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NEWS OCC CEO lashes out at province • Continued from page 20 chamber fears could have a net-negative impact on economic growth given the majority of the businesses in the province are small businesses. • The production of goods and services repre­ sents a shrinking contribu­ tor to business prosperity. • The idea that Ontario has low unemployment is inaccurate as more indi­ viduals remove them­ selves from the workforce or simply give up the search. The report said the percentage of Ontarians not participating in the la­ bour force is at a recent high of 35 per cent, which in turn is contributing to employers' struggle to at­ tract talent."This impor­ tant report identifies key vulnerabilities within our economy and provides de­ cision-makers and com­ munity leaders with the understanding needed to find the solutions that will drive our economy for­ ward," said Ken Nevar, chair of the board, Oak­ ville Chamber of Commer- ce"This year, the Ontario Chamber Network will continue to engage and ad­ vocate on behalf of Onta­ rio's business community to explore these issues and develop the necessary so­ lutions for a more prosper­ ous Ontario." The Oakville chamber's new president Drew Red­ den also weighed in on the report. "Looking at businesses in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, 66 per cent said they are confident in their organization's eco­ nomic outlook, while only 35 per cent said they are confident in the province's economic outlook," he said. "Seventy-five per cent of these businesses cited poor economic policy from the government as a rea­ son why they are uncer­ tain with Ontario's eco­ nomic outlook. The Oak­ ville chamber looks for­ ward to meeting with government officials to discuss economic policies that will facilitate growth for the province's econo­ my. Many of those are out­ lined in the Ontario Cham­ ber Network's Vote Pros­ perity platform." Ontario chamber presi­ dent and CEO Rocco Rossi also lashed out at the prov­ ince. "Industry in Ontario are feeling the impact of the rising minimum wage, sig­ nificant labour reforms, increased global and U.S. competition, NAFTA rene­ gotiations, consistent overregulation, rising in­ put costs, and challenges to accessing talent," he said. "This year's OER indi­ cates that these challenges are creating a climate of low business confidence that will compromise the province's future prosperi­ ty." For more information on the OER, visit www.occ.ca/ontario-eco- nomic-report. YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS Employee Benefits Solutions for Small to Medium Sized Businesses • Be in control of your employee benefits program. • Reduce costs, not benefits. • Improve plan management. • Understand the potential impact of your liabilities and how to mitigate the risk. As a full service benefits advisor, we save you time, money and provide peace of mind. Call us to arrange a no obligation consultation. 289 -430 -6185 m ichael@ m bsecurefinancial.com www.mbsecurefinancial.com Michael Barrow Be-auti-ful Sl(th) Nfa£uraUy Pure + Simple Oakville-Mississauga 3 - 1 1 4 0 Winston Churchill Blvd. I 905.829 OM@pureandsimple.ca n @ P ureA n . £ M u h y w t i t h e ' b e j f c ' Bliss Lift Facial Love your skin. Say "Yes!" to revitalizing your skin with extra massage time + a lifting High Frequency treatment. Try this facial at the irresistible price of $95 this month only! (reg. $135) Pure + Simple n o w i n Oakville-Mississauga! ^ BRING IN THIS AD + GET $20 OFF YOUR 1ST FACIAL! J * o n ly v a lid f o r 1s t t im e c lie n ts + on r e g u la r p r ic e d fa c ia ls . f t Clear Complexion Facial ft Fall in love with your skin. Smooth, clear skin with an exfoliating natural peel + healing LED Light treatment. Try this facial at the irresistible price of $139 this month only! (reg. $159) More Facial + Product Specials at p u r e a n d s i m p l e . c a *Offers valid until Feb 28, 2018 CM | O akville B eaver | Thursday, February 15, 2018 insidehalton.com http://www.occ.ca/ontario-eco-nomic-report http://www.occ.ca/ontario-eco-nomic-report mailto:michael@mbsecurefinancial.com http://www.mbsecurefinancial.com mailto:OM@pureandsimple.ca OCC CEO lashes out at province