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Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development has responded to Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce officials on a request for the government to create a national bioeconomy framework and continue to support bioindustrial companies and projects through business accelerators and venture capitalists.

Minister Navdeep Bains said the government is incorporating the input of the Chamber and its members into its action plans.

“The Innovation and Skills Plan adopts a multifaceted approach,” said Bains in a letter to Chamber CEO Shirley de Silva and Board Chair Charles Fisher. “In particular, innovation support programs were expanded to new areas, including bioscience industries, as part of the Strategic Innovation Fund, and investments for the clean technology sector were increased substantially.”

Bains also pointed to the government’s $1.89 million in spending around transforming bio-mass into value-added products, including advanced biofuels.

He reminded business leaders, through his letter, of last January’s launch of the Clean Growth Hub. That initiative has a mandate to help clean technology producers and users navigate clean technology programs.

Bains suggested that members email the Hub’s team of experts if they would like to receive more information about the Clean Growth Hub.

Shirley de Silva said it’s important that the Chamber initiate discussions such as this on an ongoing basis to remind government officials at all levels of the views of business.

When Jon McEachran returned to Sarnia-Lambton a few years ago, it was after attending university in Utah and working in the insurance business even further away from home.

With family being one of his strongest values, McEachran jumped at the chance to return home, going into business with his entrepreneur father in buying the Chemical Valley assets of Fiberglas Canada and building out Vidal Street Industrial Park, a venture that became a very successful rail logistics company.

That was 2005 and the company grew over the years, eventually expanding into Corunna with the purchase of land occupied by the former Ethyl Canada manufacturing site.

Along the way, McEachran, like his father an entrepreneur at heart, also won a seat on Sarnia City Council and served for two terms before the time crunch involved in the business made that impractical.

In 2017, he joined the board of the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce, not long after he and his father, Ross McEachran, sold their shares in VIP Rail.

Today, McEachran continues to exercise his entrepreneurial muscle through Stag Island Investments, a company he formed after leaving VIP.

As far as his future is concerned, one thing remains clear: Sarnia-Lambton is home and we can expect to see more action down the road as he seeks to contribute to the growth of the community.

If you’re a business in the transportation industry, do you feel there is a lack of available training to adequately prepare workers?

The Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce Trade Corridor Task Force is gathering input that may be used to design a post-secondary program and we want to hear from you.

Please complete a quick survey (available HERE) to help us understand your training needs.

Questions and comments about this survey can be sent to Monica Shepley, manager of Advocacy and Policy Development, mshepley@slchamber.ca.

We often refer to board members at the Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce. But who are these people? What’s their background and what’s their vision for an organization that has been helping local businesses grow for more than a century?

This week we introduce Ryan Bell, who began his career as a lawyer after graduating from Western Law and joining GMSB—formally known as George, Murray, Shipley & Bell LLP.

Not unsurprisingly, the “Bell” in the firm is his father, D’Arcy Bell. And equally unsurprising is the fact that the firm has been a Chamber member “for longer than anyone can remember,” says Ryan, who became a board member at the Chamber in 2015 and is currently first vice chair.

A “born and raised” Sarnian, Ryan first attended King George Public School, then Northern Collegiate. He then went to McMaster University for his undergraduate degree (in philosophy).

In his youth, he was active in local minor sports, most notably curling, in which he achieved success at the regional and provincial level representing the Sarnia Golf and Curling Club and Northern.

He worked as a summer student for several years at GMSB before joining the firm as an associate upon his call to the Bar in 2014.

Not unlike his father, Ryan is focused in real estate, wills and estates, corporate/commercial, and municipal law, and he looks forward to forging long-lasting relationships with his father’s clients as well as new ones.

Ryan is married to Lila Palychuk, who is an accountant at MPW Chartered Professional Accountants. His younger brother, Graham, is a financial adviser at Barill & Company in Sarnia, and Ryan’s mother, Janis, is a retired nurse.

Outside of work, Ryan is an avid home cook and enjoys many outdoor pursuits. He also has a passion for reading, writing, indie music, and video games. 

In addition to his role as a director on the board of the Chamber, Ryan serves as Chair of the Sarnia Lambton Children’s Aid Society and also sits on the board of the Dow Centre for Youth.

Ryan believes the highest priority of the Chamber is implementing the new strategic plan that was adopted in 2018, one that looks to meet the challenges facing Chambers across Canada by restructuring memberships, engaging youth, embracing technology, and (as always) helping members grow their business in a changing world.

“I believe that we have to be progressive and inclusive in order to foster a vibrant business community moving forward,” he added.