Regional Collaboration is Critical to a Stronger Ontario

(Hamilton – October 3, 2019) Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce hosted a report launch event, “Regional Collaboration in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.” This is the final of three events held across the province on strengthening Ontario’s regional economies to reinforce the prosperity of the province as a whole.

“In today’s rapidly changing economy, it is critical that we leverage the diverse competitive advantages of our regions,” states Claudia Dessanti, Policy Analyst at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “The challenges of globalization, urbanization and technological advancement are in no way unique to Ontario. By working towards greater regional collaboration with businesses, post-secondary institutions, government, and other stakeholders we can combine the resources and expertise required to strengthen our province now and into the future.”

In September, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce released its latest report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies. The report urges policymakers to take a modern and comprehensive approach to economic development by leveraging the existing competitive advantages of Ontario’s diverse regions and implementing deliberate strategies to support long-term growth in communities across the province.

“We are competing against other regions across the world. Economic development is a team effort that is best accomplished when we work collaboratively with our partners across industry, government, post-secondary institutions and municipal boundaries,” says Keanin Loomis, CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. “The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is committed to pushing for further regional economic development for our members and our community.”

Resources

• Read the OCC’s report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies here.
• Read full list of recommendations from the report here.

For more information please contact:

Ariel Benjamin
Communications Coordinator
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
arielbenjamin@occ.ca | 647-243-3561

Marie Nash
Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
m.nash@hamiltonchamber.ca | 905.522.1151 ext. 245

About the Great Mosaic Mini-Series
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce is hosting three events in Sudbury, Peterborough and Hamilton, bringing together private and public sector stakeholders to discuss how government can build upon regional economic development policy and strengthen the long-term capacity for innovation across the Province.

About the Ontario Chamber of Commerce
For more than a century, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has been the independent, non-partisan voice of Ontario business. The OCC’s mission is to support economic growth in Ontario by defending business priorities at Queen’s Park on behalf of its network’s diverse 60,000 members.

About the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
Representing over 1,000 businesses and institutions that employ more than 75,000 people in Hamilton, Ontario, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is the city’s 174 year-old voice of business and thought leader in commerce. In addition to helping provide solutions to the day-to-day challenges of its member businesses, the Hamilton Chamber provides leadership on city building initiatives that are designed to stimulate commerce and increase prosperity in the community.

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