Valcour’s Views – December 2018

Originally published December 8, 2018 in eNews
By Alexandra Valcour

As this year comes to a end, we are working hard here at the Chamber to ensure that we end 2018 on the right foot, and start 2019 with a bang!

There was of course, the significant matter of the General Motors announcement on November 26th . Our 2018 President, and our CEO were diligent on commenting and advocating for our Chamber members when and where possible on this topic. We will continue to monitor and update as necessary. That being said, there have been other moving parts that we want to be sure do not get overlooked.

The Toronto Region Board of Trade has introduced a proposal for “An Uploading Strategy for a Modern Provincial Transit Authority”   this provincial transit system would be called “Superlinx”. This proposal would be an entire upload of transit funds, services, and governance to a central agency, to be created. The Durham Region Joint Chambers are working closely, and refuse to support this proposal as it stands. Together, we were able to halt the support motion from being carried at the Ontario Chamber AGM in September. Our belief is, while there are undoubtedly improvements to be made to the Metrolinx system the answer is not Superlinx – a bigger, centralized government agency with a wider geographical catchment, that has little interest or knowledge of the needs and situations of businesses and families in the Durham Region. The Provincial government is in support of some of the ideas proposed, as they could be seen as money saving. The realities of how this Superlinx system would operate and where the focus would lay, are not quite as clear. The Oshawa Chamber, and all the members of the Joint Chambers, have met with their incoming Mayors and our incoming Regional Chair to state our issues and comments on Superlinx. We will continue to advocate for the best interests of our business communities – aiming to get the best services while still keeping the greater Oshawa area a viable option to do business.

As we close out 2018 I am reflecting on what a great year it has been; I want to take the opportunity to thank the Chamber community for welcoming me so warmly and I want to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a prosperous 2019! Until we meet again…

Isabelle Foley

Isabelle Foley

As Director of Member Success I strive to help members connect and get the most out of their chamber membership. I am an advocate for local businesses and passionate about spotlighting our community's success. Join the growth!

Subscribe

Stay up to date on the latest by subscribing to our newsletter

Related articles