Advocacy in Action
Business advocacy is at the forefront of the Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce mandate.
The Advocacy Committee monitors and positively influences Municipal, Provincial, and Federal affairs, including taxation, government spending, regulations, and business programming, as well as any matter relating to business retention and expansion in the Brockville area.
Please visit this page in the future for updates on our advocacy efforts. Listed below are the most current efforts:
February 2025
Brockville Business Tariff Support Page
We have created a comprehensive webpage containing relevant articles, resources, and videos regarding the tariff situation. This webpage will be updated as the situation progresses.
You can view the webpage here.
December 2024
Letter to MP Michael Barrett Regarding Canada Post Strike
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce wrote to our MP Michael Barrett regarding the Canada Post strike and how it has affected families and businesses in our community.
November 2024
Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau Urging Delay to IRCC PGWP (Post Grad Work Permit)
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau regarding concerns with the federal government’s recent reforms to the Post-Grad Work Permit (PGWP) program.
November 2024
Letter to Ministers MacKinnon and Anand Regarding the Shutdown of British Columbia Ports
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce was part of a letter written to Ministers MacKinnon and Anand Regarding the Shutdown of British Columbia Ports alongside several other Chambers and organizations across Canada.
August 2024
Letter to MP Barrett: Potential Labour Disruption in Class I Railways
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to MP Barrett regarding the potential labour disruption in Class I railways and examples of how business sectors will be affected.
May 2024
Joint Letter to Ministers: Potential Labour Disruption in Class I Railways
The Brockville & District Chamber of Commerce supported the Canadian Chamber of Commerce with this letter to Ministers O’Regan Jr. and Rodriguez.
April 2024
Co-sponsored Five Policy Resolutions at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting
Proposed Policy Resolution #6- Building Faster Fund and Housing Starts: Strong Mayors don’t pour foundations
Proposed Policy Resolution #8- Enforcing Fair Property Tax Ratios
Proposed Policy Resolution #10- Establishment of Small Vessel Marine Trades in Ontario to include Marine Electrician, Service Technician, and the overall expansion for Marine Training Certifications across Ontario
Proposed Policy Resolution # 17- Making Ontario more Competitive for Permanent Residency
Proposed Policy Resolution #18- Maximizing Growth in Built Areas
You can read the full OCC Proposed Policy Resolutions Compendium here.
March 2024
Letter of Support for Proposed Amendments to the Official Plan and Zoning By-law 36-46 King Street West
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce’s advocacy committee submitted a letter of support to the City of Brockville in support of the proposed redevelopment project in the City of Brockville, which entails the construction of a 9-storey mixed-use building.
You can read the letter of support here.
February 2024
Survey #2 Regarding CEBA Loans and the Impact Post-Repayment Deadline
November 2023
Survey Results on Homelessness and Drug Crisis Impact on Businesses
Thank you to the businesses who participated in the survey regarding the impact of the current homelessness and drug crisis on business.
The survey results can now be accessed, and Executive Director Pam Robertson has since met with the Mayor and City Manager to discuss further steps.
We are also working with the Leeds Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit regarding sharps waste protocol for businesses.
You may view the results here.
October 2023
Survey Regarding Homelessness and Drug Crisis
The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce sent out a survey with the goal of better advocating for all businesses, members and non-members.
The goal is to bring the feedback from businesses to City Council, the Joint Services Committee, and Provincial Representatives for action and review.
August 29, 2023
Survey #1 Regarding CEBA Loans and the Impact on Businesses
July 24, 2023
Industry Associations Call for More Time to Repay CEBA Loans
Please click here to view the letter to The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister. The Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce was proud to rally amongst Industry Associations to extend CEBA loans to 2025.
The Chamber sent out a survey asking businesses how the CEBA loans affected their business, if they were aware of certain repayment rules, and if they were aware of the Chamber’s advocacy efforts.
You may watch the interview here.
April 2023
Co-Sponsored Policy Resolutions at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Annual General Meeting
- Proposed Policy Resolution #12 – Diversifying healthcare to ease the burden on Emergency Rooms and family doctors
- Proposed Policy Resolution #21 – In the Spirit of Business
- Proposed Policy Resolution #23 – Invest in Workforce Planning Boards
- Proposed Policy Resolution #34 – Strengthen Connectivity Between Businesses and Post-Secondary Institutions
- Proposed Policy Resolution #40 – Supporting Safer and Healthier communities through a Detox Centre in a collaborative approach when dealing with those experiencing Homelessness, Mental Health and Addictions
- Proposed Policy Resolution #41 – Tax Rebates for Home Care
October 2022
Letter to Commissioner Regarding the Redrawing of Federal Boundaries
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) is the indispensable partner of business and Canada’s largest, most influential provincial chamber. It is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization. The OCC has 60,000 members, including large multinational corporations, small-to-medium-sized enterprises, labour unions, postsecondary institutions, non-profits, associations and close to 160 chambers of commerce and boards of trade.
The OCC’s mission is to convene, align and advance the interests of its members through principled policy work, value-added business services and broad engagement to drive competitiveness and economic growth in the province.
Values
- Non-Partisan & Principled
- Member-Driven
- Entrepreneurial
- Inclusive, Collaborative and Respectful
- Fiscally Responsible & Professionally Managed
Strategic Plan
The OCC’s Strategic Plan, The Indispensable Partner of Business, outlines a series of overarching goals, objectives, and strategies, ensuring that the OCC continues to create value for its members and stakeholders. Our strategic plan enables us to deliver the relevance, engagement, and practical value to help strengthen Ontario businesses and contribute to the prosperity of our communities.
Click this link to read the 2023 Provincial Budget Submission.
Click this link to read the 2023 Federal Budget Submission.
For more information on the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, click here.
Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Learn more about what the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is doing for the membership: