West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
288 Station Street L0R 2A0 Smithville, ON, Canada

Happy Holidays from the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce!!

Join us on Wednesday, December 16 from 12-2 PM to connect with your Regional Councillors at our Virtual Town Hall, where they will touch on the Region's activities over the past year! Don't forget to register here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg

Not able to make it to this afternoon's Virtual Town Hall? Here's a link where you can find the recording and hear our Regional Councillors discuss their activities this year! www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mIr_pXHjD0

You won’t want to miss these great daily specials from our local Beamsville Pizza Hut!

#DidYouKnow? Big Country Raw is a family owned business that is extremely proud to be Canada’s largest raw pet food manufacturer and employ over 100 people in O...ntario. Their products, sold in over 900 Pet Specialty Retailers across Canada, have received several awards including being listed as one of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2019 and 2020 by Canadian Business Magazine. Another significant accomplishment for Big Country Raw is the introduction of paperboard packaging. They are the first and only raw pet food company within Canada to be using a non-plastic packaging solution. The company is committed to continuing to invest in more sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging option for their products. #OntarioMade #SupportOntarioMade #mfgmatters West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce West Lincoln Township

Thank you to our West Lincoln Kiwanis Club, who made an incredible $1000 donation to our Chamber’s Toonies for Toys campaign in support of West Lincoln Community Care’s families in need. On behalf of the Chamber, thank you so much for your generosity, it's sincerely appreciated! If you see our toonie bottles (located in most businesses throughout West Lincoln) please take a moment to donate what you can!

This year, in lieu of the Santa Claus parade, West Lincoln is hosting a holiday lighting and décor contest for residents! For more information, check out this flyer or visit www.wlparade.com

REMINDER: Free Webinar Tomorrow (Dec. 1) at 10 a.m. Creating Your Business Model Join us to learn how to evaluate your business idea and the value you intend to... provide and help understanding what the next steps are to move forward. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.investinstc.ca/site/training-and-seminars

Visit Gaeta Farms and Greenhouses this Saturday and buy some delicious fudge from Alexander's Fudge. Would be a great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer. Chris Alexander will donate 100% of the proceeds to West Lincoln Community Care!

If you spot these bottles around West Lincoln, please support the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Toonie Toy Drive campaign! Help West Lincoln Community Care provide a Christmas program for neighbours in need of assistance. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone who joined the West Niagara Chambers of Commerce today at our Town Hall with Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West and Rod Phillips, Ontari...o Finance Minister. Our guest speakers took questions from our attendees regarding Ontario’s new budget and other aspects of support for businesses. Thank you Sam and Minister Phillips for taking the time to speak to our members here in Grimsby, Lincoln, and West Lincoln. We appreciate your engagement with our communities!

Contact Denise at [email protected] if you did not receive your invite.

A great morning of learning, idea sharing and networking.

To all our West Lincoln Chamber members, I'm pleased to advise that our chamber office is now open! I've been working remotely from home these past months, as many of you also have, and it feels good to be back. For the immediate future we cannot accept walk in visitors, so please call or e-mail to make an appointment. I look forward to seeing many of you again. And please remember to reach out if there is anything our chamber can do for you. We are here for you...

Get in the mood for fall with these Harvest Routes Workshops!

As of August 31, 2020, small businesses and registered charities can apply for funding through their electricity and natural gas utilities or unit sub-meter providers (USMPs). Please note that CEAP-SB funding is limited, and utilities and USMPs will process applications in the order in which they are received. Submitting an application for CEAP-SB does not guarantee funding. Full program details including eligibility criteria, on-bill credit amounts and application processes are available at oeb.ca/CEAP.

Our latest Resources for Reopening Joint Newsletter from the West Niagara Chambers of Commerce went out this morning. Have you read it yet? Read it here: https:...//conta.cc/2Qo16GA If you didn't see it in your inbox, check your spam folder and be sure to add the following email address to your safe-send or contact list: [email protected] Contact us to subscribe!

Check out the latest edition of the West Niagara Chambers of Commerce Resources for Reopening for information on the changes to CEWS, mandatory mask signage, and more. Read it here: https://conta.cc/2CkOyfK

Have you read the latest West Niagara Chambers of Commerce Resources for Reopening Your Business newsletter yet? Read it here: https://conta.cc/2X66lhH Want to receive these newsletters? Contact us to subscribe!

Tomorrow is the day! Help your local economy and shop local tomorrow. Check out www.thebigspend.com for more info.

Masks will be mandatory in the Niagara Region effective July 31st in all indoor public spaces.

Have you read the latest West Niagara Chambers of Commerce newsletter yet? Access it now: https://conta.cc/30edVYk Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce... West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce See more

Shop local please !

On July 25th let's all spend local! Head over to www.thebigspend.com to find out how you can help boost our local economy and see the direct impact we can have on the Canadian economy.

Big Brothers & Big Sisters of North & West Niagara are holding an event for recent grads that we feel is a great initiative. Follow the link for more details! https://bbbsmentors.ca/big-celebration/

Part of our strength lies in the great partnerships we have!

We now have a clearer picture of the local impact COVID-19 has had on #Niagara’s business community, thanks to the completion of its second Business Impact Su...rvey by Niagara’s Economic Rapid Response Team. Learn more by visiting: https://bit.ly/31h6NMU Respondents shared the effects COVID-19 has had on several aspects of their businesses, including employment, revenue and expenses, and business status as well as their future outlook and recovery. ------------------------------------------------------------------ City of St. Catharines City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada - Government City of Port Colborne City of Welland West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Camden Town Town of Grimsby Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake City of Thorold Wainfleet Township Town of Lincoln, Ontario Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce Niagara Region

Doing our part to keep our community safe!

Since our distribution of free face shields to businesses last week, we have had several requests from businesses, who weren't able to be at our chamber office during those designated dates, to provide another opportunity to get their face shields. So we are doing just that! The Township of West Lincoln and the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide two (2) free face shields to West Lincoln businesses. So, if you have not received yours yet, do come by our... Chamber office at the Smithville Train Station, which is located at 288 Station St., this Saturday, June 13th from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.. To be safe for all, this will be curb side pick up, so please, upon arrival, stay in your car/truck and lower your passenger side window so that we are able to check off your business as having received your free shields and provide them to you while maintaining the social distancing policy specified by the Ontario government. If you require more than the 2 free face shields being provided to you, you may email the Chamber at: [email protected] , indicating the quantity you’d like to purchase, at a cost of $7.00 each. We would require these orders to be received in writing, no later than noon on Monday June 15th. Thank you and continue to stay safe. All the best in moving your business forward!

Ontario Helps Manufacturers Ramp Up Production of Personal Protective Equipment.

Ontario Improving Broadband and Cell Service for Rural Communities. Connecting Residents and Businesses to the 21st Century Digital Economy Essential for Recovery after COVID-19

Ontario Permits More Businesses and Services to Reopen in the Coming Days - Restrictions Being Eased in Communities Where It Is Safe to Do So

PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT The Township of West Lincoln and the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to provide two (2) FREE face shields to West Lincoln businesses. They will be available for you to pick up at the Chamber Office at the Smithville Train Station, 288 Station St. on Friday, June 5th from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.. We do want it to be safe for all, so please, upon arrival, stay in your car/truck and lower your passenger side window so that we are able to ...check off your business as having received your free shields. We can then provide them to you while maintaining the social distancing policy specified by the Ontario government. If you are unable to pick your face shields up on Friday, we have another opportunity on Saturday, June 6th from 10 a.m. until noon. If you require more than the 2 free face shields, you may email the Chamber at: [email protected], indicating the quantity you’d like to purchase, at a cost of $7.00 each. We would require these orders to be received in writing, no later than Monday June 8th. Thank you and continue to stay safe. All the best in moving your business forward!

www.westlincoln.ca has officially launched today! Congratulations to the Township on their redesign.

Please support our local businesses. Thanks

Before you place that order online, think local first! Share if you agree and let’s support our local businesses who live and employ within our community.

The Township of West Lincoln has just made a soft launch of their redesigned website. Please head over to www.westlincoln.ca and give it a look!

We’re offering 62 grants of $10,000 each to Canadian SMEs that have been affected by COVID-19 to help them recover and support their resilience. Applications op...en Monday, June 1 and close Friday, June 12. More info: https://www.canadianbusinessresiliencenetwork.ca/smallbusi/ Nous offrons 62 subventions de 10 000 $ chacune aux PME canadiennes qui ont été touchées par la COVID-19 pour les aider à se rétablir et à soutenir leur résilience. Les candidatures sont acceptées du lundi 1er juin au vendredi 12 juin. Pour en savoir plus visitez le site : https://www.reseauderesiliencedesentreprisescanadiennes.ca/

As our economy begins to reopen, many #Cdnbiz will need to access PPE to help keep their customers and staff safe from #COVID19. To help address this problem, C...anadian industry has contributed to the creation of the Rapid Response Platform (RRP Canada). RRP Canada is free to use and provides a matchmaking service to ‘connect the dots’ between manufacturers and businesses in need of PPE. Learn more in our recent blog post: https://www.canadianbusinessresiliencenetwork.ca//new-ppe/ #BizResilience - Alors que notre économie commence à rouvrir, de nombreuses entreprises devront avoir accès aux équipements de protection individuelle pour aider leurs clients et leur personnel à se protéger de la COVID-19. Pour aider à résoudre ce problème, l’industrie canadienne a contribué à la création de la plate-forme d’intervention rapide (RRP Canada). RRP Canada est gratuit et fournit un service de jumelage permettant de faire le pont entre les fabricants et les entreprises qui ont besoin d’EPI. En savoir plus sur notre blog : https://www.reseauderesiliencedesentreprisescanadiennes.ca/

The phrase supply chain resiliency is increasingly what people see when looking into their economic crystal ball. Yet, it is not as simple. Read our latest bl...og to find out the incentives needed to induce a change in supply chains. https://www.canadianbusinessresiliencenetwork.ca//comment/ #BizResilience See more

WEBINAR: Join us & BDC's Chief Economist Pierre Cléroux along with Advisory Services Executive Vice President Peter Lawler on Tuesday, June 2 to discuss what business owners should be doing now as they ramp up operations in the wake of #COVID19 https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/106796928488

Interested in how your business can utilize BarterPay? Join them tomorrow in this free webinar. https://us02web.zoom.us//tZIpc--qpzIsHtE3jcnyNlf1z6KR7HelL

Webinar - Ask Me Anything: The Virtual Interview Tickets, Tue, 26 May 2020 at 2:00 PM | Communitech

Today at 10:15am - Virtual Townhall with the Hon. Mélanie Joly, with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Today at 10:15am

Ontario has announced new programs with a focus on hospitality workers and apprentices. https://buff.ly/2A4JElp

Preparing to reopen? The Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Business Resiliency Network have created a reopening toolkit for you. https://www.canadianbusinessresiliencenetwork.ca//toolkit/

Can you help? Maplecrest Retirement Village fundraiser Bottle/Can Drive to support Rose Cottage Visiting Volunteers: May 21 & 22 9AM- 4PM

Today, we released more details of our framework to reopen our province. We’re preparing employers, workers and families with the information they need to reopen for stage 1 on May 19. Find out more at Ontario.ca/reopen

Haven’t been able to access existing federal support? Your business could qualify for an interest-free loan through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund. For more information: buff.ly/3byxLBp

Video Conference - Economic Update What will re-opening our economy look like here in Niagara? The Chambers of Commerce invite M.P. Vance Badawey, M.P. Tony Ba...ldinelli, M.P.P. Sam Oosterhoff, and M.P.P. Wayne Gates to the discussion. Date: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 Time: 2:00 PM 3:30 PM Brought to you by: Fort Erie Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce Niagara Falls, Canada, PCW Chamber of Commerce, Welland/Pelham Chamber of Commerce, Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Beamsville, Niagara Board of Trade & Commerce, West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. Sponsored by: B4 Networks Inc., #growthassociates, The Niagara Independent Register: http://ow.ly/JFy950zFjOm

Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Beamsville has extended an invite to all of our members to attend their Business Before 9 Virtual Networking Event. Registration is required.

The OCC is presenting a webinar on clarifying info regarding various government relief programs for those interested.

Eligible employers may now apply for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)! The easiest way to apply now is via: My Business Account Represent a client... (for tax preparers) Alternatively, businesses can apply via our web form with their web access code. http://ow.ly/eBud50zpwTx No need to rush to apply today as all applications will be processed on May 4th. Employers can apply at a time that’s convenient for them!

This week's update from the West Niagara Chambers of Commerce has information on: - Niagara's COVID-19 growth curve - Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent A...ssistance Program - Ontario's plan to re-open - And more! Click here to ready it now: https://conta.cc/2yerSM3 Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce

We are proud to sponsor the upcoming webinar featuring Minister Joly with the Ministry of Economic Development & Official Languages. Register here: https://videoconferencewithministerjoly.eventbrite.ca/

Please consider supporting this weekends Kids Care Food Drive in support of Community Care.

For those in need during this time we encourage you to reach out to West Lincoln Community Care.

Today we observe the National Day of Mourning to honour those who have died, were injured or became ill on the job.

Another great upcoming webinar from Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan.

A message from our President

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, and the need for businesses to adapt and find new and innovative ways to remain competitive, the Niagara Region is going to launch the OpenInNiagara website. This website has been designed to crowdsource information and let people and businesses advertise what’s open and how they are delivering their services. Feel free to check it out here (not compatible with Internet Explorer): Copy and paste the link below into your browser. www.OpenInN...iagara.ca www.OpenInNiagara.com

We’re excited to announce our next webinar, How to Be a Great Remote Teammate, this Thursday at 1 pm CDT. After overwhelmingly positive feedback following her w...ebinar with us last week, Jane Helbrecht from Acuity HR Solutions is joining us once again to share tips on how to be a stellar contributor to your remote team, including best practices for communication, managing expectations and structuring your day. If you’re unable to attend the webinar, we encourage you to register and you will receive a copy of the webinar once it’s completed. Register here: https://johnstongroup.zoom.us//r/WN_cMTOBOv3S5eR8lcBtHKdxQ

Webinar tomorrow at 1:00 pm EST for an ENTREPRENEUR Town Hall. Join Dean Allison, Member of Parliament for Niagara West for this important conversation: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xL9vpkSqSwm2lJowvtAG8A

Happening today at 12pm. There is still time to register for the Ontario Chamber of Commerce info session about accessing BCAP (Business Credit Availability Program) and capital loans.