APRIL 2024 - APRIL 2025
Ontario Chamber of Commerce
Message from the Chair of the Board
Serving as Chair of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce has been an honour and a truly rewarding experience. Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a committed Board, a talented team, and passionate members from across the province.
What I enjoyed most was connecting with business leaders from all sectors and regions, each bringing unique perspectives, resilience, and a shared drive to build a stronger Ontario. Together, we navigated a time of significant change and re-affirmed the OCC’s commitment to be a partner to businesses of all sizes across Ontario.
I leave this role with deep pride in what we’ve accomplished and full confidence in the Chamber’s path ahead under Daniel Tisch’s leadership and the incoming Chair, Aliya Ramji, Partner McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Toronto.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve. I look forward to supporting the OCC’s continued impact in the years to come.
- Vasudha Seth, Chair of the Board
Board of Directors, 2024-25
Vasudha Seth – Chair Vice-President, Strategy ArcelorMittal Dofasco
Joaquim Ballès – Past Chair
Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development and General Counsel
Trudell Medical Limited
Aliya Ramji – Chair-Elect Partner
McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Toronto
Marilyn Horrick – Vice-Chair
Senior Vice-President, Market Growth, Brand Expansion and Partner Relations Outside Quebec Desjardins
Farah Jivraj – Vice-Chair Head, Market Access, Policy and Stakeholder Relations
Biogen Canada
Jennifer Smith – Vice-Chair
Executive Vice-President, Corporate and Chief People Officer
Burlington Enterprises Corporation
Luigi Ciciretto – Honorary Treasurer
Partner, Assurance and Accounting
BDO Canada LLP
Paul Bisanti
President
Byzantine Homes Inc.
Tabatha Bull
President and CEO
Canadian Council for Indigenous Business
Jamie Doolittle
Regional Head, Business Banking
BMO
Gervan Fearon
President
George Brown College
Teri French
Executive Vice-President, Operations and Customer Experience
Hydro One
Yasser Ghazi
Vice-President, Commercial
Financial Services
RBC
Tammy Giroux
Manager, Government Relations
General Motors Canada
Sherry McNeil
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Franchise Association
Trevor McPherson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Mississauga Board of Trade
Chamirai Charles Nyabeze Vice-President; Network Director Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation; Mining Innovation
Commercialization Accelerator
Rory Ring
President and Chief Executive Officer
Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce
Gina Scandrett Vice-President, Operations
Bourgon Construction
Dina Sergi
Chief Executive Officer
MyHealth Centre
Relay Tangie
Director, Finance
National Aboriginal Capital Corporation Association
Data from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025
Our Reach
2,170 News Media Mentions
Our Impact
73,092 Total Social Media Engagements
44,338
Total Followers (X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn)
42 Advocacy Wins 131 Meaningful engagements with government
72 Public and Advocacy Publications
6,420 Businesses Supported through OCC’s Programs
OCC’s President and CEO, Daniel Tisch, appeared on BNN Bloomberg to share his thoughts on why Canada needs to diversify its trade partnerships more than ever.
Watch the interview.
OCC’s President and CEO, Daniel Tisch, joined a panel on The Agenda with Steve Paikin to discuss Ontario’s finances and determine how prepared the province is to handle another economic downturn.
Watch the full discussion.
OCC’s Policy Analyst, Neeky Dalir, joined CityNews Toronto’s Mark McAllister to discuss the Ontario Chamber’s advocacy for the culture sector. Dalir emphasized the importance of prioritizing the sector in economic action plans, highlighting its critical role in strengthening Canada’s creative supply chains and contributing to Ontario’s long-term economic resilience and growth.
Watch the interview.
OCC’s Artificial Intelligence Hub
As artificial intelligence (AI) integrates into the economy, industry, academia, and government must adapt to emerging market demands. The OCC, along with its partners, launched the AI Hub to bring together industry and academia to inform actionable public policy, promote adoption, and advance knowledge on AI use cases in Ontario. Learn more about the AI Hub and its key offerings.
Learn more.
Ontario’s Mining Future 2030
Mining activities continue to foster economies of scale and drive regional development, spurring job creation and growth across Northern Ontario. In 2014, the OCC published a landmark study that estimated an untapped $25 billion in economic opportunity. Since then, interest in the region has grown as federal and provincial governments seek to catalyze development through Ontario’s Critical Mineral Strategy and Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy—all aimed to bolster Canada’s electric vehicle supply chains. To seize this opportunity, the OCC launched Ontario’s Mining Future 2030, an initiative comprised of a mining council and a report that will outline solutions to help the sector capitalize on growth, while positioning Ontario as the preferred jurisdiction for responsible mining.
Learn more.
Beyond Emergency Declarations: Charting Ontario’s Course Through the Substance Use and Overdose Crisis
The substance-use epidemic continues to have significant impacts across Ontario, disproportionately affecting rural, remote, and northern communities, racialized and other equity-deserving groups, and sectors of the economy such as construction. The primer shares key insights into the regional and socioeconomic impacts of this crisis and best practices for future intervention.
Read the primer.
Advocacy Wins
Announced Provincial Legislation Aimed at Eliminating Interprovincial Trade Barriers
Ask: The OCC has long been a supporter advocate of dismantling interprovincial trade barriers to make Ontario a more competitive place to do business. Legislation aimed at eliminating unnecessary trade barriers would expand labour mobility and advance the economies across the provinces and territories in Canada. Dismantling trade barriers is vital to Ontario given the current tariff trade war with the U.S.
Win: In April 2025, the Government of Ontario announced new legislation to break down interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers. The Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act will make Ontario the first province to remove all its trade exceptions, allowing certified workers and goods from across Canada to move freely. This move is expected to create jobs, attract investment, and reduce consumer costs by up to 14.5%.
Reducing Red Tape and Improving the Movement of Goods
Ask: In several letters, submissions, and engagements with federal and provincial government representatives, the OCC highlighted that the lack of consistent or harmonized regulations across provinces and territories harms productivity and workers. The OCC has called on governments to address labour shortages in the trucking industry, particularly acute for small business operators, to support economic growth.
Win: In September 2024, the Government of Canada launched a pilot project to mutually recognize regulatory requirements in the trucking sector. This initiative establishes mutual recognition of regulatory requirements among participating provinces and territories, enabling seamless cross-border operations despite regional regulatory differences. This enables trucks and the goods they carry to move across Canada more effectively, without compromising safety and security measures.
Province Launches Next State of Life Science Strategy
Ask: In our 2024 provincial budget submission, we urged the government to accelerate implementation of Ontario’s life sciences strategy and prioritize ecosystem-wide investments. We reiterated this call in an October letter to Ministers Fedeli and Jones. As part of the Life Sciences Collaborative, we also continuously emphasized the need for government leadership in supporting the sector.
Win: In October 2024, the Government of Ontario announced the next phase of Taking Life Sciences to the Next Level, Ontario’s life science strategy. This includes a $146 million investment to spur the sector’s growth, of which up to $46 million will go towards the Ontario Biosciences Research Infrastructure Fund, helping to boost research capacity at postsecondary institutions and affiliated research hospitals.
Supporting Housing Development Across Ontario’s Municipalities
Ask: The OCC’s housing affordability brief emphasized that municipalities lack sufficient funding to address aging infrastructure and meet growing needs. We called for investments in expanding, maintaining, and climate-proofing municipal assets to support densification and build complete communities. We also urged all levels of government to tackle infrastructure backlogs and deficits.
Win: In March 2024, the Ontario government announced over $1.6 billion for housing-enabling infrastructure, including $1 billion for the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to support core projects like roads and water systems. An additional $625 million was allocated to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to help municipalities upgrade water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure essential for housing development.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technologies Policy Council
Ontario is a leader in AI technology, with a long history of AI research and development, a thriving start-up ecosystem, and a robust, ever-growing technology sector. As new technologies emerge, concerns such as ethics, privacy and skill shortages hinder adoption, particularly for small to mediumsized enterprises.
Highlights & Outcomes:
9 Penned a letter on Bill 194, Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, outlining recommendations to balance accountability and safety with adoption in the public sector.
9 Informed a Federal Consultation on AI Compute, highlighting the need to maximize Canada’s capabilities as a global AI powerhouse, focusing on solving capacity limitations, strengthening supply chains, and improving access to the compute infrastructure through business supports.
9 Participated in government consultations with the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement on Bill 194, Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act
Energy Policy Council (EPC)
Ontario’s goal to be net-zero by 2050 makes prioritizing clean, affordable, and reliable energy essential for businesses and communities. With electricity shortfalls on the horizon, long-term investments will be crucial to fill this gap. The EPC advocates a collective effort to support reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy for generations to come.
Highlights & Outcomes:
9 Highlighted the need to accelerate major energy infrastructure project approvals for clean growth in the province, such as reducing costs and delays, financing the infrastructure, and minimizing uncertainty in Accelerating Energy Infrastructure Projects in Ontario.
9 Called for an “all of the above” approach (nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, natural gas) to meet growing energy needs in response to the Clean Energy Regulations.
9 Penned a letter to the Hon. Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry in June 2024, highlighting the need for further investments in vesting pore space to enable carbon capture and storage opportunities for Ontario.
9 Participated in roundtable discussions for the OCC’s Economic Reconciliation initiative with research partner Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, to inform the policy report series that aims to support businesses on their reconciliation journey.
Learn more about the council.
Infrastructure Policy Council (IPC)
As Ontario expands and diversifies its markets, such as electric vehicle battery manufacturing, the need for infrastructure that supports its long-term growth is more important than ever. The IPC advocates for improving and investing in infrastructure (including digital and transportation infrastructure) that enables economic and social returns while fostering innovation to address productivity gaps. Within the IPC, to address an increasingly digital economy, a broadband subcommittee was created.
Highlights & Outcomes:
9 Provided feedback on Bill 153 Building Infrastructure Safely Act, 2023, commending the Province’s overall direction in locate delivery timelines and removing excavator recourse provisions. The letter provides additional recommendations, focusing on compliance instead of penalties and adopting dedicated locator models.
9 Informed a letter to the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, emphasizing the need for the government to move forward aggressively on the expansion of Highway 69 and that the ministry communicate regularly and transparently to stakeholders about progress.
9 Collaborated on a letter of support for the proposed Chicago-Toronto passenger rail service project, which will contribute to both regions’ shared ambitions for future economic growth, sustainability, and competitiveness.
Learn more about the council.
Workforce Development Policy Council (WDPC)
Labour shortages continue to ease in 2024; however, labour shortages remain in construction, transportation and manufacturing industries. As skilled trades workers continue to be in high demand, and emerging technologies embed themselves into the economy, the WDPC advocates building a diverse and inclusive workforce by advancing upskilling, reskilling and support systems to strengthen Ontario’s talent pipeline.
Highlights & Outcomes:
9 Informed a letter supporting automatic features and voluntary workplace pensions and savings plans.
9 Highlighted the importance of safeguarding Ontario’s post-secondary institutions by mitigating unintended consequences of international student enrolment cap that stifles economic growth.
9 Amplified the need for expanding OINP nominations for northern and rural communities to address labour shortages. Learn more about the council.
Convening & Mobilizing Ontario Business
The OCC facilitates engagements and collaborations with government and industry stakeholders, ensuring attendees remain up-to-date on policy developments, business climate shifts, and key industry insights. Through thought leadership, roundtables, and strategic partnerships, the OCC enables businesses and local chambers of commerce and boards of trade to take collective action, shaping the trajectory of Ontario’s
Key Events and Campaigns
Ontario Business Advisory Council
The Ontario Business Advisory Council (OBAC) series brings together high-profile ministers and senior officials from provincial and federal governments with key business stakeholders to discuss pressing issues. Businesses provide insights to government on sector-specific opportunities or challenges, aligning organizational priorities and contributing to positive economic outcomes across the province.
Webinar Series
As businesses navigate an increasingly dynamic economic and global landscape, the OCC has developed the Business Connects, Trade Talks and program-related webinar series to connect experts from industry, government and academia to help equip businesses with the tools, resources, and industry insights to adapt and stay competitive.
2024 Smart Growth Symposium
Innovation can improve the efficiency and resiliency of our economy and its infrastructure—but its adoption at scale requires strategic collaboration across the public and private sectors. The OCC and co-host, the Climate Positive Energy Initiative at the University of Toronto, organized the second annual Smart Growth Symposium, showcasing Ontario-led smart and clean technologies that improve the efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability of our economy. With close to 200 attendees, the symposium delivered a keynote fireside chat with the Hon. Navdeep Bains Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Rogers Communications, a carbon capture and storage presentation from Damien Steele, CEO of Deep Sky, and a fireside with the Hon. Sam Oosterhoff, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Energy and Intensive Industries.
Small Business Week
The OCC’s annual Small Business Week campaign is an opportunity to celebrate and advocate for small businesses. Last year’s campaign, Thank You Small Business, highlighted the vital contributions small businesses make to their communities while examining opportunities to help them navigate economic uncertainty and challenges under four key pillars: connectivity, productivity, affordability, and sustainability.
Learn more about Small Business Week
In Conversation with Ontario’s Chiefs of Staff
This annual event is an opportunity for OCC’s premier members to engage in conversation with Ontario’s Chiefs of Staff on the most pressing public policy issues facing Ontario business. In 2024, we were proud to host over 100 participants including twenty-one Chiefs of Staff and five senior staff members from the Office of the Premier of Ontario.
Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park
Chambers and Boards of Trade from across Ontario (the Chamber Network) gather in Toronto to engage directly with Cabinet Ministers, opposition party leaders, critics, MPPs and political staff to share their local members’ priorities, challenges and opportunities. This year, the OCC will celebrate the event’s tenth anniversary on May 13, 2025.
Canada Digital Adoption Program
Launched by the OCC in 2022 with support from the Government of Canada, the Grow Your Business Online stream of the Canadian Digital Adoption Program empowered small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with grants of up to $2,400 to adopt e-commerce tools such as online shopping, SEO, digital marketing, and cybersecurity. The program supported thousands of businesses across Ontario and employed over 500 post-secondary students who gained valuable work experience while guiding SMEs through their digital transformation. Funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, the program concluded in March 2025.
Learn more about CDAP.
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