tion system and various by-laws make it easy for new businesses to settle here and for existing businesses to grow here. Creating an effective balance between business and lifestyle is top-of-mind in Burlington’s planning activities. We also need support at the provincial and federal levels and to get that support we bring politicians of all stripes together with Burling-ton business leaders. We do this by working with our local MPP and MP.

Business is doing well in Burlington. We have a diverse business community that supports and is supported by a diverse city. But, it also seems clear that business is more than just business. It is an integral part of the community. Business and community share a symbiotic relationship and in Burlington that relationship is very healthy.

Mike WallaceMP Burlington

OTTAWA OFFICERoom 115, East Block

Ottawa, K1A 0A6Telephone: 613-995-0881mike.wallace@parl.gc.ca

www.mikewallacemp.ca

Please feel free to contact my of�ce with any questions you have regarding federal issues.

CONSTITUENCY OFFICESuite 209, Burlington Mall

(2nd �oor)Telephone: 905-639-5757

mike.wallace.c1@parl.gc.ca

Duncan Wilson (CCC vice chair), Keith Hoey (Burlington Chamber President), Jean MacKinnon (Burlington Chamber Chair), Richard Payette (CCC Chair)

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce has won the Gold Medal in the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Chambers Competition. The Burlington Chamber was recognized for its efforts in helping to reshape the model for economic develop-ment work done in the City of Burlington. The award was presented at the CCC Annual General Meeting and Confer-ence held in Charlottetown, PEI from September 27 to 29. The Chambers Competition seeks the best examples of how Cham-bers have made a difference for the businesses in their commu-nities by acting as the voice of business.

Keith Hoey, President of the Burlington Chamber of Com-merce, elaborated. "We are very pleased to be recognized by the CCC for our work on this issue. The advocacy work done by the Chamber often happens in the background and some-times doesn’t get a lot of publicity, so it’s nice to have our work acknowledged by our national counterpart. This issue shows how advocacy work done by the Chamber has a positive impact on the business community. We don't just have input, we have an impact."

The Richmond Chamber of Commerce won the Silver Medal and the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade won the Bronze Medal. The CCC Convention proved to be a very productive session for the Burlington Chamber and its members. In addition to winning the Gold Medal, during the policy debate at the convention, the Burlington Chamber’s "A Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Canada" resolution was debated and adopted by the delegates from across Canada. The resolution calls on the Canadian government to develop and implement a national strategy on climate change adaptation that is based on scientific and socio-economic research. Details of the resolution can be found on the Burlington Chamber website.

Good News for BusinessThe new Canada-Ontario Job Grant is good news for employers looking to invest training dollars in current or prospective staff. Through an agreement between the provin-cial and federal governments, the program covers two-thirds of training costs for a maximum government contribution of $10,000 per participant. Employers are responsible for contributing the remaining one-third (or higher if the training exceeds $15,000 per participant).

Employers with 50 or fewer employees can pay half of their one-third contribution in cash and the remainder through in-kind wages paid to the individual.Employers with over 50 employees must pay the one-third contribution in cash.

Who is eligible?

• Current employees (Employer must identify individual(s) in the application.)• Prospective employees (Employer must identify individual(s) in the application and have a job for them at the end of the training, demonstrated through a permanent or conditional offer of employment.)

What types of training are eligible?

Employers can access a variety of training opportunities to address their needs such as pre-apprenticeship and other skilled trades, vocational, computer, leadership and career development.

To be eligible under the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, training must:

• Help employed individuals acquire new skills for their current job or another job with the same employer;• Prepare an individual to become an employee with a particular employer (job must be available at end of training)• Be completed in one year

Who can provide the training?

Eligible training can be provided by any of the following:• Colleges of applied arts and technology• Publicly-assisted universities• School boards (and affiliates e.g. The Centre for Skills Development & Training)• Private trainers operating in compliance with the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005 • Union-based training centres• Product vendors

How to apply or learn more:All applications must be submitted online to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) for approval. In the application, employers will identify the number of participants who will take the training. Employers submitting applications for fewer than 25 participants will have the opportunity to choose the service provider they wish to administer the contract. In Burlington the service providers are: The Centre for Skills Development & Training, Goodwill and the YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford.

To learn more about the Canada-Ontario Job Grant or to apply, visit the MTCU website at: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/cojg/index.html

Burlington Chamber Wins National Awardfor Advocacy

Canada-Ontario Job Grant

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Member ProfilesKPMG 35 Year member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce

KPMG Staff Picture: Front row, left to right: Kevin Treacy, Ruth Todd, Joe Pietrantonio, Pat Madden, Mario Paron, David Marks, Lois Ouellette

Back row, left to right: Simon Froggatt, Jason DeBoer, John Rockx, Tony Italiano, David Durst, John Pryke, Janet Allan, David Zych, Blaine Cameron

KPMG has been a member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce for the past 35 years. The Partners and staff at KPMG are proud to serve owner-managed businesses, corporations and public sector entities throughout Halton, Hamilton and Niagara region. Their clients look to KPMG for a consistent standard of service based on high order professional capabilities, industry insight, and local knowledge.

In Canada, KPMG's roots date back to 1840. Since then, more than 115 firms in communities across Canada have joined forces to create KPMG. Each of these has played a vital role in the growth of KPMG in Canada.

Mario Paron, Office Managing Partner, Hamilton/Niagara and Regional Managing Partner for KPMG in Eastern Canada, takes great pride in serving the local business community. “Our business evolves as our clients evolve,” says Mario. “We will continue to grow and develop our service offering as our clients expand and change their business.”

A case in point, Mario references how KPMG is able to support local Golden Horseshoe clients expanding into the United States market. “About 15 years ago, we recog-nized how US expansion would benefit many of our clients, and today we have the largest number of dedicated

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professionals providing US tax services for individuals and businesses.”

Other examples of how KPMG assists their clients include identifying available funding through government incentive programs, helping clients improve manufacturing process-es or deliver services more effectively, and when ready, how to prepare their company for ownership transition or sale.

“Our business is all about relationships,” say’s Mario. “Whether they be internally between our people who deliver our services or the strength of relationships with our clients. In both cases, if there is trust and a commitment to the relationship, success will follow.”

But it’s not all about business. KPMG is also focused on contributing to the local communities in which it serves. KPMG Partners and staff are active volunteers on several Halton-area community boards including Burlington Community Foundation and The Carpenter Hospice and support many charitable organizations throughout the region.

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce thanks KPMG for their support of local businesses and their active role within the community. We congratulate them on their 35 year membership in the Chamber.

by Elaine Slatter

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SHiFT EventWhat a refreshing experience the September 15 SHiFT event at the Art Gallery of Burlington was. As a business person who has attended so many functions and meetings about the bottom line in our profit-driven society, this event was like a breath of fresh air. The panel, Don Smith of Smith’s funeral Homes, Phil Collins from Fresh City Farms and Laurie Nadeau from Bev Support Corporation, had a clear message to entrepreneurs of all ages: find something you’re passionate about and go for it!

Don Smith started it off with insights of his life as a small boy living in the family business. His family, who were originally farmers from Western Canada, moved to Chatham Ontario in 1926 and began working in the business of funeral rites. He went on to talk about expand-ing his business and the pitfalls that come with it. Don was so passionate about his business and his family, it was truly inspiring.

Phil Collins spoke about originally obtaining a degree in landscaping and dreaming of building golf courses. His story of wanting to build an edible golf course was amaz-ing. The youngest person on the panel (and the only one barefoot) had a great message about shifting to what you love with those you love.

Our last speaker was Laurie Nadeau and her amazing story of starting a wine tasting marketing company. How she looked at an existing business and brought it to a whole new level was also inspiring. Her insights on balanc-ing work and home life were great. The way Laurie and her husband (who is also in the business) navigate the mine-fields of working all day with your family, and the boundar-ies they put in place to make sure there is time for both, was great.

This writer asked, when first given this assignment, what does SHiFT stand for? Certainly it was an acronym for something like: Superior Help In Fast Times, right? No, it was explained to me it’s all about shifting – shifting careers, shifting thinking, shifting your business. After attending this event, it was obvious we are all shifting. To name a few, Don shifted in growing his company and shifting to green practices in his industry, he continues to shift. At 25 years old Laurie shifted from being an employ-ee to being an entrepreneur. And Phil shifted from landscaping to farming and from his presentation I learned his business is all about shifting, especially the way we think about food.

Let’s face it; it’s a shifting economy and SHiFT is going a long way to providing us a compass in our travels.

Burlington Chamber Introduces Social Media GuidelinesToday, the majority of Chamber members contribute professionally or personally to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, blogs and forums. The Chamber would like to help give exposure to its members through social media.However, as a member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce there are certain protocols, guidelines and common courtesies that should be followed when discussing the Chamber products, services, management, employees or your fellow members and stakeholders.

• Build relationships Ensure that all content associated with you is consistent with your abilities and the Chamber philosophy that social media is about building relation-ships. It is NOT a forum for constant sales pitches and advertisements.

• Do not spam Please ensure all your comments adhere to the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation, effective July 1, 2014.

• Use privacy settingsKeep the items you share with your close personal friends separate from what you share with your work “friends".

• Identify Yourself You are responsible for the content you post. Never impersonate someone else, or obscure your identity. Build your own reputation and give credit where credit is due.

• Write in the first person Make it clear that you are writing for yourself with a disclaimer that clearly states that it is your opinion and not an official Chamber point of view.

• Stick to what you know Offer your perspective and opinion on issues you know and care about, but ensure you check your facts. If you don’t, someone else probably will.

• Add value to the conversation When a response is required, reply to comments in a timely and appropriate manner.

• Respect your audienceThe Chamber reflects a diverse set of customs, values and points of view. Be yourself, but do so respectfully and avoid offensive language or inflammato-ry topics.

• Respect copyright laws Do comply with all laws governing copyright, trademarks, brand identity and fair use of copyrighted material owned by others.

• Respect privacy Do not use or discuss information regarding fellow members or clients without their prior consent.

• Be honest Tell the truth and be the first to correct your own mistakes. Be constructive and respectful if correcting others.

• Be professional Be polite especially when you disagree with someone. If you have to defend your position, take a step back and let the community defend for you.

• Think before you post If in doubt, ask. Once online it is discoverable and you can't get it back.

• Chamber membership Present the Chamber in a positive light and avoid making derogatory comments about the Chamber products, services, management, employees or your fellow members. • Chamber approvalsIf representing the Chamber, first obtain the Chamber President’s approval to ensure consistency in strategy and messages.

As you would in face-to-face communications, please use common sense, courtesy and good judgment when using social media.

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Social Media Policy

What people are saying….

Thank you to the whole SHiFT team for putting last night’s event on!

REALLY enjoyed it!

So informative and such great perspectives on business and personal!

These panels are such a wonderful idea. Definitely something that should continue.

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By Wayne TaylorBy Rob Stonehewer

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13R E V I E W M A G A Z I N E

Member MilestonesMay, June and July 2014 Milestones

35 years

KPMG MSLP

30 years

STRIDE

25 years

Cogeco Cable Canada LPThe Door CentreDurward Jones Barkwell & Co. Chartered AccountantsEagle Press PrintersFraming & Art Centre

Alldoor Supply CompanyBrady Financial GroupBurlington Community FoundationCareer Advancement Employment Services Inc.FLIR Systems Ltd.In HouseThe Vac Connection

10 years

Bibico ElectricCanadian Blood ServicesFreightLine Carrier Systems Inc.Halton Family Health Centre Inc.John C. Munro Hamilton International AirportMichael O'Sullivan (Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services)Mill Pack Industrial Maintenance Inc.Pane FrescoStop 'n Go ServicesTek Systems GroupThrillworks Inc.

5 years

Advanced Office SolutionsDodsworth & Brown Funeral HomeMaximum I.T. SolutionsThe Parish Church of St. LukePremier Fluid Systems Inc.SWGiTecoustics Limited15 years

20years

Greenlee Siding & WindowsHalton Women's PlaceIdeal Excavating Inc.

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BUSINESSA F T E R5

JULY

AUGUST

United Way, JM Edwards Associates, Fengate ManagementSEPTEMBER

Halton Region

Burlington Festival of Beer

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BEFORE9JULY

AUGUST Staples

SEPTEMBER TD Canada Trust

The Auto Station

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BUSINESS