Hamilton, ON, April 23^rd, 2015 — The Hamilton Chamber of Commerce applauds the Ontario Government for formalizing its commitment to a fully funded Rapid Transit project in Hamilton in the 2015 Budget tabled today. However, the Hamilton Chamber is also hoping to receive clarification on details of the budgetary allocation in the near future.

“The Hamilton Chamber is fully behind the business case for the B-Line Light Rail project and would strongly urge the City of Hamilton and Province of Ontario to come to go forward with this crucial city building investment.” said Keanin Loomis, President & CEO Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. “As a community we strongly believe our economic potential and population projections are competitive with the City of Brampton, Mississauga and Kitchener-Waterloo, which are recent recipients of LRT funding.”

The Chamber is also encouraged to see the renewal of the Youth Employment Fund, Support for Advanced Manufacturing and Health Technology

While the Chamber was pleased to hear the 2015 Budget does not contain any commercial tax increases or significant cuts to services, the budget doesn’t go far enough to address the growing burden on businesses and get the province’s fiscal house back in order.

For example, the Budget 2015 provides little in the way of clarity for employers on the details of the ORPP. The Chamber would like to reiterate on government to develop a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the ORPP on businesses and to re-examine the narrow exemption rules it has in place.

Additionally, the Chamber was disappointed to see no commitment from the province on the Highway 6 Bypass Project near the village of Morriston. The proposed Bypass was in a crucial goods and people movement corridor for businesses in Hamilton and the rest of Ontario.

“While the budget didn’t include any direct wins for the City of Hamilton, we hope to continue to work with the Province on topics pertinent to us, including the US Steel Pension fund, Goods and People Movement Infrastructure, Public Transit, Workforce Development and support for Knowledge Clusters” added Loomis.

To read the Chamber’s pre-budget submission please visit: http://goo.gl/YHiqSK

To read the budget analysis from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce please visit: http://www.occ.ca/rapid-policy-update/2015-ontario-budget-analysis/

Established in 1845, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce is the definitive “Voice of Hamilton Business”. Representing over 1000 members and 75,000 employees, it champions the interests of ethical, free enterprise by effectively engaging business, community, and government leaders in the promotion of the long-term economic prosperity of our region.

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For more information, contact:

Huzaifa Saeed | h.saeed@hamiltonchamber.ca | T: 905-522-1151 ext: 230 | C: 905-220-3030

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