your voice of business vol 29 issue 9 october 2013 ... · 5linx suzanne connor recently re-turned...

Businesses want the Ontario government to adopt a predictable, transparent, and fair process for determining Ontario’s minimum wage, according to a new report re-leased by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in September.

The report calls on govern-ment to introduce a new pro-cess that would link changes in the minimum wage rate to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), an economic indicator that captures changes in the cost of living.

Currently, Ontario’s minimum wage rate is determined by the government on an ad hoc basis and through unspecified criteria. This method results in sudden increases in the minimum wage, and unfairly exposes employers

to unanticipated increases in the cost of doing business.

“We’ve considered all the op-tions at Ontario’s disposal,” said Allan O’Dette, President & CEO of the OCC. “Tying the minimum wage to the CPI will bring pre-

dictability to the process. It will allow businesses to plan for in-creases in their labour costs and protect the long-term purchasing power of workers earning mini-mum wage.”

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Published by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce • Established 1928 • Reaching over 5,600 Decision Makers • Email: [email protected] • 905.728.1683

BUSINESSMATTERSSERVING OUR MEMBERS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES OF • OSHAWA • BOWMANVILLE • COLUMBUS • COURTICE • HAMPTON • ORONO • RAGLAN • TAUNTON

Y O U R V O I C E O F B U S I N E S S VOL 29 ISSUE 9 OCTOBER 2013

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The Ministry of Energy over the past several months under-took a formal review of Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan and con-sulted with the public, energy stakeholders, and partners across the province. The Ministry’s dis-cussion guide, Making Choices: Reviewing Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan provided information on the current status of the elec-tricity system. It identified com-mitments made that are still shap-ing the sector and characteristics of the different energy sources.

The Greater Oshawa Cham-ber of Commerce (GOCC) had the opportunity of participating in the LTEP roundtable held in Oshawa on September 12 and submitted recommendations to the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, MPP, Minister of Energy for Ontario. In preparing its submis-sion, the GOCC participated in two roundtable discussions—Nuclear and Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The Chamber reviewed its policies on energy including nuclear and new build refurbishment as well as what nuclear means to Ontario and Canada and our policy on the General Motors of Canada and Northland Proposed Cogen Fa-cility—Natural Gas-Combined Heat and Power (CHP)—Os-hawa. The Chamber’s recom-mendations were underpinned by background policies approved by its Board of Directors and adopt-ed by the Ontario and Canadian Chambers of Commerce.

Ontario’s energy supply deci-sions are closely linked to the health of Ontario’s beleaguered

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Fall Business ShowcaseEvery year during Small Business Week

(October 20–26, 2013), the Chamber celebrates entrepreneurs. All across Canada events are planned so that entrepreneurs have opportunities to meet and learn from each other. This year, the Chamber hosts its Fall Business Showcase ‘A Business to Business Trade Show’ on Tuesday, October 22nd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Quality Hotel & Conference Centre in Oshawa. Seminar guest speaker will be Cate Collins of Powerful Journey Consulting, who specializes in transforming powerful leaders from the inside out! Come out to learn, network and celebrate! Register online at web.oshawachamber.com/events.

Highlighting Women In Business

The Greater Oshawa Chamber hosts its Women In Business Luncheon on Wednesday, October 16th from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. at

STAV’S Dining Emporium with keynote speaker Carol Cavallari of The Table. This is a great opportunity to network with your peers at this women’s only event! For details and to register online, visit web.oshawachamber.com/events.

Luncheon With UK Consul General

The Greater Oshawa Chamber hosts a luncheon with Jonathan Dart, Consul General in Toronto and Director General of UK Trade

& Investment for Canada on Tuesday, November 12th at the Quality Hotel & Conference Centre. Mr. Dart’s presentation will focus on the opportunities in civil nuclear power offered by the UK, and how the UK and Canada are natural partners in this area. He will also talk more broadly about the UK’s energy market reforms, carbon abatement commitments and the need for new nuclear builds. Register online at web.oshawachamber.com/events.

Nuclear Energy Is A Strategic Economic Asset Not A Piece Of Infrastructure

Business To Government: Bring Predictability to Minimum Wage

On Sept 15, 2013 the F86 Mk5 Sabre Jet display, located at the South Field of the Oshawa Airport was re-dedicated in a ceremony recognizing Canadian Air Force pilots and their contribution during the Battle of Britain in WWII. The Canadair Mk5 Sabre Jet has been on display since 1986 and was in need of repairs and re-finishing. Through donations from the community, the Sabre Jet was restored back to its original glo-ry. Speedpro Imaging was a major contributor for this project, donating and installing brand new graphics on the Sabre and also supplying the new sign for Airmen’s Park. Way to go Speedpro – they can wrap anything!

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Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce – Your Voice of Business October 2013

Business of the Month

Your Moving Depot

Owned and operated by Ken O'Hara and his family, Your Moving Depot opened for business in January of 1995. Com-ing to work everyday is more of a way of life for the OʼHaraʼs as opposed to a job. The small business offers a friendly, per-sonal atmosphere where clients start out as customers, but end up as friends. Their goal is to provide personalized “one-stop-shoppingˮ to the moving and transportation industry. Your Mov-ing Depot gives back to the community. They are a big supporter and sponsor of numerous basketball teams plus donate to Feed

the Need Durham and St. Joseph’s Church in Bowmanville. On behalf of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, congratu-lations on being named Business of the Month for October 2013. Pictured from left to right is (front row) Tara Simpson, Kelly O’Hara-Curtis and Lisa Cauchon of Your Moving Depot, (back row) Chamber Ambassador Sean McNamara of Petley-Hare In-surance Brokers, Kim O’Hara, Robert Wallace and Ken O’Hara of Your Moving Depot and Adam Hare of Petley-Hare Insurance Brokers. For more information, visit www.yourmovingdepot.ca.

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pany has experienced an 800% growth over the last 4 years.5LINx has been in Canada for 2 years, and the company

plans to do the same in Canada. Their goal for this year is to be a $1 Billion company.

Suzanne can provide excellent products for your home and business with excellent customer service. Residential prod-ucts include: home phone, internet, data vault and ID Guard (against ID theft). Also, a wide range of business essentials, like their Business Elite Services, which includes: text mar-keting, tech support services, web connect services and VIP discounts all for one low monthly price.

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Furniture Galleries Oshawa Over 60 years

ago Furniture Galleries of Oshawa was a small family run store of less than 1000 sq. ft. Today, they are one of Canadaʼs largest furniture

showrooms. They attribute their success to the original philosophy of offering price, quality and service.

Customer service is their number one priority; simply a satisfied customer is their greatest asset. And even though they are 25 times bigger today, their customer service is still second to none.

It has never been truer than today that quality furniture offers greater value. Usually quality and price are diametrically opposite but the key to Furniture Gallery’s success is to offer customers

aggressive pricing on quality furnishing translating into real value.The incredible selection is another big reason why

customers come back again and again. The furniture designs run from gracious to contemporary and everything in-between. That is why they can say, with complete confidence, “You will find it here!”

The store has style. Their people have style. And they have got your style. They are very proud of their spectacular showroom filled with over 50 fully decorated room displays. They are proud of their salespeople, who genuinely care about their customers and who offer excellent design advice. And they are proud of the fact that no matter what your taste or budget, they have got furnishings and accessories that will suit your lifestyle - beautifully!

As an incentive to visit their showroom, Furniture Galleries offers Greater Oshawa Chamber members a 20% discount on any of its merchandise (cannot be combined with clearance or other promotions). Visit Furniture Galleries at 900 Champlain Avenue in Oshawa or call 905 723-4561.

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GREATER OSHAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCEBOARD ELECTIONS – 2014NOMINATIONS FOR 5 DIRECTORS

Director nominations may be filed at the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, 44 Richmond Street West, Oshawa, commencing from July 1, 2013 to October 31, 2013 be-tween the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Directors will be elected for a three-year term, beginning January 1, 2014 ending December 31, 2016. All active members or member representatives in good standing are eligible to hold elected office.

Nomination papers and a Candidate’s Guide are available from the C.E.O. & General Manager of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. A signed consent to the nomi-nation and a declaration of qualification by the candidate are required. (Nomination Form)

A Director is a part of the policy making and governing body of the Chamber. Direc-tors must make a reasonable effort to attend all meetings of the Board, (approximately 10 per year) and to actively contribute to it. In addition, a Director may also be asked to act as a liaison to a committee’s activity.

Service as a Director carries with it the obligation to render informed judgment on the activi-ties and methods of the Chamber and to contribute to determining its future course. The fu-ture growth, dimensions and directions of the Chamber rest in the hands of today’s Directors.

For additional information on running as a Director, please contact Bob Malcolmson, C.E.O. & General Manager at (905) 728-1683 or Dan Carter, President at (905) 434-2421.

Dan Carter President and Chair, Nominating [email protected] • www.oshawachamber.com44 Richmond St. W., Suite 100, Oshawa, ON L1G 1C7 T. 905 728-1683 F. 905 432-1259

2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTIONSClose of Nominations – Thursday, October 31, 2013

Election Day – Friday, November 22, 2013

Nuclear Energy: A Strategic Economic Asset

Bring Predictability to Minimum Wage

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manufacturing sector. The Government of Ontario must treat Nuclear Energy as a strategic asset and an economic development driver and not just as a piece of infrastructure. Investment in our nuclear reactor fleet creates high value jobs in Ontario by exploiting unique and well established capabilities in our existing nuclear industry and enables Ontario to market this technology world wide and retain and attract industry and manufacturing jobs to Ontario and increase house-hold disposable income and spending in our economy.

If the government is serious about creating a business climate that attracts investment and growth, a team ef-fort is necessary. Input from key Ministries such as Eco-nomic Development and Trade, Finance, Research and Innovation is vital in putting in place a strategic energy plan that would act as a key economic driver for Ontario.

Of concern to the business community is the ap-pearance of provincial Ministries developing plans in isolation of other ministries and decisions on such files as energy appear to be based on political decisions made at the cabinet table and not on economic sense.

“The cancellation of the ‘Avro Arrow’ five de-cades ago, has been recognized in Canada as an example of the lack of political will to recognize and support Canada’s potential for greatness,ˮ the Chamber stated in its submission. “It will be so much more shameful if we lose another anchor in-dustry simply because appropriate decisions could not be made in a timely manner.”

The Chamber outlined in its submission that it supports the General Motors of Canada and North-land Proposed Cogen Facility—Natural Gas-Com-bined Heat and Power (CHP)—and its concern with the OPA’s delays in approving this CHP project at GM’s Oshawa Car Assembly Plant.

This proposed project enables Oshawa to offer a competitive advantage and will act as a lever to attract other heat-based industries to the area which supports the economic development objectives of the both the

City and the Region of Durham. The result of proceed-ing is a win-win for both jobs and the local environment.

The Chamber outlined that the proposed CHP fa-cility has received broad community support and is also unique given its strategic location adjacent to a major Ontario manufacturer with the availability of ample vacant industrial lands suitable for other heat-based industries close by.

With respect to Nuclear, the GOCC noted in its submission that Durham Region has all the ingredi-ents to be the centre of a very dynamic and export focused nuclear cluster. The key companies in this sector extend all the way to Niagara and Cambridge to the west and to Ottawa in the east, the centre of that cluster is Durham Region with 15 supply com-panies in Pickering, Ajax and Oshawa.

For Ontario and Canada to continue to play a leading role in the global nuclear industry, all lev-els of government in Canada have a responsibility to work with the key stakeholders in the nuclear manufacturing industry to create a more favourable climate for investment and that includes the OPA.

The benefits to Canada of a vibrant Nuclear Energy Industry are many and varied, including providing a safe, emissions free and economic sup-ply of energy, the creation of tens of thousands of skilled, high paying jobs, a high value product that can be manufactured in Canada that is in demand throughout the world, and utilization in Canada of advanced technology and manufacturing processes that can provide an impetus to other research and manufacturing sectors in Canada.

Ontario has very few industries that offer the po-tential for ongoing long-term job and wealth creation. Since 2009 the Ontario and Canadian Chambers of Commerce network has supported the GOCC resolu-tion urging the Government of Ontario and Canada to make as a priority, a Nuclear Energy Strategy that will continue to provide jobs, investment and eco-nomic strength for Ontario and Canada.

Visit oshawachamber.com to review the submission.

Cont.’d from Page 1

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The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, though supportive of regular increases to the mini-mum wage, cautions against tem-porarily adopting a formula that would see rates outpace inflation.

“Practical evidence indicates that major increases in the mini-mum wage with a ‘knee jerk’ reaction will have a significantly adverse effect on employment, particularly among youth,” said Bob Malcolmson, CEO & Gen-eral Manager of the Greater Os-hawa Chamber of Commerce. “It would also damage sectors that rely on minimum wage, including retail, hospitality, and leisure.”

The report is based on exten-sive consultations and surveys with employers from across On-tario. Its release comes as On-tario’s Minimum Wage Advisory Panel begins its consultations in communities across the province.

KEY FACTS:• In a recent OCC survey, 60%

of employers in the retail, hospitality and leisure sec-tors say that an increase in the minimum wage will hurt their businesses and force them to lay off employees.

• Ontario’s minimum wage of $10.25 is above the national average and the highest in the Great Lakes Region.

• The minimum wage in On-tario has increased 50 per-cent over the last 10 years.

• The Ontario Chamber of

Commerce consulted with over 1,200 of its members from across the province to formulate its position on the minimum wage.

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce recommends that the Government of Ontario:

1. support a process for deter-mining the minimum wage that is predictable, transpar-ent, and fair;

2. put in place a combination of the minimum wage as determined by the govern-ment on the advice of an in-dependent body of experts; and the minimum wage is tied to an economic indica-tor that accounts for chang-es in the cost of living;

3. must not view the minimum wage in isolation from other government economic and regulatory policies, which can cumulatively help On-tario’s economic well being;

4. must consider how increases to the minimum wage can be off-set with policies that promote business competitiveness;

5. that any increases maintain a measured approach of grad-ual increases allowing busi-nesses to adjust to increased labour costs and plan their budgets accordingly.

To read the report by the Ontario Chamber of Com-merce and the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce go to www.oshawachamber.com.



Following the recession of 2008–2009, there has been renewed in-terest in manufacturing throughout North America as a critical driver of economic growth and prosperity. Other jurisdictions throughout the United States and Mexico are moving aggressively to retain and at-tract manufacturing investment. CME members are being targeted by US States offering generous relocation subsidies which often include significant savings on electricity. To remain a strong competitor On-tario needs an integrated energy plan to combat the pull south and ensure we retain our share of the manufacturing renaissance taking place throughout North America.

Over the past year, CME held a number of roundtables across Ontario and surveyed our members to understand the issues facing manufacturers and to develop solutions to encourage growth in manu-facturing. The initiative has resulted in the creation of A Manufactur-ing Action Plan for Ontario which highlights why manufacturing is so important and provides a blueprint for changes necessary to retain and grow manufacturing in Ontario. Energy is a key part of the action plan including the recommendation to upgrade energy generation and transmission infrastructure and improve the competitiveness of indus-trial/manufacturing rates for electricity.

While the manufacturing sector has undergone a considerable re-structuring over the last decade, the sector represents 13 percent of GDP, contributes over $270 billion in manufacturing shipments an-nually and employs approximately 2 million Ontarians either directly or indirectly. Every dollar invested in manufacturing, generates over $3.50 in total economic activity, the highest multiplier of any major sector. Ontario has a world-class base of manufacturing talent and ex-pertise to build from. However, urgent action is necessary to retain and grow that base. A sound energy plan is a key area in which the Province can significantly improve the business environment for manufacturing.

Over 100 years ago, Sir Adam Beck’s vision of affordable “power at cost” became a catalyst for industrial growth and economic prosper-ity for Ontario. While the economy and the electricity system have evolved significantly over the years, the fundamental premise holds

true: competitively priced power is a key ingredient for manufacturing to thrive.

The energy plan could vary greatly depending on the type of out-comes that Ontario wants for the economy and for society. CME believes strongly that manufacturing is and should be the engine of economic growth to create a more prosperous future for all Ontarians. Therefore the Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) should be oriented to design, build and maintain an energy system that will help improve manufacturing competitiveness and enable economic growth.

The government has taken a number of important steps to help offset rising power rates including the demand based allocation of the Global Adjustment for large users, the Northern Electricity Rate as well as conservation and demand management programming for industry. Despite these efforts, Ontario has become an island of higher cost elec-tricity in North America. The impact of a 40 to 50 percent price in-crease projected over the next 5 years would have a significant impact on productivity and future investment in Ontario. Industry needs both stable and competitive prices. We cannot trade-off competitive prices for greater stability. Industry would support a transition to the “true-cost” of electricity, but only if those costs are competitive, transparent and balance environmental, social and economic considerations.

Ontario manufacturers are at an immediate disadvantage with re-spect to power rates. A sampling of average rates for large volume electricity users suggests that Ontario is at the higher end of the price curve for 2012.

At a minimum, Ontario must design, build and maintain an electric-ity system that can deliver electricity rates that are competitive with other manufacturing jurisdictions throughout North America.

In addition to the posted rates, manufacturers in other jurisdictions are being offered incentive rates that are significantly lower than the posted rates. Ontario must respond by lowering the threshold for the de-mand-based allocation of the Global Adjustment (GA) from five Mega-watts to one Megawatt. Ontario must also recognize that there are many manufacturers that have little or no opportunity to access the savings that accrue through shifting demand (i.e. 24x7 operations). In general, gov-ernment should ensure that rate relief covers all types of manufacturers.

Ontario has very aggressive targets for conservation. CME supports conservation programming provided that the benefits measurably out-weigh the costs, particularly when compared with new generation. The Long-Term Energy plan should ensure that conservation drivers are

Presented by Peter Bocking

In life, timing is everything. It’s the same thing with employee benefit plans.

As an employee benefit plan sponsor, one situation that you want to avoid is dealing with ‘late applicants’. Late applicants are employees who miss the deadline for joining your benefit program.

Once your initial staff is enrolled in the employee benefit plan, it’s easy to forget there are timing limits to enroll people who subsequently join your company. Usually new staff must work for a period of time, called the waiting period (90 days is typical), before they are eligible for benefits. Once that waiting period is over, the countdown for coverage begins. Completed employee benefit applications must be in the Plan’s hands within the fol-lowing 31 days.

If you miss the deadline, the employee is considered a late applicant and there is a more detailed application process. The employee will have to answer questions about, or be asked to provide additional medical evidence regarding their health. If the

employee is applying for family coverage a health questionnaire will need to be completed for eligible dependents. Depending on the findings, the employee could be declined for certain benefits, or even coverage altogether. Even if the application is approved, the effective date of coverage has been delayed.

Late applicant status can also occur for employees who have ‘waived’ health or dental coverage because the spouse has ben-efits through another group plan. If that coverage ends (through divorce, spouse loss of job, etc), your employee has 60 days to opt back into your full plan. After that time, any request for the benefits will be considered a late application.

When a new employee joins your firm, make sure to take a look at the date. Mark your calendar for a week or so before the 90-day qualifying period ends. That will ensure you avoid the extra work, possible disappointment and potential for other chal-lenges of a late application.

Timing Is Everything

Peter Bocking, Employee Benefits ConsultantHardiman Mount & Associates Insurance Brokers Ltd.

1-800-361-6996 ext. 239 • [email protected] • www.hmainsurance.com

Submitted by Ian Howcroft, Vice President (Ontario division) of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters

A Manufacturing Plan For Ontario

Published by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce44 Richmond Street WestOshawa, Ontario L1G 1C7Tel: 905-728-1683 Fax: 905-432-1259

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.oshawachamber.com

Dan Carter, President Channel 12

Clyde Catton, Director BDO Canada LLP

Cris Douglas, Director CRCS Disaster Kleenup

Linda Grieco, Director P.R. Engineering Ltd.

David Hare, CIP, Treasurer Petley-Hare Insurance Brokers

Business Matters is an information package provided to members of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce and businesses at large. The positions expressed in by-lined columns are the opinions of the author and do not reflect the position of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce unless specifically stated. The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce assumes no responsibility for statements or claims made by advertisers. The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce publishes Business Matters 11 times per year. Issue dates are January, February, March, April, May, June, July/August, September, October, November and December. Closing date is the 15th of the month prior to publication.

Business Matters is delivered to 5,000 businesses in the Greater Oshawa area. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission. Canada Post publication agreement #40804106.

preSiDent’S MeSSAGeDan Carter

I start off this month’s President’s Message with a heavy heart. On September 10th, we lost one of the brightest, young leaders in Dur-ham Region with the passing of Todd Skinner. At age 40, he had lead, given and invested in a way that will be remembered for many years to come. He only lived 40 years, but he gave more encouragement, taught, mentored and motivated more people than most of us will in a lifetime. Todd Skinner lived with passion each and every day. As one of my closest and most trusted friends, I will remember Todd by the way he gave to his family, friends and community. I will miss our early morning coffee meetings and the times at the Day of Hope and Leadership when I could look across the stage and see Todd smiling as leaders from across the country listen to his passion and vision. Dur-ham Region will miss the bright star of Todd Skinner.

The 18th Annual Business Excellence Awards are now history—what a successful event it was this year. I hope everyone had a memorable eve-ning. A great many people were involved in making sure that the celebra-tion was the premier business event of the year. I would like to thank our award sponsors, the event sponsors, the pre-award cocktail reception and post award party venues, the Awards Committee and the Chamber staff—everyone worked together to make this an unforgettable evening for the award recipients. Well done!

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Kemp Travel and China Visit Tours, officially announced our planned trip to China during the Awards celebration. This is your opportunity to travel with friends and colleagues on an adventure of a lifetime. The 10-day trip includes Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and many of China’s signature landmarks. For more details, see page 6.

Now that summer is over, the Chamber has embarked on an am-bitious fall events line-up. The Chamber had the opportunity of par-ticipating in the LTEP (Long-Term Energy Plan) roundtable held in Oshawa on September 12 and submitted recommendations to the Hon-ourable Bob Chiarelli, MPP, Minister of Energy for Ontario.

The Chamber also had the opportunity to submitted recommenda-tions to the six-person advisory panel tasked by the Ontario govern-ment to spend the next six months consulting across the province, be-fore giving its recommendations to the government on how much the province’s minimum wage should rise.

In late September, Bob Malcolmson and Vice President John Sturrup will be representing our Chamber at the Canadian Chamber’s AGM in Kelona B.C. I will report on this meeting in my next President’s message.

Carol Cavellari of The Table will be speaking at the Women in Busi-ness luncheon on Wednesday, October 16th at Stav’s. I hope you have reserved your ticket. Carol’s story is compelling and this event always seems to sell out fast. You won’t want to miss it!

Join us as we celebrate Small Business Week at the Chamber’s Fall Business Showcase being held on October 22nd at the Quality Hotel & Conference Centre. We have a new format this year, with more vendors, expanded hours, and two seminars featuring Cate Collins of Powerful Journey Consulting as the speaker. This is your chance to learn, network and socialize. You can view and register for all events by visiting the Chamber’s website at www.oshawachamber.com/events.

We look forward to Tuesday, November 12th, when Jonathan Dart, the Consul General in Toronto and Director General of UK Trade & Investment for Canada, will be heading to Oshawa for a luncheon. His presentation will focus on the opportunities in civil nuclear power of-fered by the UK, and how the UK and Canada are natural partners in this area. Stay tuned for more details.

Your Chamber is in election mode for the new Board of Directors, with elections being held on Friday, November 22. To serve on the Executive and Board is both rewarding and fulfilling. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to work with a very dynamic and dedicated staff at the Chamber office. Good luck to all who are in the running. Thank you for wanting to get involved and make a difference, you won’t regret it.

In closing, “If man were to lose his capacity to fear he would be de-prived of his capacity to grow, invent and create.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Sincerely,Dan CarterPresident, Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce

Jeff Hayes, Vice President Brian Hayes Plumbing

Harry Horricks, Director Oshawa Clinic

John Kellam, Director McIntosh Anderson Kellam Funeral Home

K. Robert (Bob) Malcolmson, CEO & GM Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce

Kevin Mara, Director Neal Mara, Barristers & Solicitors

Geoffrey Michie, Past President RBC Wealth Management - Dominion Securities

Diane Munro, Director Classic Flowers

Ron Oberth, Director Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries

Don Pitman, Director Guardian Residential Services

Justine Murray-Robinson, Director TD Commercial Banking

John Sturrup, Vice President JS2 Marketing & Commuications

Gary Valcour, Director Oshawa Port Authority

Terry Wu, Director UOIT

Cont.’d on Page 5


Ontario Manufacturing Plan

Ontario Investing $295M In Youth Jobs Strategy

PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMSDeveloping Successful Leaders at UOIT!

Find out more about open-enrollment courses starting this fall.P: 905-721-8668 ext. 3290 • W: mdc.uoit.ca • E: [email protected]

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Michael Walker Franchise Owner Oshawa274 King Street West (corner of King and Park) Oshawa, ON L1J 2J9

T. 905-576-1360 • F. [email protected] www.mastermechanic.ca

“At Master Mechanic…you talk to the mechanic”“At Master Mechanic…you talk to the mechanic”

carefully tracked and contingency planning is in place to avoid costly generation if conservation targets do not materialize.

The manufacturing and industrial sectors are leaders in energy effi-ciency and conservation. Energy intensity in these sectors has improved an average of 1.4 percent per year from 1990 to 2010 while production has increased by nearly 50 percent over the same period. Energy con-servation is not only the right thing to do, it makes good business sense.

Government should orient conservation programming to those that offer the greatest return on investment. CME believes that the manu-facturing sector offers the greatest opportunities for conservation where competitive pressures provide additional incentive to lower costs and drive efficiencies. Initiatives that enable manufacturers to improve en-ergy management such as ISO 50001 and the industrial accelerator pro-gram should be given high priority.

CME supports a portfolio approach to the power supply provided that economic prudence (based on levelized unit energy costs) and to-tal bill impact are the fundamental criteria for generation decisions going forward. Ontario should first look to optimize existing assets and plan for new generation in conjunction with robust demand forecasting and economic modeling. The Long-Term Energy plan is an excellent first step in this process and should be tied to an integrated plan to retain existing and attract new manufacturing investment to Ontario.Generation and Supply-Chain Opportunities for Manufacturers

To the extent that investments are necessary and economically pru-dent, government should seek to highlight energy supply chain oppor-tunities for manufacturers. The LTEP calls for significant investments in new generation, maintenance and upgrading of the existing system over the reference period. It is critical that Ontario manufacturers have ac-cess to these opportunities within the bounds of any obligations under the WTO. Government and energy sector participants can help by ac-tively promoting opportunities to Ontario manufacturers and breaking down barriers to entry. Manufacturers have expressed concern, for ex-ample, that significant Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) and Co-generation opportu-nities have been obstructed by regulatory barriers restricting “behind the meter” generation. These projects create or retain jobs in manufacturing while providing significant system-wide benefits.Conclusion

The review of the LTEP is a significant milestone and an opportu-nity to further orient the electricity system in Ontario to empowering a vibrant and growing manufacturing sector. Despite efforts to address rate impacts by Government and the Ontario Energy Board, electricity rates continue to be a significant challenge for manufacturers in terms of competitiveness with other jurisdictions. Therefore, the highest pri-ority must be to offer near term rate relief to manufacturers throughout the transition to a more sustainable electricity system.

About CME - Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is Canada’s leading trade and industry association, and the voice of manufacturing and global busi-ness in Canada. For more information, visit www.cme-mec.ca.

Ontario’s new Youth Employment Fund aims to provide young peo-ple with an entry point to long-term employment through job place-ments that offer the chance to learn work skills while earning income. The fund will help employers offer four-to six-month job and training placements for young people seeking work.

Ontario will provide up to $7,800 to cover a range of supports and services for each eligible young worker under the fund. That includes up to $6,800 to help employers cover wages and training costs, and up to $1,000 to help young workers pay for job-related costs like tools and transportation to work.

Placements can start immediately. For more information, contact VPI Inc., 843 King Street West, Unit # 9, Oshawa at (905) 571-3301.


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Members In the NewsMembers In the News

The Oshawa Generals have acquired Josh Sterk from the Kitchener Rangers. Sterk now joins the Generals as a 5’11”, 175-pound centre with hopes of aiding on the Generals power-play while also contributing defensively.

Oshawa Generals GM Jeff Twohey had this to say of Sterk, “Josh is a third year player in the OHL and will bring added experience, speed and offensive potential to our young team.”

With one goal and two assists, Josh Sterk had a strong debut with the Oshawa Generals at the opening game of the season against the Windsor Spitfires. The boys in red came away with the win, defeating the Spitfires 4-3! Celebrating the first goal, from left to right, are Michael Dal Colle, Josh Sterk and Joe Manchurek. Go Gens Go!

The Ontario Regiment, Oshawa’s reserve armoured reconnaissance regiment, welcomed the change of com-mand from Lieutenant-Colonel Brunberg and Chief Warrant Officer Derek Munroe to Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek and Master Warrant Officer David Munroe as the unit’s new Commanding Officer and Regimental Ser-geant Major. A ceremonial parade was held on Sunday September 15 on the South Garden of Parkwood Estate.

Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek joined the Canadian Forces in 1979 by way of Le College militaire royal de Saint-Jean. In 1984, he graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada, with a Bachelor of Arts (Commerce) and was commissioned as a Second Lieu-tenant in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps. Upon completion of armoured training he became a member of The Royal Canadian Dragoons and was stationed in Lahr, West Germany. Upon return to Petawawa with the Dragoons in 1987, Captain Rostek spent one year as the Jump Troop Leader in the Recce Squadron. He then transferred to the Armoured School as a tactics in-structor, followed by tours in C Squadron, RCD (Tank) and MTSC Meaford. In his last Regimental tour, Major Rostek held the positions of OC B (Tank), OC Head-quarters and DCO. Following tours at Staff College Toronto and Army Headquarters Ottawa, Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek was transferred to the Australian Com-mand and Staff Course as Directing Staff. He returned to Canada in 2003 to undertake full time sponsored PhD studies, followed by a tour in the Canadian Army Land Warfare Centre. In November 2011, Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek’s 32 year military career in the Regular Force culminated in the completion of his doctorate, while leading a team researching the future strategic direction of the Canadian Army. Lieutenant-Colonel Rostek joined the Primary Reserve in November 2012 and is currently the Commanding Officer of The On-tario Regiment (RCAC).

In addition to his Doctorate (War Studies), Royal Military College of Canada, Lieutenant-Colonel Ros-tek holds two Master’s degrees—a Master’s of Man-agement in Defence Studies, University of Canberra, Australia and a Master’s of Arts (Defence Management and Policy), Royal Military College of Canada. He has served as the Executive Director of the RMC Club of Canada and returned to teaching in 2012 as a term As-sistant Professor at CFC Toronto. He holds Adjunct Faculty status at The Royal Military College of Canada and is a sessional Adjunct at Queen’s University.

Over 30 million mercury-con-taining lamps go to Ontario land-fills every year. Now there’s a solu-tion for business and institutions to

keep these lamps out of our land-fills. “Take Back The Light” cam-paign will be run in recognition of Waste Reduction Week in Ontario, held the third week of October ev-ery year.

The idea of the “Do it Right, Recycle your Light” campaign is to educate the Industrial, Commer-cial and Institutional sector during Waste Reduction Week, October 21 to 27, about the importance of recycling mercury-containing fluorescent lights and provide

guidance on how to get the lights properly recycled. Leading up to and during this week, employers

will be invited to register their lamp recycling activities, or to get more information about lamp recycling. They will also have the opportunity to download a ‘Recycle your Light’ Presentation and be encouraged to host a “lunch and learn” session for their employers to commemorate Waste Reduction Week.

Waste Reduction Week is a pro-gram of the Recycling Council of Ontario dedicated to educating resi-dents and businesses about reduc-ing waste and overconsumption. Visit www.takebackthelight.ca for more information.

Oshawa Generals Acquire Josh Sterk

The Ontario Regiment Welcomes New Command

Do It Right, Recycle Your Light

Do you stand out among your competitors? The Chamber is currently preparing the 2014 Business Directory & Buyer's Guide. Don't miss your opportunity to showcase your business to over 5700 key business decision makers. Place an ad in the Directory and raise the profile of your business.

All members receive a FREE listing in the printed Business Directory and Buyer’s Guide. Please ensure your information on file with the Chamber is accurate! Log in to the "Member Only" section to update your information at web.oshawachamber.com/portal

Advertising space is limited! For more information and advertising rates, contact Michelle Lea at 905-433-7854 or 905-728-1683.

GET NOTICED!

Photo by Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star ©


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Consider Rotary to Build Your Business Through Professional Networking and Community Service!

To Learn More About Rotary AND Be a Guest at our Weekly Meeting...visit www.rotaryoshawa-parkwood.org or CALL TODAY! Contact: Lennis Trotter, Membership Director

The Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood(905) 576-6869 or [email protected]

SUPPORT ROTARY CLUB OF OSHAWA-PARKWOOD

LIVE ACT(Formerly Class Act Dinner Theatre)

104 Consumers Drive, Whitby • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 – 6:00 PMThe Hilarious Comedy: “Christmas In Cancun”

TICKETS $65 PER PERSON - Call BOB KOSKI – (905) 655-4491Proceeds to Help local Charities

Channel 12 To Air 18th AnnualBusiness Excellence Awards

Members In the NewsMembers In the News

After six months of intense work Core21 officially opened its doors in the heart of downtown Oshawa on September 19th. Located at 21 Simcoe Street South, Core21 is Oshawa’s first co-working hub! It’s a place where small businesses, organizations and “solopre-neurs” share space and resources, keeping overhead low, and networking opportunities high. On hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony and to present a congratula-

tory plaque, from left to right, was Chamber Ambassa-dor Dean Lawrence of Speedpro Imaging, Core21 Vice President Denis O’Connell of Independent Project Man-agers, 2013 Chamber President Dan Carter of Channel 12, Chamber Ambassador Kevin Brady of Local Media Marketing Inc. and General Manager at Core21, Amy Gazdik. If you’re interested in co-working at Core21, visit www.core21.ca for more information.

Pearle Vision Oshawa celebrated the opening of its new location at 941 Taunton Road East (Smartcentre) in Oshawa on August 31st. On hand for the ribbon cut-ting ceremony and to present a congratulatory plaque, from left to right, was Dawnett Williams and Henry Van Grootel of Pearle Vision, Regional and Oshawa

City Councillor Bob Chapman, owners Dr. Nadia Khan with son Ibrahim Mustafa and Muqtidah Gulam with daughter Aliya Mustafa and Oshawa Mayor John Hen-ry. Congratulations, we wish you much success! Call (905) 728-3333 to book an eye exam today.

As one curtain sets, another begins to rise.Since 2001, Class Act Dinner Theatre in Whitby has

operated as a unique and successful live entertainment complex, presenting approximately 2,400 events and selling 275,000 tickets in that time. Live dinner theatre was the mainstay, but over time the competition for en-tertainment dollars had grown stronger and the need to evolve and adapt its business model became apparent.

This past summer, extensive renovations to the the-atre, located on Consumers Rd. in Whitby took place and included in those renovations was a new name and a new focus. As a result of merging Class Act with We Rock Entertainment, a 3 year old and rapidly growing

live event promotion company, they are proud to an-nounce the launch of LIVE ACT.CA.

Live Act will focus on bringing high quality live entertainment to Durham Region and across Ontario. With Live Act Whitby as a hub, their goal is to even-tually present hundreds of live events a year. In 2013 alone Live Act will launch a cross-Ontario tour with the legendary Ronnie Hawkins, present comedians Gilbert Goddfried, Greg Proops and Jackie “The Joke-man” Martling, plus launch “Canadian Storm” an all-new high quality male exotic dance review.

For more information on the new company and their events, please visit www.liveact.ca.

Core21 Opens In Downtown Oshawa

Pearle Vision Opens New Doors!

Class Act Changes Name!

The Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce celebrated business excellence in style on Thursday, September 26 at its 18th Annual Business Excellence Awards event held at the Regent Theatre in downtown Oshawa.

Congratulations once again to the 2013 recipients: Business Person of the Year

Norm Mackie of Mackie Moving SystemsBusiness Excellence

Dr. Angela Fountain and Associates Business Excellence

Rhythm Dynamix Dance & Performing Arts Innovation

GeoSight Inc.Civic Pride

McCAM Insurance Brokers Ltd. New Enterprise

Working It! Making Your Clothes Work For You Inc. President’s Award

Boys & Girls Club of Durham–Eastview Unit.Watch CHANNEL 12 on Thursday, October 17, 2013

from 7:30 PM to 8:00 PM for Award Highlights. Channel 12 can be viewed on Rogers Cable Channel 12;

Rogers Digital Channel 129 and Bell TV Channel 583 and Bell Fibe Channels 235 & 1235.

Photos and highlights of the Awards ceremony will be also be featured in the November issue of Business Matters, online and on YouTube at youtube.com/oshawachamber.

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Thursday, November 14, 2013Harmony Creek Golf Centre 1000 Bloor St., E., Oshawa

7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Members: $30.00 Plus HSTProspective Members: $40.00 Plus HST(Includes full buffet breakfast)

No agenda, no speaker, simply networking!

Lunch&Learn

5TH ANNUAL CURLING "FUN" SPIEL

Health, Dental & Life Insurance designed for Greater Oshawa Chamber Members and their Employees. Contact Peter Bocking at 1.800.361.6996 ext. 239 or visit www.buychamber.ca

UPCOMINGEVENTSTO REGISTER FOR A CHAMBER EVENT PLEASE FAX IN YOUR REGISTRATION FORM TO 905.432.1259, EMAIL TO [email protected]

OR PHONE 905.728.1683 TO HAVE A REGISTRATION FORM SENT TO YOU.

N E T W O R K I N G A T A G L A N C E

For complete details on these events, see the flyers in this edition of Business Matters or call the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce at 905-728-1683 to have a flyer emailed or faxed to you.

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.Topic: Tips For Making A More Effective Power Point Presentation

Facilitator: Adam Hare of Petley-Hare Insurance Brokers

Wednesday, November 13, 2013Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce Boardroom44 Richmond St. W., Ste. 100, Oshawa

This is a FREE MEMBERS ONLY benefit! Only 1 member per organization.Remember to bring your own lunch!

5TH ANNUAL CURLING "FUN" SPIELWednesday, November 6, 2013

Oshawa Golf & Curling Club,160 Alexandra Street, Oshawa

• 11:30 a.m. LUNCH • 12:30 p.m. 1st Draw

Team of 4: $140 (Plus HST) • Individual: $35 (Plus HST)Price includes two (2) four end games of curling, light lunch

and one (1) complimentary drink ticket.

&Sponsored By:

Women In BusinessWednesday, October 16, 2013

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. STAV’S Dining Emporium – 557 King St., E., Oshawa

Keynote Speaker: Carol Cavallari, The Table

Members: $40.00 (Plus HST)Prospective Members: $60.00 (Plus HST)

Great networking opportunities with your peers! THIS IS A WOMEN'S ONLY EVENT!

Pre-registration is required! Register ONLINE web.oshawachamber.com/events

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 • 4:00 pm – 7:00 pmQuality Hotel & Conference Centre1011 Bloor Street East, OshawaRegistration: $10.00 Plus HST (1 Ticket)Registration: $15.00 Plus HST (2 Tickets)Exhibitor Table: $45.00 Plus HST (Member’s only - includes two tickets)

This event sells out quickly! Register today!!!Hors d'ouevres & Cash Bar; VIA Rail Draw; Lots and lots of Door Prizes.

Hosted By:

2013 FALL BUSINESS SHOWCASE ‘A Business to Business Trade Show’Seminar Speaker:

Cate Collins, Powerful Journey

BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL LUNCHEON

Tuesday, November 12, 2013 • 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.Quality Hotel & Conference Centre - 1011 Bloor St., E., OshawaKeynote Speaker: Jonathan Dart, British Consul General Topic: How The UK & Canada Are Natural Partners In Civil Nuclear Power

Member: $45.00 Plus HSTProspective Member: $55.00 Plus HST

Sponsored By:

Visit web.oshawachamber.com/events to register online


Pre-registration is required! Register ONLINE web.oshawachamber.com/events Pre-registration is required! Register ONLINE web.oshawachamber.com/events


Pre-registration is required!Register ONLINE web.oshawachamber.com/events

MEMBER ORIENTATION

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 - 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.Chamber Boardroom, 44 Richmond Street W., Oshawa

Learn about the Chamber Member JumpStart Program and how to make FULL USE of your Chamber Membership...to find and connect with new customers, to expand your

knowledge and to help you MAKE MORE MONEY!

Bring promotional materials to display on the shared networking table. This is a FREE event open to everyone including Chamber members and their employees.


DID YOU KNOW?To make things easier… REGISTER ONLINE for any event at web.oshawachamber.com/event or scan the QR code!


New Members

Renewing Members

A.E. King Fitness ComplexAdecco Employment Services

LimitedAditya Birla MinacsAllstate Insurance CanadaApex AutoBobcat of Durham East Ltd.Canadian Flight Academy Ltd.Catherine Salmers, Barrister &

SolicitorCentennial Retirement ResidenceChartwell Wynfield Retirement

ResidenceCity Wide TaxiClinic Hearing CentreCorporate Aircraft Restorations, Inc.Courtice RoofingDeer Creek Golf Clubs

Durham College Communications, Marketing & External Relations

Durham Home Respiratory ServicesDurham Metro CourierDurham Region Association of

REALTORSDurham Region Unemployed Help

CentreGlazier Medical CentreGrandview Children's FoundationHabitat For Humanity Durham Inc.Hamlet Roofing Ltd.JCB Performance Solutions Inc.Lasting Expressions Floral Designs

With FlairMackie Moving SystemsMagnet Signs OshawaMauch's Pet Superstore

Maynard Mediation & Conflict Management

META Vocational Services Inc.Ontario Mapping Co.P.R. Engineering Ltd.Praxair Canada Inc.Salvation Army Oshawa Temple, TheSelframe (Oshawa) Inc.Singer CentreState Farm Insurance - Nina

Romano Insurance Agency Inc.Syvan Developments LimitedWebco Lighting Products Inc.Winexpert CourticeWorden Insurance & Financial

Services Ltd.Worlds Collide

Caltrans Logistics Inc.206 - 650 King Street EastOshawa, ON L1H 1G5Phone: (905) 926-8637www.caltrans.bizTransportationTami Calvert

Master Mechanic Oshawa274 King Street West Oshawa, ON L1J 2J9Phone: (905) 576-1360www.mastermechanic.caAuto Repairs & ServiceMichael Walker

Oshawa West Home Hardware400 King Street WestOshawa, ON L1J 2J9Phone: (905) 240-7877www.homehardwareexpert.comHardwareJohn Cameron

Sustainable Autonomous Living Technologies Inc.Serving the GTAPhone: (647) 495-8891www.saltsol.comRenewable Energy/FuelAnderson Cummins

To view all of the new members, please visit

www.oshawachamber.com and click on Member Services.

SAVE! Special Low Rates on processing fees on Visa, MasterCard and Interac for GreaterOshawa Chamber Members. Contact Karen Mann 1-877-394-5813 or [email protected]

We Service All Makes and Models

COOPER AUTO SERVICESINCE 1946

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22 Stevenson Rd. S. Oshawa L1J 5L9Tel: (905)-579-5531 EXT 231 (905)-427-0322

Fax: 905-579-4624

Be Found! Enhance Your Company Listing:Add Company Logo, Offer a Coupon &Feature Social Media Profiles

All members are invited to include a business description to their online company listing. When members do a keyword search, your description of specific information about the products and services you provide is

scanned for matches. Plus add a coupon or special offer in company listings.

Visit web.oshawachamber.com/portal to access your business listing today!

Save 3.5 cents per litre of gas with the Esso Advantage! We encourage members to shop local first, so what better way to encourage

members to do business with you than to offer an incentive! This is a FREE benefit of membership.

All Member to Member offers are available to Chamber members and their staff.

NEW! members can now add to a business listing links to company social media profiles for Facebook, linkedin, twitter, google+,you tube and more!

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) met with the Hon. James Moore, Minister of Industry early in September to discuss Canada’s anti-spam legisla-tion. As discussed within the network throughout the summer, the CCC believes the legislation has good in-tentions—after all, it is supposed to rid our country of the scourge of spam messages and malware. However there are problems: problems in finding appropriate so-lutions to unintended consequences derived from the structure and drafting of CASL.

The CCC has always supported the government’s efforts to reduce unwanted spam and malware and con-tinues to support the idea that consumers should have the choice in the messages they receive and control over the function of their computing devices. There are many options that consumers have at their disposal to exercise that control. But this legislation captures more than just spam and malware. It captures and makes il-legal virtually all electronic messages with any trace of anything commercial about it and software, unless they fall into narrow exceptions and attempts to use regu-lations to carve out more exceptions. This approach will always result in unintended consequences which continue long after this process is complete unless the main problems with the Act are fixed. Business needs certainty. The approach taken in this legislation does the opposite—it leaves much uncertainty.

More importantly, this approach will make compli-ance complicated and very costly. The vast majority of the Chamber’s network is small- to medium-sized busi-nesses. Many of these businesses are ill-equipped to manage the database requirements that will be necessary to comply with this law—forcing an otherwise unneces-sary investment in IT infrastructure. It would also be a significant distraction from their core business. Most of those companies will view this law as a tax on business.

Over the past nine months, various stakeholder groups, including the Canadian Chamber, have been working diligently with Industry Canada to find regu-latory solutions to providing the sought-after certainty. Not all the problems have yet been addressed.

The prescriptive nature of the Act prevents many creative solutions. Here is a list of what still needs to be solved:

• The fundamental definition of a commercial elec-tronic message is still unclear.

• Technology has changed. And the way companies distribute software is now fundamentally differ-ent than what had been envisioned even just a few years ago. “App” development, cloud computing and the evolution of mobile devices have created a platform for the distribution and updating of soft-ware that would make compliance with the con-sent requirements of CASL virtually impossible.

• The law reaches outside Canadian borders. Mes-sages or software sent from inside Canada to other jurisdictions are still subject to CASL.

• While there are several exemptions proposed for consent requirements, these do not cover all po-tential circumstances.

• Finally, the problems need to be solved in a way that guarantees their legal efficacy. Proposals to clarify the law through non-binding guidelines, regulatory impact statements and FAQs do not provide this certainty. Moreover, many of our members do not have the resources to piece all of this together to develop and workable compli-ance program.

Canada’s new anti-spam law has been passed, but is not yet in force. A specific date for coming into force of the law will be set in the coming months. Once in force, it will allow for investigations of alleged violations of the law. The minister and his department were urged to take the time to make the necessary amendments to the act that will enable a robust flow of ecommerce.

For more information, visit fightspam.gc.ca.

On September 17th, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued a report entitled $50 Million a Day. The report highlights how Canada’s lack of infrastructure is preventing Canadians from maxi-mizing their potential benefits in energy markets.

The fastest growing markets for oil and gas now lie in non-OECD nations; however, Canada cannot re-spond to this opportunity as it lacks the infrastructure to get energy to tidewater and overseas. This lack of market access has cost Canada as much as $50 Million a Day. Jobs, tax revenues and other economic benefits are all at stake.

Oil and gas, its transportation and its environmental and social impacts have become one of the most press-ing policy debates of the last few years. $50 Million a

Day lays out key facts every Canadian needs to under-stand about the issue. It is time to have a balanced dis-cussion about what it means to be an energy nation in the 21st century. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is committed to having this discussion and will kick it off during International Trade Day on October 29.

Visit www.oshawachamber.com to view this report.

Anti-Spam Legislation Discussed With Industry Minister

$50 Million A Day

Canadian Chamber of Commerce Update


In last month’s article I talked about tax saving strategies for cottage own-ers. In this month’s article, I talk about ways to keep the cottage in the family.

Any cottage owner will tell you that a cottage is more than just a house by a lake. There is a sort of magic that happens when a family comes together up at the cottage. Pre-cious memories forged over the years spent at the cottage can create a strong sentimental bond to that physical place, and as a result cottage own-ers will often want to take measures to strengthen this bond by ensuring that the cottage is kept within the family after they are gone. Unfortunately, all too often the transfer or gift of a cottage to children or family members has both unplanned financial and personal results.

There may be many factors that influence your own desire to keep your

cottage in the family. But before making the deci-sion to transfer or gift the property to your children, you may want to first reflect on what inheriting the cot-tage could mean to them. Ask yourself whether your children have shown an in-terest in owning the prop-erty or whether they are indifferent. Also, consider whether you anticipate fu-ture conflict between sib-lings when they eventually share not just the cottage, but also its upkeep. An open discussion with your children in advance of un-dertaking any financial planning may be needed to ensure that the cottage will not become a source of family disputes.

If you do decide to trans-fer the cottage to your children, there are several ways to accomplish this:Use Of A Personal Trust

A popular option for dealing with succession is through the use of a trust. A trust allows you to sepa-rate the control and man-agement of an asset from its ownership. An inter-vi-vos trust can allow you to gift ownership of your cot-tage to your beneficiaries, most often your children, while still allowing you to

enjoy the continued use of the cottage. When you transfer your cottage to a trust for the benefit of your children (or other benefi-ciaries), there is a deemed disposition at fair market value. As discussed in last month’s article, you may decide to shelt er any gain by using your principal residence exemption. As well, every 21 years there will be a deemed disposi-tion of the trust property at fair market value. Taxes will have to be paid on the accrued gain at that time if the trust still owns the property. An exception to both of these deemed dis-positions is a transfer to either an “alter ego” or a “joint partner” trust.

If the cottage is sold by the trust, rather than distributed to the ben-eficiaries, there will be a disposition for income tax purposes and taxes will become payable. The trust can claim the principal residence exemption to shelter any gains, but bear in mind that in doing so, this may cause problems for the beneficiaries of the trust. The trust’s designa-tion of the cottage as a principal residence for a given year may preclude

each beneficiary from des-ignating his or her own home for that year. This could affect how your chil-dren will be able to shelter future gains on their own houses. Conversely, if a beneficiary already desig-nated another property for any of the relevant years, this may prevent the trust from designating the cot-tage as a principal resi-dence for those years.

A significant benefit of holding a cottage in an inter-vivos trust is that probate fees can be avoided on your death, in provinces where they apply. This is because property held within a trust is not considered to be part of your estate.

A testamentary trust, or a trust that is set up in your will and comes into effect on your death, can be used to pass ownership of the cottage to your chil-dren after you die. At the time of your death, your cottage will be deemed to be disposed of for fair market value consideration and your estate will pay tax on the accrued gain. (An exception to the deemed disposition rules would be if your assets transfer directly to your spouse or to a spousal trust, as this

transfer would occur on a tax-free basis). Should there be a taxable gain, the principal residence exemption may be used to shelter all or a portion of that gain, if available. After death, the cottage will be an asset of the testamen-tary trust.

A benefit of a testamen-tary trust is that it is treated as an individual for income tax purposes, and thus enjoys access to gradu-ated tax rates. Note, how-ever, that the 2013 federal budget announced the government’s intention to consult on the possibility of eliminating this benefit.

If you decide to be-queath the cottage to your beneficiaries after you die, you may wish to consider purchasing a life insurance policy to pay for the taxes that will become payable on the deemed disposition at death.Joint Tenancy With The Right Of Survivorship

Another option to consider is transferring ownership of the cottage directly to your children during your lifetime. You can accomplish this by transferring title into joint ownership with the right of survivorship. This means that on the death of one owner, the cottage simply transfers into the hands of the joint owner, thereby bypassing the estate and avoiding probate. The transfer of a cottage into joint tenancy may consti-tute a partial disposition for tax purposes, and will generally trigger the re-alization of a capital gain if the property has in-creased in value. An ex-ception to this would be if you transfer joint tenancy to your spouse.

Note that there may be future implications to claiming the principal resi-dence exemption when this option is used. In ad-dition, there will be legal and other implications to entering into a joint ten-ancy agreement with your children since you will no longer be the sole owner of the property.Sell The Cottage To Your Children In Your Lifetime

You could also con-sider the outright sale of your cottage to your chil-dren. Again, there will be a disposition for income tax purposes at the time that you sell the property. The capital gain will be com-

puted based on the fair market value of the prop-erty regardless of the price you actually sold the prop-erty to your children for, since the sale is consid-ered to take place between “non-arm’s length” parties. Note that if you sell your cottage to your children for less than fair market value, not only will you still pay tax as though you received fair market value, but your children will have an ACB equal to the amount they paid, possibly resulting in double taxation.

Another planning strat-egy to keep in mind may be spreading out the gain on a sale to your children over five years. By receiv-ing proceeds for the sale over this period, you may be able to utilize the capi-tal gains reserve. In this way, you can spread out the taxation of the capital gain over time rather than having to pay tax on it all in one year.A Final Word

A cottage is more than just a sum of its parts. There is that intangible el-ement — the little bit of en-chantment that transforms the cottage into a special place. It’s not surprising then that cottage owners want to see that magic extend beyond them to future generations. There are many ways in which to accomplish this goal. Bear in mind that the decision to transfer or gift a cottage to future generations is not always easy, and suc-cessfully doing so requires a commitment to consider both the emotional and fi-nancial aspects of the de-cision making process.

Your BDO advisor can help you ensure that passing on the cottage doesn’t turn the place that brings your family together into the place that poten-tially tears them apart.

If you have any ques-tions related to the forego-ing, please contact our of-fice at 905-576-3430.

This material is general in nature and should not be relied upon to replace the requirement for spe-cific professional advice.

This article is from a BDO Tax Factor 2013-06, a publication by BDO Canada © BDO 2013.

Submitted by Clyde Catton, BBA, CPA, CA, Tax Partner

Clyde Catton

THE FAMILY COTTAGE: TIPS FOR SUCCESSION PLANNING

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Between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2012, a total of 1,015 companies and individuals were convicted under the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s Employment Standards Act, incurring big fines and public shaming on the ministry website.

Of all individuals named in these cases, none were HRPA members.

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