Tickets now 80% SOLD!

The 2015 edition of our popular wine & art event returns to the St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre on Saturday January 24. It's been a sell-out every year since we launched this wine tasting and art appreciation event in 2012 and now is time to order tickets to avoid missing out.

To order, just call the Chamber office at 519-631-1981 and speak with Warren, Bob or Susan. Order by email if you prefer by clicking here and telling us how many tickets you'd like, along with contact info for payment and ticket distribution.  
**HOLIDAY HOURS: Please note the Chamber office will be closed through the Holidays, from Christmas Eve December 24 to Monday January 5.
The Uncorked price is $40 (plus HST) per person including admission, wine samples and food samples. Our friends at St. Thomas' Real Canadian Superstore have joined us as our food supply source for Uncorked, and will be providing gourmet cheeses, fruits, meats and more matched to our selection of 16 wines available for sampling. And don't miss our Silent Auction table!
Wines will be served in a "blind" tastes-test format from 4 tables, each with foods selected to complement the wines. Special thanks to our table sponsors: Alexelle Slipcovers and Decor, Financial Advisor Ray Bosveld, myFM 94.1 Radio, and Photos by MG. 
Due to space restrictions, a maximum of 120 tickets may be sold on a strictly first-come/first-served basis.  Quai du Vin's resident sommelier, Jamie Quai, returns as a member of our Member Services Committee's organizing group, along with an enthusiastic group of 10 volunteers supported by the Chamber staff.

Our main sponsor for St. Thomas Uncorked 2015 is TD

Wednesday February 4  
- 2015 RAK (Random Act of Kindness) Day

Be a proud to sponsor of myFM’s ‘Random Act of Kindness Day’ on Wednesday February 4, 2015 to reinforce the St. Thomas & Elgin County vision of building a better community and to encourage the “pay it forward” philosophy.
Random Act of Kindness Day is an opportunity for individuals, schools, community groups, service clubs, businesses, healthcare institutions, and churches to perform small, simple, kind deeds. Experience a unique grassroots initiative designed around doing nice things for nice people.
Last year, Random Act of Kindness Day caused a ripple effect across St. Thomas & Elgin County.  We never imagined the tremendous response we would receive to this initiative in our community.  The true impact of the Random Act of Kindness initiative may never fully be revealed. In St. Thomas/Elgin, we distributed 5,000 cards and if only a fraction paid it forward, once or twice, than the outcomes are unimaginable.  The reason the concept has caught attention is that it reminds everyone our greatest natural resource in St. Thomas is our people. Become an official myFM sponsor this year! The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce is... you should, too!  For more info, email rob.mise@myfmradio.ca


Wednesday February 11 - Business After 5
Boston Pizza and the St. Thomas Soccer Club will co-sponsor the February edition of the Chamber's monthly Business After 5 events.  5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Boston Pizza, 860 Talbot Street, St. Thomas.

Monday February 16 
- Ontario's Family Day Holiday.  It's always the third Monday in February each year here, as well as in Alberta and Saskatchewan.  BC also observes it, but on the 2nd Monday of February. 

Wednesday February 18 - Lunch with the Mayors 


The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to report we have secured the date and location, and agreement from our three area Mayors, to present our annual update on plans and progress at the local level.
St. Thomas Mayor Heather Jackson, Central Elgin Mayor Dave Marr and Southwold Township Mayor Grant Jones will deliver remarks on plans for the year ahead and take questions from the floor.
The event includes a hot 'n cold buffet lunch this year.  Doors will open at 11:15 a.m.  Buffet food services will be available from 11:30 to 12:15.  Once the buffet closes, each Mayor will present individual remarks on plans for the year ahead and for the term of the newly-elected council over the full 4-year horizon.  Their remarks will lead to an open question-and-answer session from the floor and using questions submitted in advance through the Chamber office.
Tickets are $32 per person and available by advance sale only from the Chamber office.  Order by calling us at 519-631-1981 or via email.  Reserved seating is offered on single purchases of 4 seats or more.
 
Wednesday March 11 - Business After 5
We're already planning to mark the end of winter with our annual pre-St. Patrick's Day edition of Business After 5.  The St. Thomas Golf & Country Club at Union will be our sponsor and host. 

Great Lakes Economic Forum
CGLR  (Council of the Great Lakes Region) is proud to be hosting the 2015 Great Lakes Economic Forum (April 26-28 in Chicago, IL). This premiere event will bring together 300+ Canadian and U.S. leaders from government, business and non-profit, all with a stake in the economic well-being of the GL Region. Key economic drivers to be addressed include energy, advanced manufacturing, labour mobility, border management and the Blue-Green economy, just to name a few. Registration, event info, etc. by clicking on the link above.
 

Mail Changes for Business?
When local media shared news from Canada Post that St. Thomas and area would be among the communities switching from carrier mail to community mail boxes by in mid-2015 we noted there was no specific mention on the impact to local business.  We contacted our friends in the newsroom at myFM and obtained a copy of the original media release issued by Canada Post. We also chatted about our question on impact to business with News Director Andrew Buttigieg who promised to seek info.  At the same time, Chamber CEO Bob Hammersley sent an email request to the post office and asked our question.  We didn't get the courtesy of a reply to our note but, yesterday morning, myFM managed to connect with a postal media contact.  Here's what they found, as posted on the myFM website yesterday :

"About one third of businesses in our area with the postal codes N5P and N5R are also being affected by the changes to mail delivery.
Canada Post notified employees in St. Thomas, Central Elgin, and Southwold that door-to-door delivery was changing to community mailboxes and then Aylmer was told just last week."

myFM asked Canada Post spokesperson Anick Losier what impact it would have on businesses.
She says if they have a large volume of mail, the business will already have a commercial contract with Canada Post and the mode of delivery will not change. However, for smaller businesses they may have to move to community mailboxes. 

Affected businesses will apparently be advised by mail of any changes and the mail will contain a telephone number to call with concerns.

Back to our original question.  The answer is that we still don't know any specifics, except to suggest that Members impacted by the pending changes should watch their mail. 
    

Temporary Foreign Workers... Chamber Comments

Canadian Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Perrin Beatty had an opinion-editorial placed in the National Post last week regarding changes to the TFW program. Given the impact potential of the TFW program to the agriculture industry in our region, and to a variety of other enterprises across our membership, we see his comments as worth sharing.

Changes would see all businesses using the program heavily scrutinized and penalized for any wrongdoings in their application process - thereby lumping the bad apples in with the good seeds.

The changes announced come with heavy fines - fines that could easily destroy any business found to be abusing the system.

The op-ed calls for cooler heads to prevail. As the column states: ...by all means, punish people who deliberately break the law, but most employers are trying to honestly follow the rules and are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Foreign workers can be essential for a company’s success, but they are not a big group in our economy. Last year, 84,000 of them entered Canada to fill labour shortages – that’s less than one-half of 1 per cent (0.44 per cent) in a labour force of 19 million. Ottawa approved every one of these applications.

Cracking down on abuses is fine. But innocent people should never be made collateral damage in the process."

You can read the entire op-ed online.

Ministry Blitz in the Forecast..

Winter's coming, and so is a slip, trip and fall Ministry of Labour inspection blitz. Prepare now. Twisted ankles, concussions, broken bones - these are just some of the injuries that people sustain after slipping and falling on ice and snow. Many workplaces already have active housekeeping programs aimed at eliminating indoor slips, trips and falls. In the winter months especially, take that program outdoors to further protect employees and visitors.
Here are some seasonal prevention tips - just in time for the planned February 2015 slip, trip and fall inspection blitz by the Ontario Ministry of Labour
1. Assess slip/fall hazards by
·conducting a detailed inspection of parking lots and walkways
·asking workers responsible for maintaining these areas for suggestions
·reviewing records of prior slips and falls, such as first-aid reports or minutes of joint health and safety committee meetings.
2. Control hazards by eliminating or reducing risk:
·set the highest standards for year-round groundskeeping, lighting and visibility, and ensure they are met
·if you hire a snow removal contractor, apply the same conditions you would to any on-site contractor, including ensuring the contractor has the proper qualifications, general liability insurance, and a valid WSPS certificate
·clearly identify steps, ramps and other elevation changes
·provide groundskeeping staff with appropriate hazard control equipment, materials and training
·monitor weather reports for advance warning of slippery conditions
·ensure steps, ramps, parking lots, walkways, entrances, and exits stay clear of mud, snow and ice
·keep sewer grates clear of obstructions so that water can drain quickly
·use salt, sand or other proven anti-slip material to keep lots and walkways clear.
3. Engage employees in preventing injuries by
·setting and communicating an expectation that all employees share responsibility for preventing slips, trips and falls
·making winter slip, trip and fall prevention part of a year-round awareness campaign
·creating a simple hazard reporting process
·educating workers on how to avoid slips, trips and falls.

Here are just some of the ways employees can protect themselves:
·wearing suitable footwear (low heels, warm, waterproof, ice/snow traction, etc.)
·using handrails on stairs
·taking special care when entering or exiting buildings and vehicles
·giving themselves enough time to get where they’re going without rushing
·walking around rather than over snow banks or other obstacles to get to their destination
·keeping in three-point contact with high vehicles when mounting or descending
·loading or unloading vehicles in a way that does not obstruct their vision.

The Chamber says a big "THANKS" to Steve Zronik and our colleagues at WSPS - Workplace Safety & Prevention Services - for keeping us 'in the loop' on upcoming MOL inspection blitzes.  WSPS can often provide no cost or low cost services to help many Chamber Members.

How WSPS can help
1. Sign up for a January 22, 2015 webinar on the upcoming slip, trip and fall inspection blitz.
2. Check out our full range of slip, trip and fall resources, including training, e-courses and free downloads, that are adaptable to many circumstances and conditions.
3. Ask a WSPS consultant about identifying and assessing hazards, and drafting policies and procedures.
4.Watch for advance coverage of the February 2015 slip, trip and fall hazard inspection blitz in the January 2015 issue of WSPS Network News.
 
If you wish to contact Steve directly: 
Steve Zronik, Consultant
WORKPLACE SAFETY & PREVENTION SERVICES
T 905 614 1400 x2014   |   1 877 494 9777
steve.zronik@wsps.ca  
 

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Our Esso Fleet Fuel program reduces your gasoline price by 3.5 cents per litre at more than 1,000 Esso stations in Canada and over 18,000 Exxon or Mobil stations across the US.  You can now register as a business or organization, or as an individual.  For details just click here.

Two great group insurance plans... One for people, one for property and vehicles:
Perhaps you've seen our ads in the last week on BNN, the Business News Network, promoting our national Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Program. It brings huge savings on personal insurance such as life insurance and drug/dental plans.  Get in the pool! Last year, we welcomed 3,200 new businesses choosing the Chambers Plan for their employees. At April 1, we included 30,506 businesses and 132,543 employees across Canada as Chamber Plan customers. ARC Benefits, with offices in St. Thomas and London, is licensed to handle all local sales and service work on the Plan on our behalf.  See their website for more.
Our NOVEX Group plan brings big savings on property and vehicle insurance. It's offered locally through Reith & Associates Insurance and Financial Services.  Call 519-631-3862 for a no-obligation quote.

Merchant Services... The Chamber network across Canada offers an exclusive merchant services package with low payment processing options for all Members who accept Interac debit, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express cards. Across Canada, and everywhere in St. Thomas & District, businesses and organizations that are Members of the Chamber get the best rates and payment processing service from FirstData. It's all made possible thanks to the huge value and size of the Chamber network. Already a FirstData client? You're still eligible to switch to the Chamber's rates. Call them at 1-888-265-4117.

Data Recovery & Cloud Backup.  No business should be without it, and our exclusive pricing from St. Thomas-based Quantum RBS saves all of our Members 15% every month. We're very proud that a local business is now serving Chamber Members across Canada as part of the nation-wide Chamber Affinity Benefits program.  For the same reliable data recovery and back-up services we're using at the Chamber office, contact Quantum and explore the savings your business or organization could enjoy. Details? Just click here. And tell 'em the St. Thomas & District Chamber sent you!
 

Let the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce and UPS help you save time and money this holiday season. With packing expertise, convenient shipping options, and technology, UPS is the ideal choice for getting packages and gifts to their destinations on time and intact. Plus, as a member of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, you can save up to 30% with the UPS Members Benefit Program, even if you already have an account!
Create Holiday Shipments
Whether you're shipping business gifts, gadgets, cookies, or toys, expert packing advice from UPS will help your packages arrive safely.
Deliver On Time
With the holidays fast approaching, check key year-end shipping deadlines to ensure your packages reach their destination on time.
Schedule Ahead with UPS My Choice™
Don't want to miss packages during the busy holiday season? With UPS My Choice, you can control where and when your UPS packages arrive, or you can arrange for pickup at a UPS Access Point™.
 
Sign up now and save!
There are no costs or minimum shipping requirements to take advantage of your UPS Members Benefit Program. To enroll today, visit www.membersbenefitprogram.com/STDCC, or call 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), M-F, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.
 

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