Today’s Speech from the Throne with its focus on creating the right environment in Ontario for investment, job creation and skills development, sets the right tone as Ontario prepares for the end of the global recession. Not unlike the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s vision for Ontario as a Magnet for the World -- which describes Ontario as a place with many values that attracts people from all over the globe including opportunity, abundance of educational resources, diversity ... Read More

HST  Ont. HST funds won't be directed to health, CBC News Politics - Provincial McGuinty trades bleak messages for talk of a bright new future, Globe and Mail Misery loves by-elections, Globe and Mail Election strategy tops agenda at Tory convention, Hudak's first as leader, The Record McGuinty prorogues provincial parliament, Toronto Star Liberals and Tories retain their seats in by-election wins, Toronto Star Conservatives face even tougher battle, Ottawa Citizen Politics - Federal Flaherty shifts right with business-friendly budget, Toronto Star Cautious steps amid fragile recovery, ... Read More

Overall, the Federal Budget is a play-it-safe plan to reduce Canada’s deficit to $1.8 billion by 2014-15 from its current $53.8 billion level. The OCC is concerned that spending restraint over the next five years is modest at best; a more aggressive plan to control spending over the next several years would have been welcomed given the severity of the record-level deficit; the reduction in spending will not begin until 2011 and beyond. Government operating expenses have ... Read More

The University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, wants to help you find new ways to think about and solve the really tough problems. These are the thorny issues with no obvious solution that plague every professional, whether in business, health care, or the arts. These problems not are intractable. The Rotman School believes by thinking harder and more creatively about them, you can find a solution that works better for everybody. If you as ... Read More

The Ontario Government has introduced a new education bursary for newcomers that will help them get the training and experience they need to successfully enter the workforce. This Ontario Bridging Participant Assistance Program will help newcomers meet Canadian licensing requirements and professional standards. With a chronic shortage of skilled workers and an aging workforce, the province has become dependent on recruiting large numbers of new immigrants. With more qualified candidates, businesses will have a larger pool of skilled professionals ... Read More

A new report on Ontario's future labour market predicts a significant skills shortage based on a declining population and a lack of appropriate post-secondary training. The report by Dr. Rick Miner, President emeritus of Seneca College, released People Without Jobs, Jobs Without People:  Ontario’s Labour Market Future.  The intersection of two mega-trends  - an aging population and an emerging knowledge economy - is examined in the report, which predicts 700,000 Ontarians will be unemployable by 2021 ... Read More

The latest traffic study conducted for the Detroit-Windsor border has reaffirmed the need for a new border crossing, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). This is particularly important as the governments of Ontario, Canada, Michigan and the United States complete their studies in anticipation of a new bridge across the Detroit River. This vital economic link with the US is our busiest international border crossing, but it is in need of modernizing its pre-NAFTA infrastructure. MDOT's  traffic ... Read More

For those interested in the wine industry, Elison Chu of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Council discusses the cooperation agreement on customs between Hong Kong and Mainland China.  This agreement aims to make it easier for wine entering the Mainland through Hong Kong, and thereby strengthening Hong Kong’s place as a wine centre. Read More

After months of negotiations, and intense lobbying from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Chamber of Commerce and others, Canada and the US reached an agreement on the US Buy American requirement last month. These laws had effectively shut out Canadian firms from infrastructure projects being financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). There are two main aspects to the Canada-US Agreement on Government Procurement.  First,  permanent and reciprocal commitments have been made under the ... Read More

HST Harmonized tax worth risk: Chiarelli, Ottawa Citizen Politics - Provincial Dissatisfied Ontario no longer happy camper of Confederation, Toronto Star Gov't hints next Ontario Budget coming March 25, CTV McGuinty to unveil five-year job plan, Toronto Star Expect better...or not, Globe and Mail Politics - Federal  The Chopping Block: Ottawa's job bubble, National Post Tories hand out $75 billion worth of spending restraint, National Post Business Canada is the home of the fearless entrepreneur, National Post  R & D a bright idea for small business, Toronto Star  Bata ... Read More