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Virtual Voice of Business
August 18, 2009
Your Chamber - Right Now This week the GSCC is encouraging you to review the Final Proposed Accessible Information and Communications Standard, as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. It is on the Ministry of Community and Social Services’ website. It will govern how a business and organization prevent and remove barriers for people with disabilities. The rules are available online for public review until October 16, 2009. The proposed standard will affect all new construction and extensive renovations for every aspect of a building, including: - Entrances, doorways, ramps, stairs
- Curbs, crossings, exterior furniture
- Washrooms, showers, drinking fountains
- Signage, telephones
- Air quality, acoustics, lighting
New buildings must follow the standard within 12 months of it coming into force; existing buildings must follow the standard 12 to 36 months after enforcement.
Chamber EventsFind out what your Chamber has planned for the coming weeks!
City Council Last week city council resumed meetings after a brief summer recess. There were a number of issues on the agenda: - Flood disaster relief
- Grace Hartman Amphitheatre redesign and retrofit
- Taxi Tariff
- City of Greater Sudbury’s Accessibility Plan
- Status of Huron Central Railway
1. City Council unanimously voted to submit a request to the province seeking ‘disaster relief status’ under the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program. The program requires communities to raise one-third of the total disaster relief funding for local residents. Fundraising must be overseen by a local disaster relief committee that must meet specific regulations, including registration as an official charity and retention of an independent insurance adjuster and auditor. A response from the province is expected in the coming weeks. 2. The Grace Hartman Amphitheatre has been granted $5 million through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund. This fund is equally supported through Provincial, Federal and Municipal contributions. The RFP for preparing the conceptual and detailed design was awarded to Castellan James and Partners Architects Inc. The resulting design will reflect input received during a community consultation process involving amphitheatre users, community members, City Council and staff. 3. Council is reviewing the taxi tariff that local companies pay when seeking to operate in the city. Council delayed a decision on whether to raise the rate until it can determine whether taxi companies are meeting their obligations for late night weekend service in the downtown core. 4. A final draft plan was presented to council outlining how the city is intending to meet the regulations set out by the provincial Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The proposed plan was the result of the City’s Accessibility Advisory Panel recommendations. For more information on when the final plan will be available, contact 311. 5. Rick Poznikoff, Manager of Community Relations for Canadian Pacific updated city council on the status of the planned termination of service on the Huron Central Railway corridor between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. However, late last Friday, an agreement was reached between officials from Essar Steel Algoma, Domtar and the city of Sault Ste. Marie to save the rail line. The one-year deal, valued at $15.9 million, will see the majority come from the major users of the line, mostly Essar and Domtar, to upgrade the track while the federal and provincial governments, through FedNor and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., will support the remaining infrastructure capital.
Wind turbines coming to Greater Sudbury Canadian Shield Wind Power (CSWP), a Northern Ontario based renewable energy company is planning on constructing two 1.65 MW wind turbines – one near the Big Nickel and the other near highway 69 north. These two medium sized wind turbines will be part of a larger effort to establish small, medium and large-scale wind farms around Northern Ontario. CSWP's ultimate goal is to produce 150-250 MW of wind power throughout the north. To learn more about these two projects, your invited to attend a public information session on the proposed sites. Project details and the results of an environmental assessment will be unveiled. Afternoon session: Tuesday August 25th 2009 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Knight’s Inn, 1145 Lorne Street, Conference Room Evening session: Tuesday, August 25th 2009 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Dynamic Earth, 122 Big Nickel Mine Road, Main Conference Room
Hydro One Applies for Rate Increase Hydro One Networks Inc., has filed an application to the Ontario Energy Board to change the rates that it charges for electricity distribution. The proposed dates for the change would occur on January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2011. Delivery charges are one of four regular items on residential and commercial customers’ electricity bills. If the application is approved, an average customer would experience an increase on the delivery portion of their bill of approximately 9.5 per cent in 2010 and 13.3 percent in 2011. Copies of the application may be viewed by visiting www.HydroOneNetworks.com. Individuals may also participate in this application process in three ways: - Submit a letter with your comments to the Board of Hydro One; comments must be made no later than September 15th.
- Become an observer; request observer status and you will receive any and all documents issued by the Board; this request must be made in writing no later than August 27th.
- Become an intervener; you must submit a letter of request by August 27th to the Board outlining how you may be affected by this change and if you represent a particular organization.
Ontario Chamber of Commerce News Do you have a plan to deal with multiple sick employees? As the flu season nears and the H1N1 virus spreads, the OCC wants to make sure businesses are prepared. Check here for your pandemic plan.
Traffic and Construction Report
What's happening this week?
Red Tip As a manager, one of your key responsibilities is to inspire your team -- to motivate them to give their best on the job, make difficult changes, and overcome major obstacles. Your communication skills can make or break your ability to provide inspiration. To sharpen up, practice framing a call to action as a challenge; for example, "We can turn our struggling business unit around." This approach lets your people know that if they want a new and better team, they'll have to work for it. You'll lead the charge, but you need their support. As you present the challenge, communicate a sense of hope. It will help your team push through the tough choices necessary to survive and succeed in the current climate.
KUDOS!
Congratulations to Northern Communications for winning the 2009 Award of Excellence at the Association of TeleServices International annual convention in Pittsburgh. An expert panel reviewed six months of data that included call handling skills, courtesy, response time and accuracy to determine a winner. Northern Communications scored 80% or better in all categories.
Northern Communications provides a variety of services including, 24 message service, fire dispatch and burglar alarms. Congrats!
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