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NEW: A World of Welcome International Village BIA Mural Project Launch

This week, the International Village BIA celebrated the unveiling of the 'A World of Welcome' mural project commissioned by the BIA that pays tribute to the diverse experiences of women of colour who call Hamilton home.
A large proportion of the International Village BIA's customers identify as women and this community is home to a growing population of newcomers. By recognizing and celebrating the unique cultural identities of women who frequent the BIA, this project supports our ongoing efforts to cultivate an inviting public space that encourages diverse women to enjoy all the BIA has to offer.
Project Artists:
Amani Muhammad Ruiz with Robyn Lightwalker, Parisa Partovi, Ismaeil Rezaei, Leila Partovi and Tania Sedighi as Olka Art Collective, stylo starr and Kate Szabo.

Mural Locations:
245 King St. E., 197 King William St. (rear), 215 King St. E. (rear), 190 King William St.

To learn more about each mural, click here
Funded through the City of Hamilton and Canada Healthy Communities Initiative grants that are meant to transform public spaces in response to COVID-19.

NEW: Hamilton Today with Scott Thompson Interviews ED Susie 

Yesterday, CHML900's Hamilton Today hosted by Scott Thompson interviewed ED Susie Braithwaite about the unveiling of the International Village BIA's 'A World of Welcome' mural project. Listen now to learn more about this exciting project!

*The interview starts at the 7:20 mark.
Listen Now

SAVE THE DATE: Hamilton Day Is Back!

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce that Hamilton Day will become an annual tradition! Building on the tremendous success of last year's event, they will celebrate Hamilton Day again on Saturday, November 5th!

Hamilton Day is a one-day celebration to support the small and local retailers, restaurants and services that you love.

Let the community know your business is participating by registering here. There is no cost to participate in Hamilton Day and no commitment is required. Use the day to engage the community and participate in a way that suits you! Consider offering a one-day special, launching a new item, or collaborating with other local businesses on November 5th.

Notice of 2022 Annual General Meeting

When:   Tuesday, November 1st at 10:00am
Where:   Zoom
Who:   Open to International Village BIA Property & Business Owners

The 2023 draft proposed budget is now available.  If you would like to review a copy of the budget please email info@hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca to request a copy.

All constructive feedback and input on the budget is to be sent back in writing via email no later than Friday, October 28th at 5pm. The BIA board of management will then take your comments and feedback into consideration for the budget to be presented at the annual general meeting.

The agenda for the meeting is posted on the BIA website. (www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca under news & events).

*In order to attend the Zoom meeting, you will need to RSVP no later than Friday, October 28th at 5pm, identify what property you are associated with and we will send you a Zoom invite link the day before the AGM.

NEW: Digital Transformation Grant - Application Portal Closes October 31st

Digital Main Street is a program focused on assisting small businesses with their move to online marketing, sales, and back-office operations. 

The program provides a one-time $2,500 grant to brick-and-mortar small businesses to support their digital transformation through the purchase and adoption of digital tools and technologies. The application portal closes on October 31st.

To qualify, each business must undertake a digital assessment, pass the pre-qualification quiz, complete online training, and submit a Digital Transformation Plan.
Learn More or Apply Now

NEW: Canada Digital Adoption Program - Apply Now

As part of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, the Government of Canada has partnered with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to deliver the Grow Your Business Online grant supported by the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Small business owners can receive a micro-grant worth up to $2,400 to help get their business online, give their e-commerce presence a boost, or digitalize business operations. Grant recipients must commit to maintaining their digital adoption strategy for at least six months.

To learn more about eligibility requirements or to apply now, click here.

NEW: AGH Festival - October 14th to 23rd

The AGH Festival will be a 10-day multi-arts Festival showcasing the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s core programs, key community partnerships, and emerging arts from the Southwestern Ontario region.

In 2022, the Art Gallery of Hamilton will be taking a big step in the evolution of its fall Festival, with the goal of intensifying the regional and multi-disciplinary connections which have made past Festivals so resonant. The Festival will expand its focus beyond film to include visual art, performance, craft, and other creative genres. In Hamilton’s culturally distinct presentation spaces and within the AGH, the Festival will stage concerts, films, parties, pop-ups and workshops which will build unforgettable connective experiences and echo the integral exhibitions and collection items on display in the Gallery.

NEW: Four Seasons of Reconciliation Training, Free for Entrepreneurs

BDC has partnered with the First Nations University of Canada and Reconciliation Education to offer the 4 Seasons of Reconciliation training for free to entrepreneurs across Canada.

The training is a 3-hour online course with short modules that can be completed at the learner’s pace and provides a mix of learning tools such as slideshows, videos, films and quizzes.
Learn More

NEW: Goodwill Amity’s Power Lunch!

Join Goodwill Amity for a power-packed lunch to celebrate the 16th Annual Power of Work Awards on November 9th at Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. 

Enjoy a three course meal, be inspired by the stories of our award winners and hear from Peter Katz, JUNO Award nominated musician, TedX Fellow and one of Canada’s most in demand speakers. He will treat you to a unique experience and leave you with some tips to power up your work and life! AND you’ll be helping to support people facing barriers to employment right here in our community. 
Buy Tickets Here

NEW: October 2022 - The Fall Newsletter 

This issue of the Invest in Hamilton newsletter offers profiles of some of the new businesses that are calling Hamilton home, updates on new programs and tools to support our small business and scale-up community, opportunities to provide feedback on upcoming strategies, and statistics that demonstrate Hamilton’s diversity and business health.
View Here

NEW: Hamilton First Municipality in Ontario to Offer Innovative Service for Business Financing 

The City of Hamilton has launched a unique tool to assist businesses in finding funding faster and more relevant to local business needs.  

Fundica, an intelligent funding search engine firm, is now collaborating with the City’s Economic Development Office to offer this new platform that has been equated to speed dating for funding – making the process easy and highly tailored to the individual business. Hamilton is the first city in Ontario to implement Fundica’s intelligent funding search engine.

Fundica is an award-winning, AI-powered funding matching solution provider for entrepreneur-support organizations across North America. Through Fundica, these organizations can empower small to medium-sized businesses to easily identify and apply for the most relevant government and complementary funding available on the organization’s site- with no IT integration required.
Learn More

NEW: Ontario Begins Construction on Confederation GO Station

The Ontario government is marking the start of construction on the Confederation GO station in Hamilton. The new station will help reduce gridlock and connect more people to jobs, housing and transit in one of the fastest growing regions in the province.

Confederation GO station will offer several key amenities, including an accessible island platform with canopies, pedestrian tunnel, 15-vehicle passenger pick-up and drop-off area and direct stair access from Centennial Parkway. Commuters will also have access to approximately 150 additional parking spaces.
Ontario Press Release

NEW: She Means Business - A Success Pod for Entrepreneurial Women

She Means Business - A Success Pod for Entrepreneurial Women is now accepting applications for the Winter 2023 cohort.

What would it feel like to see real momentum build in your business? You know, the kind of momentum that makes you set aside your doubts and self-imposed limitations. The kind of momentum that produces results and elevates you as an entrepreneur to make even bigger strides toward your vision.

If that sounds like something you’d like to achieve, the Hamilton Business Centre invites you to join She Means Business. This small group for women entrepreneurs is a space where your vision is met with excitement, challenges are faced head-on, action is consistent and, accountability is real.

Applications for the Winter 2023 cohort will be accepted until December 16th, 2022. Apply today as there are a limited number of spots available.
Learn More

NEW: Taking Your Business from Surviving to Thriving

Date/Time: October 20th | 12-1:30 PM
 
Join special guest Jenn Hudder for an insightful and interactive discussion on shifting your business from surviving to thriving! Together, you'll be exploring:
  • Areas that we subtly sabotage our own efforts and why we do it
  • What keeps us from breaking through to the next level in our business
  • How to identify when your mind is saying 'yes' but your heart is saying 'no'
  •  A simple process that participants can implement immediately in their business to stay in alignment with their vision 
Register for this Hamilton Business Centre Training Session Here. 

NEW: TikTok for Small Business

Date/Time: October 18th | 7-8:30 PM
 
This workshop is a free online webinar for small businesses in Ontario. TikTok has taken the social media world by storm. Sure, the video-sharing platform is full of funny pet videos and the latest dance trends, but it can also be a great place to engage with your customers or clients. This beginner-level workshop will cover the fundamentals of TikTok and how you can use it to build a following for your small business. Register for this Digital Main Street Training Session Here

NEW: Grow Your Small Business on Instagram

Date/Time: October 26th | 10-11:30 AM
 
This workshop is a free online webinar for small businesses in Ontario. This intermediate-level workshop is for those that have already dipped their toes into the world of Instagram and are looking to grow on the platform. We’ll explore different ways small businesses are strategically building a following on Instagram and generating sales from their efforts. You’ll walk away from this workshop with a long list of ideas you can use right away. Register for this Digital Main Street Training Session Here
View All Digital Main Street Webinars

NEW: City of Hamilton Municipal Election - October 24th

The City of Hamilton's upcoming municipal election will be held on Monday, October 24, 2022. To learn more about the municipal election or register to vote, click here

Cable 14 Ward and Mayoral Debate Recordings
Cable 14 hosted the "Our Hamilton, Our Vote" moderated by Mike Fortune. The debates featured a panel of media representatives from The Hamilton Spectator, CBC Hamilton, CHML Radio, and CHCH News, who posed questions to the candidates. To view specific Ward and the Mayoral debate, click here

NEW: Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund

The Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund is a partnership between the federal government, Black-led business organizations, the Business Development Bank of Canada and other financial institutions. It provides loans up to $250,000 to Black business owners and entrepreneurs across the country.

Applications began to be accepted in 2021 and the program is still open, click here to learn more.

NEW: Serving Elizabeth on Stage at Theatre Aquarius October 19th - November 5th

Written by Marcia Johnson

In the script of history, who gets a speaking role?

In Kenya in 1952, Mercy, a restaurant proprietor, is hired to cater the impending visit of Princess Elizabeth, soon to be Queen. In 2015, another story unfolds in London, England, where a young Kenyan-born Canadian, Tia, is working as an intern on a TV drama series about the British royal family – while also pursuing a writing project of her own. These parallel narratives seem only coincidentally connected – until a surprising twist reveals a deeper relationship between the two. 

Audiences are certain to enjoy this ingenious contemporary comedy that keeps us guessing as it explores issues of colonialism, nationalism and the question of who gets to have a voice.
Get Your Tickets Now

WSIB Doubles Rebates for Small Businesses Enrolled in Safety Program

The WSIB's Health and Safety Excellence program is a voluntary incentive program that rewards businesses for investing in health and safety. It provides businesses of all sizes and health and safety maturity with the building blocks to improve workplace health and safety. 

The program allows you to focus on the health and safety issues that matter most to you. There are 36 health and safety topics available to choose from, and for every topic you complete, you'll earn a rebate on your WSIB premiums. 

Through the program, you'll receive financial rebates on your WSIB premiums in recognition of your efforts to complete health and safety topics. The size of the rebates WSIB will send out will vary from business to business. The minimum rebate for each topic is $1,000, and the maximum is $50,000 (or up to 100 percent of the amount a business paid for the prior year's WSIB premiums).

But, for a limited time only, smaller businesses (1-99 employees) will receive double the rebate for every program topic they complete up until December 31, 2022. Plus, WSIB will give smaller businesses enrolling in the program before December 31, 2022, an immediate $1000 just for signing up. That's on top of the rebates you'll get for completing topics! In some cases, you can get back more from the WSIB than you paid in premiums. 

Businesses can learn more about the program and sign up today here. The deadline is December 31, 2022.

Free Training Programs Offered By Goodwill Amity

  • Successful Women In Advanced Manufacturing (SWIM) - The SWIM program offered by Goodwill Amity is a brand-new program for passionate individuals who identify as a woman looking to pursue a career in the manufacturing industry. The 4-week training program provides participants with the technical skills and business acumen that will help them make their way up in the manufacturing world. At the end of the training period, participants will have direct access to interview for some of Ontario’s top manufacturing employers. View the program flyer for more information
     
  • The Food and Beverage Accelerated Skills Training Program (FAST) - Formerly the Skills Advance Ontario (SAO) Food Manufacturing Program, offers free online training and resources to help you get employed in the food manufacturing industry. View the program flyer for more information

Talent Opportunities Program: Applications Now Open

The application portal is open for the Fall 2022 term (September–December 2022). New eligibility rules are now in effect and can be found below and in the TOP Program Guidelines & FAQs. Please ensure you meet the eligibility criteria prior to submitting an application. Please note that funding is limited and applications are not guaranteed to fund.

Are you an employer hiring post-secondary students on work-integrated learning (WIL) placements, such as cooperative education and internships? If so, you may be eligible for a wage subsidy of up to $7,000 per student! Learn more about the Talent Opportunities Program and if your business is eligible, click here

RAISE Service and Grant Program

Racialized and Indigenous Supports for Entrepreneurs (RAISE) is a service and grant program developed and administered by the Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA), the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), and in partnership with the Parkdale Centre for Innovation (PCI), to support Indigenous, Black and other racialized entrepreneurs in Ontario to start and scale their business. For more information and to start the application process, click here.

Hamilton Rapid Testing Program for Businesses

The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is still providing Hamilton businesses and organizations with Free COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Testing Kits for their workplace. If you are interested in ordering kits for your workplace, please click the button below to learn more about the program and schedule a pick-up time.
Order Rapid Testing Kits

Federal Government's Business Benefits Finder Helps Businesses Seeking Specific Supports

The Government of Canada's online Business Benefits Finder helps businesses find the right programs and services that they need, whether they are starting out or scaling up. The site generates a tailored list of resources based on a business's identified goals and the type of support needed.
Learn More

Reporting Crime in the BIA

Call 9-1-1 

If you see a crime in progress including, aggressive panhandling, assault, theft, and graffiti.

Call Non-Emergencies Line
To report a crime that has already happened such as mischief, damage to vehicle or property, shoplifting that has already occurred, counterfeit money or you see a suspicious person in the area call the Hamilton Police at 905-546-4925.

Report Graffiti
Call 911 if you witness graffiti in progress. If your building has been tagged or see graffiti in the area report it to the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489. For hate or political tag, report it to the Hamilton Police at 905-546-4925.

Report Online
Report a non-urgent crime, such as damage or mischief under $5,000, theft under $5,000 or physical assault if it happened in Hamilton and you don’t know who it is. Report online here.

Crime Prevention Resources 
International Village BIA Crime Manager
Crime Managers play a crucial role within the Hamilton Police Service. They are the primary liaison between our communities, political leaders, and front-line patrol officers. The International Village BIA’s Crime Manager is able to assist members with non-emergency-related community complaints.
 
Members in the International Village BIA should direct any non-emergency-related complaints to our Crime Manager.
 
These complaints can include business theft, vehicle and property damage, suspicious person, aggressive behaviour, counterfeit money, and noise complaints. Members are also able to reach out to our Crime Manager to provide feedback or seek guidance pertaining to a specific issue.
 
Sgt. Cory Gurman
Central Crime Managers
(905) 540-6074 | cgurman@hamiltonpolice.on.ca

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195 Main St. East, Suite 100

Hamilton, ON L8N 1H2
www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca 

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International Village BIA · 195 Main St. East, Suite 100, · Hamilton, ON L8N 1H2 · Canada

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