MP Report by Michael Chong
Roberta Reports 
Self Employed EI Benefits
Board of Directors Nominations Open
Olympic Spirit in Fergus
HST Seminar Information
MPP Breakfast
BAH at Fraberts
Upcoming Chamber Events
New Members

Chambermaids at 13th Annual Chilifest - Roberta, Eleanor and Robyn.  The food was good and the event was great!  Congratulations to Community Resource Group of North and Centre Wellington!

BOARD OF DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS

If you are interested in contributing to the Centre Wellington Board of Directors - please contact Garth Green or Paul Walker or Roberta Scarrow.  We are a working Board of 12 volunteers.  In addition to attending monthly Board Meetings (2-3 hours), you will also be assigned to participate in one committee meeting or more and do tasks assigned from committee.  Time commitment is about 5-6 hours per month.  Term of office is 2 years effective June 1st, 2010.  Your business must be a member in good standing with the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce from Nomination through your term of office, if elected.  Board of Director Nomination Form.

PLEASE NOTE:  Nominations for Board of Directors closes on March 31st, 2010 at 5 pm

The Olympic Spirit in Fergus

Fraberts Fresh Food handed out nearly $300 in free groceries thanks to the wonderful performance of our Olympic athletes in Vancouver and Whistler over the past two weeks.  Canadians won fourteen gold medals during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, a record performance for the Winter Games.

“We are real Olympic fans and wanted to celebrate with our customers,” stated Jackie Fraser, who owns Fraberts Fresh Food with her husband, Chef Derek Roberts.  “This was the best Olympics ever for Canada and it was fun to come in nearly every day and reward a customer for our athletes’ gold medal performances.”

“We are so proud of our athletes’ performances over the past two weeks,” Fraser continued.  “It was great to see our customers and Canadians everywhere get into the Olympic spirit.  Come by the store to see our Wall of Olympic Gold.”

Harmonized Sales Tax

If you missed the HST seminar on February 24th, Matthew Kavanagh of Collins Barrow Chartered Accountants has allowed us to post the HST powerpoint presentation on our website.  This presentation is provided for general information only - any specific issues need to be discussed between you and your accountant.  

We have just received some HST handbooks produced by Ontario's Certified General Accountants.  You can pick one up from the office while they last.  Check out their website at http://www.cga-ontario.org

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS
Wednesday, March 17th at definition fitness
5:30- 7:00 pm
New Location - Old Quarry Commons, 294 Mill Street E., Elora
RSVP to Kayte or Shawn at 519-846-8733 or by email at  changeyourlife@definition-fitness.ca

NETWORKING BREAKFAST
Wednesday, March 31st  at JJ's Family Dining (Price Chopper Plaza).  7:30 am to 9:00 am.  Our guest speaker is Drew Humber, President of the Centre Wellington Contractors Association.
Cost $15 for Members and $20 for Future Members
RSVP to chamber@cwchamber.ca or 519-843-5140

1st ANNUAL LOCAL BIZ NIGHT

This great LOCAL BIZ NIGHT Trophy could be yours!
Come out to Grand River Raceway on Monday, April 12th.
Reception 5:30 pm Buffet Dinner 6-9pm
Have a horse named for your business, meet your horse, have your business name in the program - plus much more!  Cost is only $15 - so gather your friends, family and co-workers and have a great night out at the races!!
RSVP by April 8th to rscarrow@cwchamber.ca or call519-843-5140

GREEN ENERGY - GREEN JOBS CONFERENCE
Thursday, April 15th, 2010 from 4:00-7:30 pm (registration opens at 3:15 pm)
Lighthouse Restaurant at Grand River Raceway
Topics include Green Energy Act, Green Businesses, Carbon Sequestration, Local Green Business Success Stories and Wellington County Green Initiatives.
Cost is $20 per person and includes hors d'oeuvres and light refreshments.
RSVP by contacting Roberta Scarrow at rscarrow@cwcxhamber.ca or call 519-843-5140

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

CENTRE WELLINGTON - OUTSTANDING IN OUR FIELD!

Thursday, April 22, 2010 at Centre Wellington Sportsplex (Fergus).

Tickets can be booked by contacting chamber@cwchamber.ca or calling 519-843-5140.  Tickets $70 per person.

NEW MEMBERS

ART OF THE BLOOM FLOWER MARKET AND FLORAL BOUTIQUE
Owner:  Connie Kennair
45 Mill Street West, (Elora Mews), Elora N0B 1S0
Phone 519-846-0444  Email conniekennair@gmail.com
Treat yourself to beautiful, fresh quality flowers and floral arrangements and be inspired by flower arranging and decorating ideas, accessories and unique gift items.

TC MACHINE LTD.
Owner:  Colleen Cox
7163 RR #1, Arthur, ON  N0G 1A0
Phone:  519-848-2450  Email: colleen@tcmachine.ca
Website:  tstoo@live.com
We are a two fold business, with our primary business selling enclosed cargo/race custom trailers and we also have a small custom CNC machine shop.

TOMAR ENTERPRISES
Owner:  Tom and Mary Cadenhead
487 St. ANdrew Street East, Fergus ON  N1M 3V6
Phone:  226-383-6550  Email:  tomar@wightman.ca
Website: www.superiorpetfood.ca
Free home delivery of natural dog and cat food, cat litter, organic pet treatd, natural dog chews and wild birdseed.

REPORT FROM MICHAEL CHONG, MP

Canada’s Economic Action Plan Creates the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario to Help Local Businesses

In response to economic challenges specific to Ontario, the Government of Canada has provided more than $1 billion over five years for a new federal economic development agency dedicated to southern Ontario. This agency will be known as the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, or in its short-form, FedDev Ontario. FedDev Ontario's programs will support economic and community development, innovation, and economic diversification. Investments will be made by the agency in communities, businesses and non-profit organizations. The program will help workers, communities and businesses in southern Ontario position themselves to take advantage of opportunities, as economic growth recovers in Canada and around the world.

The Southern Ontario Development Program (SODP) was established as a core program of FedDev Ontario. It will build upon the assets and strengths of communities to create an environment where businesses can thrive and maximize southern Ontario’s potential to succeed in the knowledge-based economy. Funding under this program will go toward projects that can stimulate local economies and enhance the growth and competitiveness of local businesses and communities.

Approximately $100 million has been allocated to the SODP in 2009-10, including the following:
- $63 million for a broad range of companies and organizations across all economic sectors;
- $20 million for the food and beverage processing sector;
- $15.75 million for the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters’ SMART Program to fund an estimated 300 projects that will help small- and medium-sized manufacturers increase their productivity and competitiveness in the global economy; and,
- $1.6 million for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s Export Market Access Program to help southern Ontario businesses that would like to increase their sales internationally.

Locally, we have already benefited from this program. CP Industries Ltd. of Fergus is receiving funds from SODP for construction of a clean-room and lab facility to help them with new product development. Walinga Inc., a leading manufacturer of transportation equipment with locations in Fergus and Guelph/Eramosa Township, received funds from SODP to re-engineer the processes in their production facility, allowing them to reduce inventory and increase productivity. Hammond Power Solutions Inc. of Guelph has received funds from SODP to research and develop the latest electrical transformer technologies, allowing them to compete against American, Asian and European companies. These are just some of the examples of how our government is proactively working with the manufacturing sector to lay the foundations for long-term growth and job creation.

In the future years, the focus of FedDev Ontario will be on creating a leading-edge manufacturing sector, supporting innovation and commercialization, and sustaining community economic development activities. Our government wants businesses to succeed and grow, not simply to protect and create jobs for workers today, but also to set the stage for prosperity in southern Ontario tomorrow.

If you wish to find out more about this Southern Ontario Development Program go to www.southernontario.gc.ca, or contact me at either chongm@parl.gc.ca or (519) 843 7344.
 

ROBERTA REPORTS

The following article seemed like an appropriate piece to share with our membership.

Self-employed gain access to EI benefits

The following article was written by Heather Grummett and appeared in the Venture Guelph Publications Ltd of February 2010. 

In early November, the government announced the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act, legislation that would extend certain EI benefits to self-employed individuals on a voluntary basis. These benefits include 15 weeks of maternity leave coverage, 35 weeks of parental/adoptive leave, 15 weeks of sickness benefits, and 6 weeks of compassionate care leave. Self-employed Canadians would continue to be ineligible for basic unemployment coverage.
As of January 31, 2010, the self-employed are able to register into the program.  Individuals that enrol  between January 31 and April 1, 2010, will be able to make a claim for EI special benefits as early as January 2011. This is strictly a start-up enrolment.  Anyone who registers after April 1, 2010 , will have to pay into the system for a year from the agreement date before being eligible to make a claim.
Business owners who choose to enrol would be responsible for paying the same EI premium rate as salaried employees (currently $1.73 per $100 of salary, up to a maximum of $747 per year). They would not be required to pay the employer portion of premiums, since they would not have access to EI regular benefits. Once a claim has been made, they must continue to pay premiums for as long as they are self-employed, even if they are self-employed in a different business.  People who have not made any claims may choose to opt out of the system at any time. 
To access EI special benefits, self-employed individuals would need to have earned a minimum of $6,000 in self-employed earnings over the preceeding calendar year.
The government intends the system to be self-financing, limiting its impact on overall EI system costs. This will depend on the amount of individuals using the program.
Through the Economic Action Plan, the Government of Canada has also implemented measures to support all unemployed Canadians by providing five extra weeks of EI regular benefits, increasing the maximum duration of benefits from 45 to 50 weeks in regions of high unemployment, protecting jobs through the Work-Sharing program, and freezing EI premiums for 2010 at the same rate as 2009.
Most recently, legislation was introduced to extend EI regular benefits for unemployed long-tenured workers, who are individuals that have paid EI premiums for years, made limited use of the program, and who now need additional support while they look for jobs in a recovering economy.

For more information visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca

	Chambermaids and friends put a team together for Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids on Sunday, February 21st.  Heather, Roberta and Eleanor had a lot of fun with a few strikes!
	MPP BREAKFAST Michael Weinstein (left) thanks MPP Ted Arnott for his presentation at the Networking Breakfast on Friday, February 26th at the Lighthouse Restaurant. Over fifty guests enjoyed an opportunity to meet and chat with Ted Arnott and to learn how he is working for us in the Opposition in Queen's Park.
	February 17th found several guests at Fraberts Fresh Foods where Chef Derek Roberts and Jackie Fraser had lots of tasty treats to sample! Door prizes were won by: M&M Meat Shops lunch bags - Evelyn Gould and Sherry Clarke. Fraberts Basket - Margaret Pennyfather Chamber gift - Walt Visser Thank you to Jackie and Derek for having baby Emily at her first Chamber function!

SAVE A DATE FOR THESE EVENTS...

12th Annual GOLF DAY - Wednesday, June 9th at WildWinds Golf & Country Club 

1st Ever WARDEN'S EVENING - Wednesday, May 19th Elora Legion