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Casino Survey
Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce released the results of its membership survey concerning a casino facility for the city. The survey was conducted from January 30 to February 15, 2013.
The survey produced the following key results regarding a casino location:
- 72.1% of respondents believed that they had enough information to make an informed decision about a casino
- 50% support the existing Flamborough location for a casino while 23% opposed and 23% were indifferent
- 67% opposed a stand-alone downtown casino while 14% supported
- 46% supported a downtown casino if it included a hotel and entertainment facility while 42% opposed
- 45% opposed another location in Hamilton for a casino while 15% supported
Reasons for supporting a casino were ranked as follows: - Economic benefit (jobs and tax revenue): 80.2%
- Revenue to the City of Hamilton: 76.1%
- Potential tourism attraction: 71.3%
- Entertainment venue for residents: 60%
Reasons for opposing a casino were ranked as follows: - Oppose casinos because of social/moral concerns: 66%
- Does not fit with City's vision or strategic plan: 54.2%
- Casino would compete with local businesses for entertainment dollars: 49.5%
- Logistical reason - parking 21.6%
The survey was sent to 1601 Chamber member representatives and 453 completed surveys were received providing a statistically significant result. Of the respondents, 51.4% were the business owner while 37% were managers.
"The survey indicates that the Chamber's membership is evenly divided between support for the existing casino location in Flamborough and for a downtown casino/entertainment complex. The survey clearly showed that Chamber members do not support a stand-alone downtown casino," stated David Adames, President and CEO. "I would like to thank our Chamber members for responding in a strong way to the survey and for attending the public meetings regarding the casino."
The summary of the survey results is posted on the Hamilton Chamber website at hamiltonchamber.ca. |
Speech from the Throne - business highlights
 The 40th session of parliament opened yesterday at Queen's Park with the Speech from the Throne. The government outlined the following initiatives that directly impact business: - Contribution of $50 million to a new venture capital fund for small and medium size enterprises
- Raise exemption threshold for employer health tax for small business
- Focus on job creation, especially for youth, aboriginal peoples and persons with a disability
- Infrastructure investments in transit, roads and bridges
- Goal of balancing the provincial budget by fiscal 2017-18 then holding spending at 1% below GDP growth
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Hamilton Chamber announces the departure of President and CEO
Louise Dompierre, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Chamber announced today that President and CEO David Adames will be leaving the Chamber to join the Niagara Parks Commission as Senior Director, Business Development. His last day with the Hamilton Chamber will be March 8.
"On behalf of the Board and our membership, I would like to thank David for his leadership in guiding the Chamber through a transition period in our history as the Board implemented a new governance model," stated Dompierre. "David contributed significantly to the growth of the Chamber and his accomplishments included bringing greater financial stability to the organization (as we will report at the Annual General Meeting); shepherding the Chamber's office move to the downtown core last summer; hosting the Canadian Chamber of Commerce annual conference in 2012; re-positioning communications with our members and the business community; and initiating new collaborations for the Chamber."
The Board will begin the recruitment process for a new President and CEO. Richard Koroscil, who was Chair of the Hamilton Chamber Board from 2010-2011, has agreed to serve as interim President and CEO. Koroscil is also the former President and CEO of Hamilton International Airport, retiring from that position in early 2012. Today, Koroscil is the President of Korlon Strategic Services Inc. and serves on the Boards of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Metrolinx.
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Primary Ballot
The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce will host our Annual General Meeting at 5pm on Thursday March 28 at Michelangelo's Banquet Centre. Please click here to review the primary ballot.
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April 16 Premiere Screening
The Renew Hamilton Project - an initiative of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce - is hosting a special community event to premiere video case studies documenting the regeneration of downtown Hamilton and adjacent neighbourhoods. Titled New Beginnings, the event will take place at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Tuesday April 16 from 7 pm to 9 pm. The evening will include a discussion on Hamilton's renewal story told through five unique case studies, interactions with key players, and updates on emerging developments set to reshape and revitalize the heart of our city. The screening will be of interest to film buffs and community builders alike. General admission $10. Presented in partnership with the City of Hamilton and Art Gallery of Hamilton. Online registration coming soon. To learn more, contact Richard Allen at rwardallen@shaw.ca or 905-572-0363.
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Metrolinx consultation session - March 7
Metrolinx, the provincial agency overseeing transit planning in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is hosting a consultation sessions about the "Big Move" plan: March 7, 10am to noon (hosted with the McMaster Institute for Transportation and Logistics) at McMaster Innovation Park.
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Connect to Careers Job Fair: March 6
Mohawk College and McMaster University are co-sponsoring a Job Fair on March 6th at the Hamilton Convention Centre. Local employers are invited to participate in the first-ever career fair presented jointly by McMaster and Mohawk. Meet 1000's of qualified students. Click here for the invitation. Click here to learn more.  
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Join the Hamilton Chamber team in this year's Around the Bay Road Race
Join the Hamilton Chamber team to run or walk in this year's Around the Bay Road Race, taking place Sunday March 24. It's a fun way to enjoy a great event and raise funds for the St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation in a team atmosphere! There will be teams in 5k, 10k, 15k or 30k. The Hamilton Chamber team's captain is Cameron Dyck and he is organizing training runs to help you get ready for the event. For more information, visit http://www.aroundthebayroadrace.com/To register for the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Team: - Go to www.aroundthebayroadrace.com and select the "Register and Confirm" button from the blue side bar on the left side of the page.
- Select "Register online at "for the 5k or 30k" and click on the EventsOnline link.
- Fill in your personal details in the fields provided. (Don't forget to set your personal pledge goal in the white box on the registration form. This is also where you will need to "Join a Fundraising Team." Be sure to select Fundraising Team Hamilton Chamber of Commerce from the list!)
- To complete your registration, you will need to pay the registration fee of $43 for the 5k or $90 for the 30k listed for your selected race category via a secure online transaction. Further registration and processing fee details can be found at http://www.aroundthebayroadrace.com/register.htm#fees. Please be sure to review registration rules at http://www.aroundthebayroadrace.com/register.htm#regrules. If you are interested in registering for a 3x10k or 2x15k relay, you can still do so via a St. Joe's Charity Spot. For further details, please contact janine@stjoesfoundation.ca.
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New Corporate Partner Logo Banner debuts at 2013 Events.
The Chamber has created a Corporate Partner Logo banner that has been displayed at all the Chamber events since January. Throughout the year, the Chamber hosts 35-40 signature events such as the Outstanding Business Achievement Awards, President's Golf Tournament, Economic Forecast/President's Panel and many more. In total the Chamber hosts on average 50-60 events per year. This banner would be displayed at those events.
Due to its popularity, we are creating a second banner. Any member who wishes their logo to be included for this year long initiative, can contact Patricia Boulton at Cell: 905-818-1173 or e-mail p.boulton@hamiltonchamber.ca for details and pricing. |
Chamber Division and Committee meetings and events Glanbrook Division: Thursday, February 21, Glanbrook Municipal Centre, 8:00 a.m. Guest Speaker: Tonny Colyn, Habitat for Humanity Hamilton ReStore Dundas Division: Thursday, February 21, Dundas Town Hall, 12 noon. Guest Speakers: Dr. David Galbraith and Deborah Herbert, Royal Botanical Gardens Human Resources Committee: Wednesday, March 6, Chamber office (120 King Street West, Plaza Level), 8:00 a.m. Topic Title: Employee Retention: What Works in Business/Organizations Today Topic Summary: In our competitive marketplace, investing in people is one of the most significant investments business leaders make. To protect this investment, they are constantly seeking creative ways to engage their employees in their business and organizational goals. 'Employee Retention: What Works in Business/Organizations Today' is a panel discussion about the employee retention techniques used by local business leaders to keep their employees engaged. Join us to hear the following panel participants share their experiences: - Patricia Hoogendoorn, Chief Financial Officer, Affinity Biologicals Inc.
- Paul McDonald, Franchise Owner, Tim Horton's
- James Olsen, Chief Administration Officer, First Ontario Credit Union
- Carol Stuart, Director, Human Resources and Administration, Woodview, Children's Mental Health and Autism Services
For an overview of the Chamber's committees and divisions, please visit, http://www.hamiltonchamber.ca/committees/committees.
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Chamber Events
Deadline approaching for the
Dundas Community Awards (February 22)
Business After Business
Thursday, February 28
 Host Location: Kaizen Accounting
104-43 Keefer Court, L8E 4V4
5:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M.
Admission Free
Success in the City: Hamilton's Top Women Entrepreneurs
and Professionals Event
Wednesday, March 6
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: LIUNA Station (360 James Street North)
Tickets: $75, tax included, includes lunch
Exhibitor Booth: $175, includes 1 registration for the day. Click here for the flyer. To register, please click here.
Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP) Seminar
Date: March 20, 2013Time: 10:00AM - 11:30AM
Location: McMaster Innovation Park, 175 Longwood Road South
Free to attend, pre-registration required.
For more information, please contact Maher Hamade: m.hamade@hamiltonchamber.ca or 905-522-1151, Ext. 230
To register, contact Whitney Simmons at w.simmons@hamiltonchamber.ca
Please click here for the flyer. Outstanding Business Achievement Awards 
Monday, March 25 5:00 p.m. Reception; 6:00 p.m. Dinner
Location: Carmen's Banquet Centre
Major Sponsors: Economic Development, BMO Bank of Montreal, Bell Canada, Taylor Leibow and OLG
Program Sponsor: Cogeco
Reception Sponsor: YourHamiltonBiz.com; VIP Reception Sponsor: Dan Lawrie Insurance Brokers Ltd
$90.00 + hst or tables of 10 $850.00 + hst To register, contact w.simmons@hamiltonchamber.ca  Chamber's Annual General Meeting/Business after Business
Thursday, March 28 5:00 p.m. Business Meeting; 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Reception
Location and Hospitality Sponsor: Michelangelo's 
$10.00 + hst Sponsors: 
 
Ancaster Community Awards Tuesday, April 9th  5:30 p.m. Reception; 6:30 p.m. Dinner
Guest Speaker: Gold Paralympian Summer Mortimer
Sponsors: RBC Royal Bank, Ancaster Mill, Heritage Household Services, Ancaster Star, RAHB, Rotary Clubs of Ancaster
Location: Ancaster Mill
$70.00 + hst
Dundas Community Awards
Friday, April 26th 
5:30 p.m. Reception 6:30 p.m. Dinner
Guest Speaker: Fergie Jenkins, former major league baseball 'Hall of Fame' inductee and well known philathropist
Sponsors: RBC Royal Bank, Dundas Valley Collision Centre, Rotary Club of Dundas
Location: Beverly Golf & Country Club
$70.00 + hst
Noteable Dates:
May 9th - Hamilton Economic Summit
June 10th - Chamber's Annual Golf Tournament - Glendale Golf & Country Club - Sponsorship Opportunities Available
hamiltonchamber.ca
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Members Making NewsMcMaster Student Sustainability Survey - Can you help?
To jump-start the journey towards a more sustainable future, students at McMaster University have partnered with Sustainable Hamilton and the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
! Students, Tom Diduszko, Jyssika Russell and Ainun Zaria have come up with an action plan targeted towards small to medium sized businesses in Hamilton consisting of a publicized survey to discover and educate businesses on the triple bottom line benefits of sustainability. In this way we hope to help increase the competitiveness of Hamilton businesses and help you contribute even more to the long-term prosperity of the Hamilton community. The survey only takes 5-7 minutes - you can receive a copy of the results AND earn 10% off the next Sustainable Hamilton Learning event as well! Click here for the online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F7PKH5Q
REfficient first company in Hamilton to gain B Corp Certification, a growing global standard for social and environmental performance
Online marketplace simplifies exchange of surplus telecom and AV equipment, saving customers money while lessening load on environment, REfficient has become the first company in Hamilton to become a Certified B Corporation, joining a growing list of more than 680 companies globally that have committed to meeting higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability than traditional corporations. To obtain a two-year certification, Certified B Corps must earn 80 out of 200 points on a B Impact Assessment, and 20% of B Corps are randomly audited. B Corps also agree to legal accountability to protect the interests of all company stakeholders, including employees, the community and environment.
Please click here for more.
Cogeco Cable announces the increase of upload and download speeds and monthly transfer capacities of its Business High Speed Internet (HSI) packages in both Ontario and Quebec.
Cogeco Cable has announced the increase of upload and download speeds and monthly transfer capacities of its Business High Speed Internet (HSI) packages in both Ontario and Quebec. These service upgrades enrich, at various levels, the entire range of Cogeco Business Solutions Internet packages. The improvements were implemented as of February 1st for all users, and Cogeco Business Internet customers will see these changes take effect over the course of this month.
Cogeco Business Solutions High Speed Internet service includes four different packages adapted to suit the different needs of businesses. Please click here for more details.
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Community Calendar
Be sure to check out the Community Calendar and the Member News links on the right side panel of this newsletter. Contact Diane Stephenson at 905-522-1151 ext. 220 or
to have your information included.
*Please Note: Member News is reserved for Not-for-profit member news and Hamilton Chamber Member milestone news i.e. Anniversaries, Grand Openings, Awards etc. All Chamber members are welcome to include their events in the Community Calendar.
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