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Join the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) on Thursday, January 28 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am for the release of the fifth annual Ontario Economic Report (OER).

As the OCC’s flagship report, the OER will highlight the unprecedented year that was 2020 and the unpredictability that lies in the year ahead.

Now more than ever we need data and evidence-based policy to drive our decision-making. Understanding Ontario’s economic outlook and the experiences of businesses of all sizes across the province is paramount to informing Ontario’s economic outlook and our roadmap to recovery.

The Hon. Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade will be providing opening remarks at the release. The event will also highlight key findings of the report and will feature a fireside chat between Mark Poweska, President and CEO of Hydro One and Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC.

Register today for the release of our first-ever fully interactive Ontario Economic Report and be the first to hear the most critical data points on Ontario’s economy.

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

• Opening remarks by the Hon. Victor Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
• Fireside chat with Mark Poweska, President and CEO of Hydro One and Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC
• Overview of the 2021 Ontario Economic Report data with OCC’s report authors Daniel Safayeni and Claudia Dessanti

The City of Sarnia is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Kelly Provost to the position of Director of Economic Development. Kelly started with the City on January 4th, 2021.

Kelly has 15+ years of experience managing small and large economic development projects, combined with a strong background in communications and stakeholder engagement. Kelly comes to us from Niagara Region’s Economic Development Department, where she was the Acting Manager of Strategic Initiatives, and managed significant projects that advanced and expanded infrastructure investments, development to the labour market, and supporting job creation. She also brings a strong background in entrepreneurship through her experience managing the St. Catharines Small Business Enterprise Centre and she also teaches at Niagara College.

Kelly graduated from Brock University with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree, has completed the Public Relations Post Graduate Program through Niagara College, and obtained an Economic Development Certification jointly through the University of Waterloo and Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC). She is also currently working towards her Project Management Professional (PMP) designation.

“Having grown up in Wallaceburg, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to come back to the area and serve the City of Sarnia. I look forward to advancing Sarnia’s economic development priorities and helping contribute to its future prosperity.”

We look forward to Kelly’s leadership leveraging the City’s Economic Development portfolio, liaising with local organizations and community stakeholders, and working with city staff and Council with the opportunities and implementation of the Economic Development strategy.

The EmployerOne survey is designed to collect information from you on a range of issues, including recent hires made, hiring intentions, recruitment strategies and challenges, the impact of COVID-19 and the challenges faced by sole proprietors. After analysis, the data is released to job seekers, community partners, government agencies, local schools, and the public. 

To access the survey, here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ER12021-1

Important Update for 2021: In an effort to support businesses as they work to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the AGCO is authorizing eligible “By the Glass” licensees to temporarily extend or add a temporary physical extension of their licensed premises, until January 1, 2022 at 3:00 a.m.

Eligible “By the Glass” licensees do not need to submit an application to extend their licensed premises for the duration of 2021, provided they meet certain requirements.

To be eligible for a temporary patio extension under the AGCO’s 2021 patio policy you must have a valid “By the Glass” licence, be permitted to open for on-site consumption and must meet the criteria as set out below:

1. The physical extension of the premises is adjacent to: 
   1. the premises to which the licence to sell liquor applies; or 
   2. a dock to which the boat is attached and may include land adjacent to the dock; or
   3. the licensed premises under the “By the Glass” licence;   

1. The municipality in which the premises is situated has indicated it does not object to an extension; 
2. The licensee is able to demonstrate sufficient control over the physical extension of the premises;  
3. There is no condition on the licence prohibiting a patio;  
4. The capacity of any temporary extension, allows for at least 1.11 square metres per person; and 
5. In the case of “By the Glass” licensees, the sale and service of the wine, beer and/or spirits manufactured by the manufacturer within the physical extension of the premises is primarily aimed at promoting the manufacturer’s product and either providing an enhanced tourist experience or fulfilling an educational purpose.

With 2.4 million Canadians working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following a recommendation from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Think Growth campaign, the Canada Revenue Agency has made the home office expenses deduction available to more Canadians and has simplified the way employees can claim these expenses on their personal income tax return for the 2020 tax year. Employees with larger claims for home office expenses can still choose to use the existing detailed method to calculate their home office expenses deduction.

The new, simplified process allows employees who worked from home more than 50% of the time over a period of at least four consecutive weeks in 2020 due to COVID-19 will now be eligible to claim the home office expenses deduction for 2020. A new temporary flat rate method will allow eligible employees to claim a deduction of $2 for each day they worked at home in that period, plus any other days they worked from home in 2020 due to COVID-19 up to a maximum of $400. Under this new method, employees will not have to get Form T2200 or Form T2200S completed and signed by their employer.

The province-wide shutdown came into effect January 14th at 12:01 am. Information surrounding this mandate is summarized in the document created by the Government of Ontario.

Click here to read more https://files.ontario.ca/moh-enhanced-provincewide-shutdown-2021-01-12-v2.pdf 

Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Gift Card Program has achieved the milestone of consumers purchasing over $50,000 dollars to Support Local Small Businesses across Sarnia-Lambton. The program is receiving significant recognition, as it is one of the most successful Tourism and Supporting Small Business initiatives across the Country this holiday season. There have been other agencies that are doing similar programming, however the per capita dollars that have been created from the Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Gift Card sales, as well as the number of redemption partners involved, makes Tourism Sarnia-Lambton an industry leader with its program.

The Gift Cards are available in $10, $25, and $50 denominations and can be redeemed at over 275+ small businesses throughout Lambton County. Tourism Sarnia-Lambton is encouraging all companies and individuals who would typically purchase gift-cards this holiday season, to purchase a Discover Sarnia-Lambton Gift Card that directly supports local business partners throughout the restaurant, retail, attraction, and accommodation tourism sectors in Lambton County. The new creative gift card program is a way to continue promoting hyper-local tourism across Lambton County, while supporting small businesses by shopping local and creating support for businesses as we look to 2021.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the success of our Tourism Sarnia-Lambton Gift Card program. The program is a life line, as it creates another revenue stream for our Tourism Industry Partners and it supports our local economy throughout 2021”, explained Mark Perrin, Tourism Sarnia-Lambton’s Executive Director. “Tourism Sarnia-Lambton is continuously developing programs that market, promote and support our Sarnia-Lambton economy. The Gift Card program’s success is a tribute to the great communities across Lambton County and the passion our residents have to support our tourism industry and our local small businesses through these difficult times”. 

Gift Cards are available by contacting or visiting Tourism Sarnia-Lambton.

Match Eatery in Point Edward has many ways to mix up the holiday season this year.

1. Give & Receive: Give the gift they can use whenever they choose! Gift cards are always the right size and colour, and make the perfect gift for that hard to buy foodie in your life. From November 16th to December 24th, receive a $10 bonus for every purchase of $50 in gift cards.
2. Match Holiday Gift Packs: These kits include everything your favourite someone needs to enjoy the Match experience at home. Kits are available for 2-3 people ($90), 5-6 people ($165) and all you have to do is order and your guests can pick-up and enjoy at home.  Match Eatery is happy to accommodate large and corporate orders as well!

EmployerOne is our biggest survey that collects data from local businesses and organizations to help us identify local skills gaps and workforce challenges. Although it is only an 8 minute survey, the data is invaluable information to us. Please take a few minutes, and complete the survey at your earliest convenience. Additionally, share the link with your networks. Thank You in advance for your continued support.

Click here to complete the survey.

Enbridge knows your foodservice business is facing added challenges due to COVID-19. Let them help, with new incentives and limited-time bonus offers for high-efficiency ovens, fryers and more—providing immediate savings on ongoing energy costs. Contact your distributor today to take advantage of new bonus offers and how to save:

• Rebates up to $1,000 when you purchase from a participating distributor/dealer 
• You pay the discounted price upfront 
• No paperwork, no wait 
• Limited time offer: Discounts on USED equipment now available

To view the Distributor Discount Program Qualified Product List, click here.