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Connecting people. Empowering business. The Burlington Chamber of Commerce

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From left to right: Megan Cheema, Alexandra Manthorpe, Owen Duguid, Orie Niedzviecki, Paul D. Stunt, Robert Krizman, Kenneth W. Watts, Brian J. Hanna, Tanya A. Leedale, Jarvis G. Sheridan, Harold R. Watson, Larry S. Gangbar, James McAskill, Robert A. Watson, Chantel Goldsmith, Maggie Scull, John Inglis

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Chair How Chair Bruce Nicholson spent his summer. P5 Letter from the President Your Burlington Chamber helps shape federal policy. P7 Business Before 9 A great way to start your day! P8

P11 A Conversation with the City Manager Hear from the man who is helping to shape your city’s future. P11 Social Media Corner Put these great Facebook tips to use. P12

Business-Political Forum Mayor Rick Goldring and City Manager James Ridge served up burgers and information. P13

P12 Women’s Networking Event Ford Canada CEO Dianne Craig shared her personal leadership journey. P12 Member Profiles Congratulations to Preston Insurance Services for their 35 years of Chamber membership. P13 Upcoming Events Mark your calendars now for these great networking and learning opportunities. P13

P13

Business After 5 Thank you to three great hosts. P14 Membership Milestones Wow! A combined 410 years of Chamber membership. P16

P17

Mayor’s Luncheon Join us to hear how guest speaker Louise St-Pierre is transforming Cogeco Cable Canada. P17

On the cover: Photo courtesy of snapd BURLINGTON From Left to Right: Bruce Nicholson, James Ridge, Mayor Rick Goldring

For advertising inquiries contact: Leah Flippance, Publisher of The Review

Editors: Keith Hoey, President and CEO, Burlington Chamber of Commerce & Barbara French, Committee Coordinator, Burlington Chamber of Commerce

A publication of:

Call: 289-684-2482 Or email leah@flipsidemediagroup.com

Contributing Writers: Bruce Nicholson, Keith Hoey, Glenda Lloyd, Elaine Slatter, Steve Loates Connecting people, Empowering business The Burlington Chamber of Commerce

Graphic Designer: Ashley Giannice Photographers: Mary Dilly, Dave Gruggen Photography, Christine Fraser

KING LUMINAIRE POWDER COATING

FEATURES

APPLICATIONS

Letter from the Chair of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce

ith summer clearly in the rear view mirror, it is time for me to reflect back on my first and only summer as your Chair of the Board. Before agreeing to stand in line to become your Chair, I carefully weighed the time commitment required. Attendance at the Chamber events was a given. We have many and I was prepared for that investment. Of surprise to me were the lunches with local political representatives. I had not anticipated the number, nor the impact on my waistline. Every luncheon has been a truly enjoyable experience where I learned more of the politicians from their personal perspectives. Burlingtonians should count their blessings for the dedication of their local representatives. Our City representatives have left a lingering impression with me. Luncheon number one involved Ward 1 councillor Rick Craven. Rick is unabashed for his passion for Aldershot and the redevelopment occurring within his Ward. Rick took Keith Hoey and me on a vehicle tour of Aldershot stopping at various locations to explain the redevelopment plans that have

been proposed by developers. Yes, we even stopped at Solid Gold….but stayed in the car. A tour of the site of the transportation hub was accompanied by Rick’s explanation of the exciting plans to come. The next week saw Keith and me sitting with Mayor Rick Goldring and his Chief of Staff, Brian Kelly. Mayor Goldring, as you may have already learned, is focused on intensification. With “green field” opportunities limited, the requirement exists for the City to encourage the redevelopment of older existing sites. The discussion moved into the recent Bay Area Economic Summit and the revitalization of the Burlington Economic Development Corporation (BEDC). Both Rick and Brian offer a calm and reassuring message that the city’s new strategic plan will provide the focus for the decade ahead. Mayor Goldring exudes a confidence that his vision is not only possible but probable. Within a short period of time, Keith and I were face-to-face, or should I say fork-tofork, with Ward 3 councillor John Taylor. A “straight shooter”, John calls it like it is. He is unwavering in his support for the City’s downtown and the Art Gallery of Burling-

ton in their continuing transitions. John explained his intentions to visit Prince Edward County to study their experience of balancing agricultural lands with residential development in light of Burlington’s declining agricultural industry. Ward 5 councillor Paul Sharman is next up on the luncheon circuit. His welcoming smile and genuine warmth open the channels for communication. Paul is another notable city proponent, confident that the BEDC will pay dividends to the City. October 8 and our last lunch with councillors (so far), this time it is Marianne Meed Ward of Ward 2. Having recovered from a motor vehicle accident, Marianne has her energy back up to her normal high level. Our municipal politicians are extremely dedicated to representing their constituents and their City. They are responsible for making Burlington a better place to live. And for that, I am truly grateful. Bruce Nicholson, Chair, Board of Directors, Burlington Chamber of Commerce

Membership has its Advantages

Here are just a few of the ways that being a member of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce can help your business to prosper.

Networking

As part of the largest business networking group in Canada, we can help you connect with people to exchange ideas, develop sales and build business partnerships. • Monthly Business After 5 • Monthly Business Before 9 • Golf After 5 • Curling Bonspiel • Golf Tournament • Young Professional Network • Involvement in Chamber committees

Advocacy

Your membership provides access to all levels of government through our alliances with other local Chambers and Boards of Trade, the Ontario and Canadian Chambers, and various government advisory committees. • Business-Political forums • All Candidates meetings • Input into City and Region policy planning sessions • Pre-budget consultations • Advocacy letters • Policy positions

Education

The Chamber frequently surveys our members to determine what topics that will contribute to the success of their businesses they need to learn more about. • Business workshops • Sunrise Seminars • Expert facilitated events • Online reference desk • CFO Roundtable • HR Roundtable

Corporate Benefits

The Chamber also provides a variety of “members only” services to help your business grow, cut costs, and provide you with peace of mind. • Low VISA and MasterCard rates • Group Insurance benefits for small companies • Esso gas discounts • Discounted rates for Purolator • Certificates of Origin • Online directory listings • Business referrals

LOOKING FOR TRAINING DOLLARS? Plan now to meet next year’s needs New subsidy money anticipated for spring 2016 The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is an employer subsidy, covering two-thirds of eligible training costs up to a maximum contribution of $10,000 per participant. Priority approval is awarded to employers: Whose applications allow trainees to assume a new or better job Whose applications allow trainees who received a lay-off notice to retain their jobs Who have not received COJG funding in the past six months Visit: thecentre.on.ca and click the ‘employer tab’ for information on the COJG. For questions about COJG eligibility or training opportunities at The Centre, contact Lorna Hart at hartl@thecentre.on.ca

“The Centre has approved over $850,000 in employer subsidies through the Canada-Ontario Job Grant since November 2014.” The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a fund administrator and a training provider for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant Jason Linton, CAO The Centre for Skills Development & Training

Letter from the President of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce

he most common question I get asked during the summer months is “Are things pretty slow at the Chamber?” My answer: “It’s not slow, we’re busy doing different things”. While it’s true we don’t have as many events in July and August (we still have our BA5s and BB9s and this summer we hosted a very successful Business-Political forum with Mayor Rick Goldring and City Manager James Ridge), activity in the Burlington Chamber office tends to focus on other work we do for our members. Advocacy work gets a lot of attention. Most people know that Chambers of Commerce advocate on behalf of business (the Chamber’s three major activities are networking, education and advocacy), but not everyone knows that this advocacy work happens with all levels of government (municipal, regional, provincial and federal). When it comes to advocating with the provincial and federal governments, we rely a great deal on our counterparts, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC). Local chambers (like Burlington) write policies at the provincial and federal levels then we work with the OCC and CCC to deliver those polices to the respective levels of government.

But federal policy work goes much deeper than that. Let me explain. Each year local chambers from across the country submit policy resolutions to the CCC. The policy resolutions recommend changes that should be made by the federal government to grow business and the economy. To be adopted by the CCC, a resolution must receive a 2/3 majority vote of all delegates from across the country. (The Burlington Chamber’s Climate Change policy was approved through this process a year ago.) However, before those policies get to the debate floor at the CCC conference, a group of Chambers in Ontario – the Ontario Caucus Advisory Group (OCAG) – reviews each policy to see if the polices are in the best interests of Ontario businesses. The OCAG advises other Ontario chambers on how to vote when polices come up for debate at the CCC conference. Often, someone from the OCAG will contact the chamber that submitted the policy resolution to suggest changes to improve the policy. Other provincial and territorial groups contact us the same way. This policy review process has just wrapped up in preparation for the CCC conference in October. It’s a very open process that gets input from chambers across the country to shape federal government legislation to help busi-

nesses become more effective and more profitable. There are many CCC policies that began as policies at local chambers. For example, over the last few years, the CCC was a primary activist for the lowering of the corporate income tax rate from 18% to 15%. The policy to lower corporate taxes was written by a local chamber of commerce. At the Chamber, we don’t just have input, we have impact. Keith Hoey, President & CEO Burlington Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS BEFORE 9 These events give business people opportunities to network and make business contacts. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a perfect fit for those who want to get an early start to their business schedules. Recent Business Before 9 events include: July Business Before 9 hosted by Expedia CruiseShipCenters August Business Before 9 hosted by Bay Gardens Funeral Home September Business Before 9 hosted by TD Canada Trust

Charles Redhead, Christine Fraser

Nadine McDonald, Les Pierce

Paul Nystrom, Rhona Turner

Bruce Nicholson, Paul Nystrom

Christine Fraser, David Holness, Sally Romanowski, Maria Mosca, Janet Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien

Bay Gardens Funeral Home Staff

Gary Francis, Bruce Nicholson, Jelena Milivojevic

JAMES RIDGE

A Conversation with the City Manager

ames Ridge joined the City of Burlington as City manager, the senior staff position at the city, in March. He brings a wealth of municipal management experience to Burlington, and has held progressively responsible positions in his career. James began his career with the Canadian Armed Forces, rising to the rank of major before entering the municipal sector. Throughout his career, James has been known as an inspiring leader who successfully transforms public service, building engaged and enthusiastic teams and creating and sustaining partnerships with key stakeholders. He has earned a reputation for being a strategic thinker who can implement the policy directions of decision-makers. Recently we asked James a few question to find out what he’s really like. The city is taking a new approach to writing its Strategic Plan. How is this different from the past and how will it benefit the city? I was once in a job interview where they asked me about strategic planning. I made a flippant remark that so many strategic plans amounted to little more than a lame slogan on a plaque on the wall. One of the interview panel members winced and pointed to the lame slogan on the plaque on the wall that was directly behind me. Amazingly, I got the job. So, I am a bit obsessed with doing better than a slogan-on-the-wall strategic plan. In the past, the city’s strategic planning process and official plan review, a statutory planning policy document, were developed in relative isolation. This time we are linking them so they are highly integrated, support each other and aim towards common goals. We are also working to make the strategic plan a meaty and consequential document that clearly sets out the priorities and goals for the city. This strategic plan is centred on a bold vision that spells out in some detail what we want the city to look like 25 years from now, in particular, how and where it should grow. From that we will develop an official plan that sets the policy needed for implementation and a fiveyear corporate work plan that will move the city towards those goals. And I would be just fine if there was no slogan on a plaque at all. You’ve got a long career in city administration. What are the differences you see between Burlington and other communities you have worked in? I have worked in four cities and they were all very different. Just the sheer size of Toronto makes it an unusual place to work. Vancouver has its own legislation and significant powers that other Canadian municipalities do not enjoy. North Vancouver was much like Burlington, but a bit smaller. The one significant difference is that the other three municipalities I have worked in had long ago stopped expanding outwards. In most cases they had stopped building brand new subdivisions decades ago, and have only been doing intensification and infill growth. Most of the growth in these municipalities came by redeveloping properties that had reached the end of their first generation of

use, and in some cases, we were redeveloping properties for a second time. And although that sort of growth involves a different type of engagement with the community, all of the municipalities had been successfully growing and evolving. Burlington is just beginning that transition, and is one of the first GTA municipalities making that shift. So in some ways we are leading the way in this part of Ontario. We are certainly the first to go through this transition in Halton Region. I think it is an exciting chance to start thinking about how to build Burlington 2.0, while keeping all the best parts of version 1.0. What is the single biggest challenge the city is facing right now and what is the city doing about it? I am convinced that we have a time-limited opportunity to get our strategic goals right, and to really develop a compelling and achievable plan to guide the city for the next 25 years. I think I warned you earlier that I am a bit obsessed about this. Not many cities get that right, and far too many tend to meander along and evolve more by accident than design. That path sometimes results in cities that lose their livability or sell their souls in the name of growth. I once had a professor who made the case that in a largely urbanized country, municipal land use regulation is the single most important and powerful policy instrument at any level of government. It shapes the economic, social and cultural fabric of the country in profound and lasting ways. It always surprises me that some municipalities choose to use that powerful tool in a reactive way rather than a planned and deliberate way. I also believe that we need to grow while preserving the extraordinary sense of community and place that everyone in Burlington understands and loves. Other cities have grown at a pace or in a way that has squeezed community out of the equation. We routinely have people moving to Burlington from communities where that has happened. We need to grow, but very thoughtfully and always with an eye to preserving, perhaps even enhancing, the many things that make Burlington such a great place to live. What would you like the city will look like five years from now? As suggested above, I would like us to have grown in a careful and planned way, around the transit hubs and the Plains/Fairview corridor. There would be a mix of housing for families, retirees and young people. I would love for us to have attracted another post-secondary campus to the city, preferably not right smack on the highway. In less than a year, I would like us to have a meaningful plan for our rural and agricultural area. Can we aim to be a farm to table community? I would ideally like to see us do something thoughtful with the parking lots in the downtown. Not only are they all instances of de-intensification, they strike me as missing teeth in the downtown smile. With luck, we have a real start on an innovation district along Hwy. 403/QEW and an advanced manufacturing hub is under construction. I hope we can begin to see a real change in how people travel around the city, with a

greater emphasis on transit, bikes, walking and car-sharing. Cootes to Escarpment should be recognized formally by the Province as a unique urban ecopark, and Beachway Park is beginning to take shape. Most Canadian municipalities would give anything for either of those two parks. Energy use and carbon emissions in the city would be measurably reduced, and every new development would be designed with an eye to sustainability and transit. I would also like us to be a more diverse community. That is happening, but more slowly than other municipalities. I am hoping we can engage our new Canadian residents more actively than we currently do, and make the city a destination of choice for immigrants. And I hope that as a community we have helped stop the decline of Bobolink, a type of small blackbird, populations. What do you want us to know about you that we don’t know already? My wife and I are pretty avid birdwatchers, and have yet to find a Bobolink. Not only are there many birding hotspots in the City and region, it is convenient to Long Point and the Niagara River, which are all nationally famous birding locations. We really only took it up about eight years ago, but now most of our travel involves, as my wife puts it, standing in swamps peering at birds. And it is not a pastime for the timid. My wife broke her arm birding a few years ago, falling on a very steep trail in Hawaii while hunting for a particular critically endangered bird. I once got chased by a rather nasty troop of monkeys. In my last job I travelled extensively, and usually added on a personal day or two to stand in swamps peering at birds. So, I have had a chance to bird watch in several dozen countries. I am closing in on a thousand species. What is great about being back in Ontario is that we are adding birds to our life list that you never see on the West Coast. And finally, what do you like most about living in Burlington? Where do I start? My wife and I have instantly fallen head over heels in love with the city. There is the powerful sense of community I have mentioned before, really quite extraordinary given the size of the city. There is immense pride of place, and the city is completely self-contained. We have been to Toronto exactly once in the six months we have lived here. We have an arts and culture scene that is truly amazing. I am a huge Pat Metheny fan, and to see him play in the glorious Burlington Performing Arts Centre a couple weeks ago was just a treat. We love Cootes to Escarpment (lots of birds), the waterfront, the Bruce Trail and the city’s amazing food scene. I should not single out any busness, so I won’t name it, but Burlington has the best Roti place in Canada. My wife and I have lived in eight cities in four provinces, and Burlington immediately feels like home. And the icing on the cake is thirty species of birds and eight species of mammals just in our Aldershot back yard.

Social Media Corner FACEBOOK TIPS Here are five tips for building a Facebook community for your brand. 1. Engage your audience by asking them questions, do you like “A” or “B”. 2. Ask your followers to share pictures of their best moments using your product. 3. Share your community involvement to show you care. (Last year, the Ice Bucket challenge was the most successful fundraiser for the ALS Society.) 4. Consider a contest and giveaway your product/service as a prize. 5. Shoot a short (one-minute) video at a speaking event to share relevant content on Facebook. By Elaine Slatter, XL Consulting Group

Women’s Networking Event The Burlington and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce partnered with YWCA Hamilton and Gerrie Electric to present the Women’s Networking Event at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington on September 23rd. This event offered 300 female professionals at various stages of their careers the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, do business together and expand their professional networks. A highlight of the event was a special keynote address by Dianne Craig, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company Canada, who shared her experiences and personal leadership journey at Ford. (Top Photo) Denise Christopherson CEO YWCA, Dianne Craig President & CEO Ford Motor Company, Canada, Elaine Gerrie Co-President & CEO Gerrie Electric Wholesale, Gemma Giovinazzo National Sales Operations Manager Ford Motor Company, Canada

Professional Development IT PAYS TO KNOW

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Become a CPA member and get preferred rates on seminars. www.payroll.ca

MEMBER PROFILES Preston Insurance Services

reston Insurance Services is a vibrant, second generation, family-owned business located in the heart of Aldershot Village on Plains Road. The business was started in October 1980 by Paul Preston, following a successful career as regional manager with a major insurance company. Paul, along with his wife Susan, opened Paul D. Preston Insurance with a vision to serve the community where they lived. And today, 35 years later, you can expect the same personalized one-onone service from their son, Mark Preston, and Scott Morgan, the two brokers who will take care of you at their new office located at 242 Plains Road East. The recent move of their office to the corner of Shadeland and Plains Road East was, in Mark’s words, “to insure that we are located in the heart of the

community we serve, and to further cement our place as Aldershot’s Insurance Brokerage.” Now known as Preston Insurance Services, they incorporated in January 2004 and were joined by Mark’s sister, Alyson Johnson, in August 2005. Mark stated that being a boutique brokerage firm provided them with an advantage in that they can service all of their clients with a greater attention to detail. When not helping his clients, Mark is very interested in history and is proud to be a New York Islanders fan. As long-time members of the Burlington Chamber they have enjoyed the many networking opportunities that membership provides and are big proponents of the Group Insurance Plan offered by the Chamber. By Steve Loates

Upcoming Events

The Chamber has lots of special events lined up for the fall and winter so get your calendar out and make some notes. Small Business Week (October 19 to 23) will feature a breakfast event with Hamilton Bulldogs president Steve Staios as the guest speaker. He has a great story to tell about his 1000-game career in the NHL and the business lessons he’s learned. Our SBW Showcase (a great tradeshow event) takes place on October 20 at the Holiday Inn. Our Economic Forecast is on November 3. This year our speakers are Warren Jestin, Chief Economist at Scotiabank (he spoke at this event last year and the feedback was outstanding – he’s not your standard economist) and Mark Brown, Managing Editor Canadian Business and MoneySense magazines (Mark is the author of the “Best Cities” articles that rank Burlington as #3). The always-popular Business Christmas Party is set for November 27 and, at time of writing, was more than 50% sold out. We’re very excited to be hosting Louise St-Pierre, the President and CEO of Cogeco Cable Canada, at our Mayor’s Luncheon event on December 2. Check out the story on page 17. And, finally, the Mayor’s State of the City address is set for late January. This very popular event is a great way to find out what the priorities, challenges and opportunities are for the city for the upcoming year.

Business-Political Forum Each year the Chamber hosts a number of BusinessPolitical forums. They are events that bring our members together with politicians and policy-makers. Instead of the politicians speaking for the whole event, they listen. This way they can hear about the issues that are important to business people. This summer the Chamber hosted a Business-Political Forum (and BBQ) with Mayor Rick Goldring and City Manager James Ridge. Questions from the audience were on topics including taxes, transportation, intensification, affordable housing and culture.

BUSINESS AFTER 5

Our monthly Business After 5 events are considered to be some of the best networking opportunities in the country. A variety of generous hosts and a welcoming crowd are what make them so special. Recent Business After 5 events include: July Business After 5 hosted by Burlington Beer Festival & Burlington Bandits August Business After 5 hosted by Halton Region September Business After 5 hosted by Splitsville Entertainment

Dave, Rochelle, Scott, Janne & Roland

Reg Titian, Dan Lawrie, Keith Hoey, John Romano

Bruce Nicholson

Fred Suter, Wayne Brown, Scott Robinson

Stephen Prestipino, Sandy Dapoz

Lesley Mansfield, Pat Hamlett

Dianne Jones, Tal Adler

John Davidson

Doug Campbell, Louise Sherwood

Reg Titian, Cara Winfield

MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES The Burlington Chamber of Commerce was established in 1947. Since that time we have seen membership grow to its current level of 1,000 companies. Many of our members have been with us a very long time. The list presented here shows those companies that have achieved a significant Chamber milestone between June and September this year.

20 YEARS

30 YEARS

15 YEARS

Emshih Developments Inc.

10 YEARS Bay Gardens Funeral Home, 1010 Botanical Drive location Better Bitters Brewing Company Ltd. Fairhome Interiors Gross Shuman Brizdle & Gilfillan, P.C. Hilton Garden Inn Pioneer Energy LP Sylvite Group of Companies

Admiral Inn

Hearth & Home Realty Inc.

Brechin & Huffman Lawyers

Leppert Business Systems Inc.

Preston Insurance Services

25 YEARS

Lorenzo Palladino & Co. Financial & Accounting Services Multiple Sclerosis Society, Halton Regional Chapter Nutri-lawn Ecology Friendly Lawn Care

Mapleview Shopping Centre

R. S. Field Design Inc.

Parts Headquarters Inc.

Rosalene Phillips

5 YEARS Agro Zaffiro LLP Andrea Parliament Law Professional Corporation Daniella Aitken / Century 21 Miller Real Estate Ltd. e=mz2 Inc.

SOLUTIONstream Performance Improvement Group

Glacier-Digital Corp.

Spotless Dry Cleaners, 5100 South Service Road location

Interactive Media Productions

i2i Security

Stone House Restaurant

THiNKSPOT

Mayor’s Luncheon Features Cogeco President

he Chamber hosts a series of Mayor’s Luncheons. The events feature a variety of guest speakers ranging from business leaders to thought leaders to topic experts. The guest speaker at the next Mayor’s Luncheon is Louise St-Pierre, President and CEO of Cogeco Cable Canada. From the day Louise St-Pierre was appointed President and CEO of Cogeco Cable Canada in 2013, she undertook the path of transforming Cogeco Cable Inc.’s most important subsidiary. Her path depends on important milestones aimed at building a corporate culture based on innovation and product development. At the luncheon she will speak to the bold steps she has taken so far on this journey. These steps include challenges, successes, difficulties encountered, and the courage that is paramount to an organizational transformation while making sure to keep employees engaged. In her speech she will discuss the importance of building a vision and five-year plan, implementing change and the resources that are required to do it, and adapting the process to the vision. She will elaborate on how the transformation was based on the corporate priorities and give concrete examples of how she responded to the priorities through change. Through all this she has ensured that Cogeco has stayed connected with customers and kept employees mobilized. It promises to be a very educational presentation from the leader of Burlington’s largest private-sector employer. You can hear Louise’s story and how she is transforming Cogeco Cable Canada at the Mayor’s Luncheon on December 2. Visit the Chamber website to reserve your seats. chamberAD_july_2015.pdf 1 7/7/2015 12:40:57 PM

CMY

A CHAMBERS PLAN CAN HELP YOU KEEP AND ATTRACT THE BEST EMPLOYEES

Today, employees expect group benefits. By providing your employees with benefits that offer financial protection, you can attract, and keep, the best employees. A Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan® can offer you a truly flexible benefit solution based on what’s best for you and your employees. Join more than 30,000 Canadian companies enjoying the Plan’s financial strength, stable rates and personal attention. You’ve just found a perfect match for your business benefit needs.

DID YOU KNOW...

Four out of five members report that the health benefit plan is an important factor when choosing a job. (The Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey 2014)

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