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 and trades people to choose ...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 due to a lack of ...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 information study, prepared at the request ...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 World Trade Organization (WTO) Government ...Read More

Businesses and individuals residing in Northern Ontario are well aware that the North is in need of a long term economic action plan.  After a year of consultations, the government  has released a Proposed Growth Plan for Northern Ontario. This plan identifies several issues the North is currently facing, along with a planned "vision" for Northern Ontario.  The OCC recently submitted its comments and recommendations pertaining to the proposed Northern Growth Plan.  In its submission the OCC commends the government for its efforts ...Read More

The northern extension of Hwy 427 is one step closer to completion. The Ministry of Transportation has recently submitted the Environmental Assessment Report (EA Report) for the 427 Transportation Corridor Environmental Assessment Study to the Ministry of the Environment for formal review. The EA Report identifies the study’s preferred alternative and documents the study process, findings and consultation completed. The preferred alternative includes the 6.6 km extension of Highway 427 north from Highway 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive, as well as property ...Read More

The Michigan Department of Transportation  (MDOT) and Transport Canada  have issued a request for proposals from firms with experience in infrastructure projects related to the new international border crossing between Detroit and Windsor. MDOT and Transport Canada recently released a Request for Proposal of Interest (RFPI) to individual firms or teams with experience in developing and/or financing large transportation infrastructure projects either in North America or internationally, and that are interested in the development of the Detroit River International Crossing project under ...Read More

Hong Kong and China are working together for dual development and cooperation to provide more coordinated financial services between Hong Kong and Shanghai. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) acknowledges Hong Kong as a long standing international financial center but also, as quoted in the Ventures post, as experienced in facilitating financial institutions in Mainland China to become more international.  Shanghai brings to this relationship its ability to mobilize capital as well as talent.  More information can be found on the ...Read More

Ontario is now the first province in Canada to implement a state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) tool for the purposes of investment attraction. SelectOntario is a flexible and dynamic online search tool that showcases investment properties, infrastructure and location advantages and workforce skills for site selectors to help make investment decision-making faster and easier. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), the online site  has data for over 500 Ontario communities on its database and provides information on items including: available commercial real estate region-specific ...Read More