1. business and industrial

• KEY CONTROL SYSTEMS • SAFES
• ACCESS CONTROL • LOCK HARDWARE
Prompt, Professional, Mobile & Instore Service
• Residential • Commercial • Industrial
Rob Burns - Owner
519-631-4110
ELGIN MALL
• OCTOBER 2011 •
Got ideas for the Free Enterprise Awards? Read
more on page 11.
Business Beat
Table of Contents
Pre-election business opinions
................................page 10
Hope you like our widget!
................................page 11
What if Sir Winston Churchill
visited STEGH? ........page 12
IPM video released
................................page 13
Doing what is reasonable – Bill
C-60 ........................page 14
It’s all about managing your
risk ..........................page 15
Welcome new members
................................page 16
Federal action on “red tape”
................................page 17
Business After 5
Wednesday
October 19, 2011
Business Sample
Show
St. Anne’s Centre
20 Morrison Drive
St. Thomas
Doors open at 4pm.
Sponsor remarks and prize
draws start at 6:15pm. Free
admission for anyone from
a business organization that
is a Member of the
St. Thomas & District
Chamber of Commerce.
October, 2011
Business Sample Show October 19
With display space nearly sold out,
the Chamber’s annual Business Sample Show promises to be a rewarding
and informative opportunity for our
exhibitors and everyone attending.
This annual event is a regular for the
Chamber each year as we mark National Small Business Week. This year,
that’s October 17 to 21, so we have
planned the Business Sample Show to
take place Wednesday October 19.
It’s our 8th Annual edition this year,
and again a very popular forum as a
“mini” trade show with 60 exhibitors
participating. The event does doubleduty as our October Business After 5,
the only exception being that it is
open to the general public and operates for hours that are extended beyond our Business After 5 norm. The
Business Sample Show opens at 4pm
and runs non-stop to 7pm. Beginning
at 6:15pm, door prizes draws take
place. St. Anne’s Centre will be fully
licensed for beverage service for this
function and we promise a tasty selection of food offerings as well! As the
name of the event suggests, the emphasis is on samples – and great prizes
too! Products, promotional items,
gifts and more – thousands of items
in all – will be given to everyone attending.
Chamber Members are still welcome
to register a table for this fantastic
event. Tables are either $150 or $175,
and will give you the opportunity to
meet and greet over 500 people in
only three hours! Exhibitors will set
up their booths between 9am and
3pm and then have the opportunity
to browse through the hall prior to
the public being welcomed in. Chamber staff will provide some snacks for
Sampling the best of local business.
exhibitors at this time, so please have
your display ready to present at 3pm.
Exhibitors are asked to either donate
a prize to our prize table, or they can
choose to give samples of their products. Patrons of the event will receive
bags at the door to keep all the goodies in one place. In the past, exhibitors
have given out pens, notepads, water,
chocolate bars, fruit, gift certificates,
picture frames, hand sanitizers, ear
plugs and sunscreen to name a few.
Everyone will definitely go home with
something!
Previous door prizes have included
flat screen televisions, hammock
chairs, gift certificates, luggage, jew-
ellery, wine starter kits, DVD players,
orthotics, cell phones, small appliances, restaurant gift certificates,
NHL tickets, OHL tickets and much
more! Be sure to round up your family and friends, spread the word and
head to the St. Anne’s Centre for a
great evening of networking, sampling and information!
If you’re not a Member of the St.
Thomas & District Chamber of
Commerce, and think you might like
to take part in this event to showcase
your business, please call Mike Vecchio at 519-631-1981 ext. 23. Mike
is happy to sit down to discuss the
many benefits of becoming a Member
of our Chamber, and get you set up
to participate in the best business
show in the area.
November Edition Advertising Deadline is October 17
Take part in our Farm Business report feature
in the November edition
Greg Minnema,
Advertising Sales
To take advantage of excellent advertising opportunities like this,
give me a call at 519-633-1640 (ext. 22)
or email me at [email protected]
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
9
BUSINESS BEAT
VIEWPOINT Events and News of Interest to our Members
Pre-election business opinions
A late August survey of more than
1,100 businesses in Ontario says the
top priority they want government
to act on hasn’t changed for three
consecutive years.
Reducing “red tape” remains Job
#1 for the politicians in the latest
Ontario Chamber study, and the importance is amplified by the fact that
business has sent the same message
consistently since 2008.
Several businesses from the St.
Thomas area participated in the Ontario Chamber’s province-wide survey along with businesses from 60
other Ontario communities.
The latest survey reveals four key
election priorities for Ontario’s private sector. In addition to reducing
the red tape or regulatory burden, reducing our overall debt/deficit situation emerged as priority number
two. A two-way tie for third spot
identified support for innovation
and a sustainable/affordable energy
supply as the other key items.
With respect to Ontario’s tax environment, businesses have identified
a range of options for the next gov-
ernment. A majority of businesses
(52 percent) signaled that relief from
rising energy prices in the form of
lower fuel taxes is an important area
for tax reform. Two-fifths of businesses voiced concern over personal
income tax rates. Measures for
boosting economic growth and productivity, including small business
corporate income tax reduction and
increased depreciation/capital cost
allowance, were also singled out as
important areas for tax relief.
Other key findings:
• Support for spending cuts far
outweighed that for tax hikes. Almost 60 percent of survey respondents want the Ontario government
to cut spending and focus expenditures on strategic priorities including
innovation, energy, education and
transportation.
• More than one in three (36 percent) want more support for strategic
partnerships to attract global firms to
Ontario.
• Business sees underinvestment in
machinery, equipment, software and
capital stock as having a direct rela-
tionship to our innovation/productivity gap.
• One-third of Ontario businesses
want more investment in Ontario’s
transportation infrastructure. Almost half (45 percent) want expanded rail services.
• When asked to prioritize competitive concerns for the future, green
energy and conservation ranked first,
followed closely by information and
digital technology, then advanced
manufacturing.
Copies of the complete survey results are available on request to any
Chamber Member via email. Contact Member Services Representative
Wes Bailey at 519-631-1981,
ext. 26, or email:
[email protected]
More than one of every three businesses surveyed by the Ontario Chamber say burdens placed on
business by the Ontario government are their biggest concern. This chart shows issues raised and
their relative ranking among 1,100 survey participants.
Here are the results when businesses were asked “Which of the following tax changes do you
want to see as an election commitment?”
1.59% 6.9¢ 1.64%
Published by Carroll Publishing Inc. and
delivered to businesses in St. Thomas
and Elgin County
For complete information on the St.Thomas and
District Chamber of Commerce, reach us at:
555 Talbot Street, St.Thomas, ON N5P 1C5
Telephone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.stthomaschamber.on.ca
President & CEO
Bob Hammersley
Member Services Coordinator
10
E L G I N
Mike Vecchio
Accounting Coordinator
Susan Munday
Project Marketing
Sue McKittrick
Member Services
Wes Bailey
T H I S
M O N T H
Acting Chair: Linda Sawyer
Vice-Chair: Jason White
Treasurer: Paul Smith
Director: Pete Charlton
Director: Monty Fordham
Director: Frances Kennedy
Director: Jeff Kohler Director: Mark Lassam
BMO Bank of Montreal
Steelway Building Systems
P.J. Smith & Associates
Charlton’s Quality Meats
Monty Fordham Law Office
P3 Strategies
Presstran Industries
Kee, Perry & Lassam
Chartered Accountants
Director: Debra Mountenay Workforce Planning
& Development Board
Director: John Regan
Elgin Business Resource Centre
Director: Darren Reith
Reith and Associates
Insurance & Financial
Director: Allan Weatherall St. Thomas Elgin General
Hospital Foundation
Director: Laura Woermke St. Thomas Elgin
Public Art Centre
October, 2011
BUSINESS BEAT
CHAMBER NEWS Events and News of Interest to our Members
Hope you like our widget!
Redesign of the main page of the Chamber’s website is complete, and with it
comes a new home for a widget. Yes, there
is such a thing – at least in Internet lingo.
On the left side of our main page at
www.stthomaschamber.on.ca, we have
placed a widget from the Canadian Chamber. It’s a lot like a news feed, a vehicle for
us to carry news and updates on business
and related issues on an ‘as they happen’
basis. Canadian Chamber of Commerce
staff in Ottawa load information at their
end to give you the fastest possible information and analysis on national business
issues.
Information relayed through the widget
can be both written and pictorial, including television feeds with audio. For example, when the CBC interviewed national
Chamber CEO Perrin Beatty for comments on Bank of Canada interest rates,
the widget gave us a direct link to see what
was said. The information posted through
the widget changes regularly with breaking
news posted immediately. All content is
loaded chronologically and remains in the
widget for several weeks. In this way, it can
serve as a research or reference tool and allow Members to see items from a
few days or weeks ago at your convenience.
Free Enterprise ideas?
The Chamber’s annual Free Enterprise Awards Program is our annual
celebration of business and entrepreneurial success. Established in
the mid 1970s, it provides a yearly
opportunity to recognize short-term
and long-term success through presentations of the Free Enterprise
Awards. The program also has a distinguished history of proudly welcoming some of the most
influential people in and on the
Canadian business scene as keynote
speakers at the annual Free Enterprise Awards Dinner.
Planning for the 2012 program
has begun and the first task is to
identify and confirm our keynote
speaker. The date of the Awards
Dinner is set to harmonize with the
speakers’ schedule, usually in
March, April or May.
Who would you like to see and
hear? Is there a topic or subject that
you think we should focus toward?
Is there someone special you have
connection to and could help us
welcome to our community? Our
Awards and Recognition Committee welcomes your ideas and suggestions right now as we head toward
the 36th Free Enterprise Awards in
2012. Chamber president & CEO
Bob Hammersley is the staff member assigned to work with the Committee and welcomes your input by
email
at
[email protected]
The business of Business After 5
As business cycles go, we’re thinking it’s entirely accurate to say that the
Chamber’s monthly Business After 5 events are continuing to enjoy solid performance.
The Business After 5 sponsor calendar is booked solid with only three months
open between now and the end of 2012. For that reason, we’re ready to open
the books and accept 2013 sponsorships.
The three remaining options left for 2012 are all good weather months, making them ideal for indoor or outdoor (or mixed) programs: June, July and August.
Sponsorship of a Business After 5 event can be as simple as agreeing to a date
and budget with the Chamber and letting our staff organize details, or you
can do as several sponsors choose and take an active role in planning a special
agenda and adding unique or custom touches to the program.
To explore details contact Chamber President & CEO Bob Hammersley at
the Chamber office at 591-631-1981, ext. 24, or email [email protected]
Bob can provide a copy of a detailed event planning guide to you and discuss
any details or questions.
...Priority One
for Our
Residents!
Book a Personal Tour and
we’ll treat you to lunch!
It’s not what
you earn...
It’s what you keep.
Kee, Perry & Lassam offers a full
range of public accounting
services. Our chartered accountants
and staff have the experience,
training and skills to deal with your
business needs.
•
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Accounting
Auditing
Business Plans
Tax Services
•
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Cash Flow Preparation
Management Consulting
Information Technology
Small Business Services
At Kee, Perry & Lassam we ensure our clients recieve
the service and expertise they need to succeed.
Please make a call to our office your first step on the
road to success.
15 Barrie Boulevard
St. Thomas, ON
Canada N5P 4B9
519-631-6360
519-631-2198 fax
The Next
Best Place
To Home!
45 Metcalfe
Metcal
calfe Street,, St. Thom
Thomas
homass 5519.631.93933 Fax:
x: 519.631.2563
5
www.diversicare.ca
October, 2011
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
11
BUSINESS BEAT
POSITIVE EXPOSURE Doing Public Relations Right
What if Sir Winston Churchill visited STEGH?
by Allan Weatherall
Have you ever thought about
someone who you would just love to
meet or at least have had the opportunity to meet? In my case, I would
have really enjoyed sitting down with
Sir Winston Churchill. He was a
wonderful person and his command
of the English language was astounding. He once said, “A pessimist sees
the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in
every difficulty.” It is in this regard
that I gather my thoughts for this
month’s contribution.
What an opportunity we have as a
community to do something that
transcends anything else we might
do, and is for multiple generations. I
refer to the extraordinary chance we
have to rebuild several essential sections of our valued local hospital, the
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital or STEGH as it affectionately
known.
This redevelopment is critically important to Elgin County’s infrastructure and essential to recruitment and
retention of health care professionals,
and frequently a key factor in business relocation decisions. If STEGH
doesn’t keep pace with ever changing
health care technology – while also
having modern well-equipped facilities – then over time we all suffer.
The plans to add a new building on
the northwest section of the hospital
were approved on August 24 by the
Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Yet despite this marvellous news
there are still so many who seem to
go out of their way to target something negative about their hospital.
While everyone is entitled to their
opinion, maybe we should all step
back and consider what a gem we
have before we find something to
criticize. Having worked at three
other hospitals in Ontario – two in
Ottawa and one in Huntsville – I can
speak truthfully about what we have
here and we really should be very
proud. STEGH has among the
shortest emergency wait times in the
entire province! There is a waiting list
for physicians wishing to work in the
emergency department! Unheard of
elsewhere! The hospital won a pres-
tigious Quality Healthcare Workplace award in 2010, one of only
four to reach this pinnacle in Ontario and the only community hospital.
So here we are presented with a gigantic opportunity to rebuild the
surgical suites designed and opened
60 years ago. In addition, the emergency will finally have a large specifically-built facility; a new ambulatory
care area will be located on the
ground floor of the current Complex
Continuing Care area allowing for
improved infection control; and a
new patient/visitors flow through the
building will also be created. Finally,
an essential 15-bed mental health
NEW
unit will be included allowing for
treatment of those needing this special type of care.
By all means, form an opinion
about your hospital – but where
would we be without it? Would you
rather be the optimist or the pessimist when it comes to having a
$100M+ ‘healthy’ investment made
in our community?
Sir Winston Churchill also said
“We make a living by what we get,
we make a life by what we give.” I
wonder what he would say to us
about our hospital and its redevelopment – maybe “seize the opportunity
and do what needs to be done!”
This article has been prepared for the
Chamber and our Members by Allan
Weatherall, B.A., CFRE, APR Director of Development at the
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital
Foundation. He received accreditation (APR) from the Canadian Public
Relations Society in 1993 and a
CFRE (certified fundraising executive)
in 2000. He welcomes your comments
via email to: [email protected]
or telephone 519-631-2030
extension 2247
The
St.Thomas/Elgin
Weekly News now
offering
FLYER
INSERTS
in every weekly
newspaper
Call your Sales Representative
for more information
St.Thomas/Elgin
519-633-1640
12
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
October, 2011
BUSINESS BEAT
MEMBER NEWS Events and News of Interest to our Members
New Members reception
With an average of seven new businesses and organizations registering as
new Members of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce each
month, it’s important that we share news and information on our programs,
projects and activities. Part of that initiative includes our Member Services
Committee hosting a New Members Reception at regular intervals through
the year. This photo [left] shows our group sharing time to mix and chat
before hearing brief presentations on Chamber events and programs including our Member Benefits Bundle. Our most recent New Members event
took place September 13 at the Elgin Business Resource Centre. Special
thanks to the Workforce Planning & Development Board for sponsoring
refreshments and a light breakfast for everyone attending.
Gosh Mr. Smit
it says here thath,
us
a job developer ing
Employment Servic at
es
will help us find Elgin
right staff and the
it’s
absolutely FREE!
Why
didn’t I
think of
that?
IPM video released
If you’re looking for memories from one of the largest events hosted in Elgin
last year, look no further than a new DVD released by Dog & Pony Productions.
The International Plowing Match 2010 Commemorative DVD is priced at
$25 and available now at this web link: ipm.dogandpony.ca
The web site also offers three preview videos.
Business-Before-Business
Contact Us Today
Employment Services Elgin
400 Talbot St., St. Thomas
P: 519.631.5470
Mon-Thurs
8:30am-6pm • Fri 8:30am-4pm
The Chamber’s bi-weekly Business-Before-Business breakfast networking
groups offer an exclusive opportunity for people from Member businesses to
exchange business leads and contacts. Participation is restricted to one person
from any business type of sector. For example, one banker, one realtor, one
auto dealer, etc. Groups meet every other week over coffee and/or breakfast.
Interested in building your lists of prospects and contacts? Call Member
Services Co-ordinator Mike Vecchio at the Chamber office at 519-631-1981,
ext. 23 or email him directly at [email protected]
Aylmer Community Services West Elgin Support Services
25 Centre Street, Aylmer
P: 519.765.2082
Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm
Tues 9am-6pm
160 Main Street W.,
West Lorne
P: 519.768.0020
Mon-Fri 9am-5 pm
www.jobselgin.ca
This Employment Ontario program is
funded by the Ontario Government
The countdown is on
CHEVROLET
ORLANDO
116 Edward Street, St. Thomas
October, 2011
Join us October 3 CHEVROLET
SONIC
at Disbrowe for a
special presentation
519-631-7960
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
www.disbrowe.com
13
BUSINESS BEAT
LEGAL BUSINESS Legal News and Issues for Business
Doing what is reasonable
– Bill C-60
by Monty Fordham
The famous American jurist Oliver
Wendell Holmes once wrote “Hard
cases make bad law.” Subsequent
legal scholars have developed the
converse maxim “Bad law makes
hard cases.” Some recent cases in
Canada have driven the federal government to review certain criminal
laws, in an effort to address public
concerns regarding a person’s right to
defend himself, his property or to arrest another person who has transgressed against him or his property.
The first case that attracted national
attention was the case of David
Chen, the Toronto grocer, who, after
growing weary of being shoplifted repeatedly by the same individual, pursued the thief and arrested him.
Why, you might ask was Mr. Chen
charged with anything? Well, the answer lies in the fact that, prior to
chasing the alleged thief, he forgot to
read carefully the Criminal Code section dealing with the power of an ordinary citizen to arrest. The present
law requires that the individual being
arrested be found actually committing an offence.
Mr. Chen was eventually acquitted
of the charge but not before he had
spent many dollars defending himself in court.
John Hutchins from Brampton
found himself in a similar situation,
with thieves stealing him blind from
his auto parts yard. He eventually
pursued the culprits along with his
son. The Hutchins apprehended the
trespassers but not before the senior
Hutchins had smashed the window
of the thieves’ car and roughed up
the two trespassers. Charges against
Mr. Hutchins and his son were withdrawn in early September, so we will
never know how a judge would have
ruled on his “defence of property”
defence. Once again, the Hutchins
Business ownership
should be about
money, freedom
and fun... Are you
on track?
Bryan Vine
519-207-4865: Office
519-857-4865: Cell
[email protected] • www.thegrowthcoach.com/bvine
Each office is independently owned and operated
14
E L G I N
had to incur considerable expense in
their legal defence.
The Thomson case in Niagara region involved the firing of a pistol
over the heads of some assailants who
were firebombing Mr. Thomson’s
house. This case is still pending and
will probably be decided under the
present law. Canadians have been
asking, and rightly so, “What can I
legally do to protect myself or someone else from assault? What can I
legally do to protect my property?
Can I legally arrest someone, and, if
so, when?” As Mr. Chen, Mr. Thomson and Mr. Hutchins found out,
having the wrong information can be
expensive.
In order to address the obvious
concern on the part of home and
business owners as to their rights in
these situations, the federal government has introduced Bill C-60 The
Citizen’s Arrest and Self-Defence Act.
This bill is part of the omnibus crime
bill that will, if passed, effect sweeping changes in the Canadian Criminal Code.
Presently, defence of person and
property is covered in sections 34 to
37 and sections 38 to 42 respectively.
Powers of citizen’s arrest is dealt with
by section 494(1). The difficulty the
government is seeking to address is
the relatively complicated analysis
which must be undertaken when the
defences arise. The new act will replace sections 34 to 37 with section
T H I S
M O N T H
34, respecting defence of the person.
Sections 38 to 42 will be replaced
with section 35 dealing with defence
of property. A new section 494(2)
will be added to clarify the citizen’s
right to arrest in situations where the
offence, which is the subject of the
arrest, is not actually taking place.
Certainly, clearer laws are always
welcome, and any effort to assist
people in ascertaining and asserting
their rights is a positive. However, it
is important for all of us to realize
that like any legislation, the proposed
law contains what I like to call
“weasel” words. The most troubling
weasel word in this legislation is the
word “reasonable.” Both the new sections 34 and 35 require that the act
in defence of person or property “be
reasonable in the circumstances.”
Clearly, what was reasonable to Mr.
Thomson was different from what
was reasonable to Mr. Hutchins.
How are we going to know what is
reasonable in our own unique fact
situation? The answer is fairly clear;
the Courts will tell us as the case law
evolves, and only after numerous
people raise the new defences after
being charged.
Everyone should inform themselves
with respect to the new Criminal
Code provisions regarding self-defence, defence of property and arrest.
However, I suspect that even if they
do there will continue to be some
hard cases.
Lawyer Monty Fordham prepares this
monthly column for the St. Thomas &
District Chamber of Commerce and
our Members. Monty is also a volunteer serving on the Chamber’s Board
of Directors. Questions, comments
and suggestions for future columns are
welcomed by Monty at his Law Office,
4 Elgin Street, St. Thomas. Telephone
519-633-4000, FAX 519-633-1371
or e-mail: [email protected]
October, 2011
PRO TEXT Business Management News & Issues
BUSINESS BEAT
get, claiming bankruptcy is no
longer the solution to dodging debts
that a court awards.
Then, of course, there is the all time
favourite excuse of “…I can’t be
sued.” But you can! Provided an alleged injured party can convince a
legal professional they have suffered
some loss, whether to their personal
property or some form of bodily injury and the case is deemed to have
merit, the action can be presented. It
is of equal importance to note that
as an employer you are legally responsible for the actions of your employees while they are under your
employ and acting in the scope of
their employment. At the end of the
day it is recommended that you purchase as much liability insurance as
you can afford.
It’s all about managing your risk
“If an alleged injured party can convince a legal professional they have suffered some loss… an action can be
presented; you can be sued.”
In our practice we often hear the
phrase “…well it’s not going to happen to me.” These eight words are
usually followed up with “…so
delete that coverage…” or “…lower
that limit…” or “…find a way to
make it cheaper.” Like anything,
cheaper is never better. With insurance, cheaper often means coverage
has been removed or limits lowered
which means you have less coverage.
Insurance is all about risk – managing it and transferring it. It is a
very easy concept: if you or your
business suffers a loss, how much do
you want to be responsible for and
how much do you want someone
else to be responsible for. That someone else is your insurance company.
You pay a premium for the privilege
or convenience of someone else assuming the lion’s share of your loss.
It is one thing to save by short-
changing yourself by underinsuring
your building or contents (stock and
equipment) but it is an entirely different matter when you underinsure
for liability. When your policy is
lacking for property coverage one
can always use personal resources
(savings, RRSP, bank loans, loans
from family and friends) to top up
the difference; but with liability you
face not only a potentially large court
award but the cost of defending the
lawsuit.
“
“
by Dan Reith
Insurance is all about risk –
managing it and transferring it
What many choose not to understand is that the cost of defending a
liability suit is paid by your insurance
company, generally, as there are certain types of liability policies that pay
defence costs out of the limit of the
policy in addition to whatever the
court awards. If your policy carries a
$1,000,000 limit of liability and the
court awards $1,000,000 to the injured party, the cost for the lawyer,
investigators, professional witness,
etc. is all paid on top of that
$1,000,000. Where the suit or
amount claimed exceeds the limit to
your policy one must then obtain
and pay, out of pocket, for legal representation for every dollar beyond
the policy limit.
We have seen cases where the action is settled out of court for a nominal sum yet the legal costs far exceed
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Can you pay that? Oh, and don’t for-
This column appears regularly in
Business Beat and has been submitted
by Dan Reith, BA(Hons) CAIB,
Principal Broker, Reith & Associates
Insurance and Financial Services
Limited. Questions and comments on
this column are welcomed by the
writer at 519-631-3862 or via
email: [email protected]
St.Thomas Golf & Country Club
2012 Corporate Social Offer to St Thomas and
District Chamber of Commerce Members
One of the highest
rated golf courses in
the world . . .
(2012 fee) no initiation, no shares
now affordable to many
Chamber members
St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce members have the opportunity to take part in a monthly program to play the most prestigious golf course in the area
in 2012.
Ranked one of the top 1,000 golf courses in the world
in a recent Rolex survey, the St. Thomas Golf & Country Club has launched a new program targeted toward
Chamber members interested in the business, social and
exercise benefits of the Club commonly known as
“Union.”
The 2012 Chamber Social Package – never before offered – will appeal to business and professional people
who may have previously considered the course beyond
St Thomas Golf and Country Club is
offering Chamber members the
following program for a limited time:
Corporate Dues..........................$757
Monthly Golf package X 6 ..........$380
(includes: 4 golfers, 2 carts, once a month)
their means. Golf lovers who take advantage of this
package will quickly appreciate the benefits for their
businesses and their families. Think challenging golf,
think business relationships, think excellent restaurant,
think “home away from home.”
Chamber members who may have dreamed of “playing
Union” are encouraged to call the club today. 519-6314800. It may be one of the best business investments
you’ll ever make.
House minimum spending ......$1000
(must be spent by Sept30/12)
Yearly Assessment ....................$180
($15 invoiced monthly)
Call for more information
(519)631-4800
Entertain Clients at one of the Highest
Rated Clubs in Ontario.
“It doesn’t get any better than this!”
42325 Sparta Line, Union • 519.631.4800 • www.stthomasgolf.com
October, 2011
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
15
BUSINESS BEAT
NEW MEMBERS Welcome To The Chamber Network
The St. Thomas & District Chamber
of Commerce is pleased to welcome the following businesses and
individuals as our newest Members. The staff and management of
the organizations shown below
were accepted as registered Members from August 16, 2011 to September 15, 2011.
Canadian Blood Services
850 Commissioners Road East
London, ON N6C 2V5
Phone: 519-690-3981
Fax: 519-690-3941
Website: www.blood.ca
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Marisa Gatfield, Community Development Coordinator
Buyer’s Guide Category: Agencies &
Associations
Products & Services: Canadian
Blood Services is a national, not-forprofit charitable organization that
manages the supply of blood and
blood products in all provinces and
territories outside of Quebec. St.
Thomas blood donor clinics are held
the third Wednesday monthly, and
the fourth Saturday bi-monthly.
Centennial Storage
75 Centennial Avenue
St. Thomas, ON N5P 3S7
Phone: 519-808-0334
Fax: 519-633-4151
Contact: Don Budden, Owner President
Buyer’s Guide Category: Storage
Products & Services: Centennial
Storage offers space for storage of
large equipment, trailers and storage containers. Conveniently located on Centennial Road.
Ferguson DiMeo Lawyers
211 - 750 Talbot Street
St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2
Phone: 519-633-8838
Fax: 519-633-9361
Website:
www.fergusondimeolaw.com
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Contacts: Donald Ferguson,
Lawyer; Sandra DiMeo, Lawyer
Buyer’s Guide Category: Lawyers
Products & Services: Ferguson
DiMeo Lawyers is a general practice
offering a wide range of legal and
advisory services in real estate, estate wills, corporate, personal injury,
MVA, and wrongful dismissal.
Hellyer Law Firm
13 Curtis Street
St. Thomas, ON N5P 1H6
Phone: 519-637-0007
Fax: 519-637-1007
Contact: Nancy Hellyer, Lawyer
Email: [email protected]
Buyer’s Guide Category: Lawyers
Products & Services: Hellyer Law
Firm specializes in practicing family
law and wills.
Pets 4 Life
10 - 399 South Edgeware Road
St. Thomas, ON N5P 4B8
Phone: 519-637-3000
Website: www.pets4life.com
Email: [email protected]
Contacts: Sherry Forrester, Presi-
dent; Glenn Forrester, Vice President - Operations & Finance
Buyer’s Guide Category: Pet Supplies & Services
Products & Services: Pets 4 Life is a
manufacturer of holistic pet food,
made from restaurant-grade raw
meat, fruits and vegetables, and
uses only Canadian produce and
meats.
R-Safety
4 - 1155 Talbot Street
St. Thomas, ON N5P 1G6
Phone: 519-633-5884
Fax: 519-637-3666
Website: www.r-safety.ca
Email: [email protected]
Contact: Will Zufelt
Buyer’s Guide Category: Safety
Products
Products & Services: R-Safety Sales
and Supplies offer a huge variety of
safety equipment, from traffic
cones to safety boots. They carry a
wide variety of top grade tools and
equipment, as well as a vast array
of safety clothing, cleaning supplies, gardening equipment, safety
glasses and other industrial supplies.
Social Media COO
51 Roseberry Place
St. Thomas, ON N5R 2H9
Phone: 519-637-6410
Website: www.socialmediacoo.com
Email: [email protected]
Buyer’s Guide Category: Business
Advisory Services, Media
Products & Services: Social Media
COO (Chief Operating Officer) offers social profile management for
executives and entrepreneurs. Managing your social profiles and online
presence and making sure you get
the maximum value from social
media without having to spend
your time online!
Social Media COO (Chief Operating Officer) also provides small
business social media consulting.
They help you market your services
online using sites like Facebook,
Twitter, Linkedin, YouTube, Blogs,
and many more!
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES DIRECTORY
Save 3.5¢/litre
Chamber members qualify for Esso’s
Direct Billing Program; you pay
3.5¢ off the posted retail pump price
whenever you fuel up.
You may also get a convenient, detailed
monthly invoice and also qualify for
Speedpass®. For an application, contact:
Lynhurst
ESSO & Variety
16
Wellington Road
at St. George St.
519-633-0002
t!
Fresh at Its Bes
• Delicious, Fresh
Baked Goods like
no other!
• Parties
• Weddings
• Anniversaries
• Meetings
• Any Special Occasion
24 First Ave., St.Thomas • 519-633-0040
[email protected]
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
Achieve
Greater
Income
and more
Free Time
www.thegrowthcoach.com/bvine
Bryan Vine
519-207-4865: Office
519-857-4865: Cell
[email protected]
October, 2011
BUSINESS BEAT
MEMBER NEWS Events and News of Interest to our Members
Federal action on “red tape”
Competitiveness remains an issue
As noted in the provincial
survey reported on page 10,
the biggest complaint business
consistently has with government appears to be the burden of regulations and
paperwork or, as it is commonly called, red tape.
The Canadian Chamber of
Commerce has been lobbying
at the federal level for changes in national regulations impacting business,
and is closely following the work of the Government of Canada’s “Red Tape
Reduction Commission.” The Commission’s first report was released September 7 by the Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism, Maxime
Bernier.
According to a summary obtained by the Chamber, the most notable wins
with the first report, and at this stage of the commission’s work, are: the tasking of government departments and agencies to respond directly to the challenges raised, and to further make reports and recommendations later this
fall.
The Chamber has been advised that businesses are now invited to provide
additional feedback on the points raised (or missed) in the initial report, and
as importantly, to pinpoint which of these points are the most critical for
government to pursue.
The Chamber encourages Members to see the commission’s website at
www.reduceredtape.gc.ca
A summary on the initial Red Tape Commission report is available for
Members on the Canadian Chamber’s website at www.chamber.ca
A final report including recommendations will be delivered to Tony
Clement, the minister in charge, later this fall.
It’s a mix of good news/bad news. The good news is that Canada remains
in the top 10 percent of countries around the globe in being globally competitive. The latest research from the World Economic Forum (WEF) shows
that, of 142 countries measured, Canada places 12th overall. The bad news
is that in 2009 we ranked number 9 and, last year, number 10.
Other components of the WEF’s annual Global Competitiveness Report
show Canada as 24th in terms of corporate capacity to innovate, despite our
country’s highly-educated workforce and vast resources. We also scored
poorly in measurements of trade barriers and a lowly 129th of 142 in national
debt.
The full report can be viewed online at the World Economic Forum’s website: www.weforum.org
Fi d your
Find
your busi
b
business
i
iness
plac
place
l ce in
i
the cr
creative
rreative
eative economy!
ecconomy!
Thursday,
Thursd
Thur
sd
day, Oct
day
October
Octobe
ober 20, 2011
Att the Elgin
A
nS
St.
t. Thomas Br
Bridges
idge
es to
to Bett
Better
er Businesss Confer
Conference!
ence!
300 South
South Edgeware
Ed
dgeware R
Rd
dS
Stt Thoma
Thomass
Come to
to the Elgin Bu
Business
usiness R
Resource
esource Centre
Centre to
to hear kkeynote
eynote speak
speakers,
e s, lear
er
learn
n about building
g your
your business,
business,
network
network with other e
entrepreneurs
ntrepreneurs and lear
learn
n what
w
consumer
consumerss look forr from
from local business.
REGISTER NOW for this all-day ev
event
ent (8
(8 am
am - 4:30
4:30 pm)
pm) and attend
attend
d informative
informative seminars
seminars on
o cloud
cloud
computing, creative
creative economy,
economyy, website
website marketing,
markketing, and roundtable
roundtable discussions
d
on tourism,
tourism, incubation,
incubation, and
and
business issues. Limited
Limited number of
of trade show
show booths available.
available.
Cher y at 519-633-7597
519-633-7597 ext. 341.
341
1.
Contact Chery
Fee:
F
$75 (includes
(i l d breakfast
b eakfast
br
kf t and
d lunch)
l
h) P
Partial
ar tial
ti l day
d pr
pricing
i i
icing
available,
available,
il bl call
ll for
f details.
details
d t ils.
October, 2011
E L G I N
T H I S
M O N T H
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