Future Proofing Ontario: 2024 Ontario Economic Summit Garners Record Number of Attendees

TORONTO, ON – December 9, 2024 – The Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s flagship event, the 21^st annual Ontario Economic Summit (OES) took place from November 20-21 at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.

Over 400 attendees from across the province heard from industry experts and political leaders on Ontario’s most prevalent topics including economic growth, trade relationships, the advantages of our life sciences sector, the Canada-U.S. relationship, reconciliation, energy competitiveness, AI and global policy.

“We believe in the vibrancy and innovative spirit of Torontonians and Ontarians,” said Mayor of Toronto, Her Worship, Olivia Chow in her opening remarks.

During his keynote address, Premier Doug Ford announced that the Government of Ontario is giving back over $2.5 billion by rebating Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) surpluses to hundreds of thousands of safe employers, reducing business premium rates and investing in keeping workers healthy and safe. The premier summed up his address with “we are on a mission to future-proof Ontario’s economy.”

Ontario Minister of Finance, Peter Bethlenfalvy reaffirmed the Ontario Government’s call for the federal government to negotiate a new trade deal with the United States. “We’ve got to make sure we take care of our largest trading relationship, the United States. We are going to defend the interests of Ontarian’s and Canadians; we will get the deal done,” he said.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen echoed the finance minister in saying that “the United States has no more reliable partner and ally than Canada and that has been the case for decades and decades.”

For the past 21 years, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has brought together leaders in business, labour, the not-for-profit sector, and government to shape Ontario’s public policy agenda and strengthen Ontario’s economy.

“Future proofing Ontario isn’t just about adapting to change; it’s about leading that change,” said Daniel Tisch, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in his closing remarks.

OES is an annual conference where industry leaders meet to bolster Ontario’s prosperity. This year’s theme was Future Proofing Ontario. The full program from this year’s summit is available here.

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About the 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 representing a diverse network of 60,000 members. 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 sustainable, inclusive economic growth.

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