Grassroots advocacy is at the heart of what a Chamber of Commerce does

​With a population of nearly 150,000 and several thousand business, non-profits and charities in Peterborough and the Kawarthas, it can be challenging for our elected leaders to connect with local issues.
 
In many instances, business issues mirror those of the community as a whole, including housing challenges, access to decent high-speed internet, the shortcomings of our healthcare system, and addressing poverty issues the region is struggling with.
 
We bring elected leaders here to directly hear from the local business community. Recently, we held round table discussions with provincial ministry representatives on submissions for the Ontario budget and supporting women in business with a focus on trades and STEM careers. In the fall, we held nine election debates for the community to engage with candidates.
 
Coming up on February 24 we are hosting our signature Power Hour event from 11 am to 2 pm. After several years of Zoom, we’re back in person at The Stonehouse Hall for a luncheon and live panel discussion with Peterborough-Kawartha MP Michelle Ferreri, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith, County of Peterborough Warden Bonnie Clark, and City of Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal. The local business community can submit questions ahead of time or provide written submissions from the floor. Get your tickets by Friday to get the early bird special pricing!
 
As a Chamber, we pull together local solutions and advocate for them with government leaders through things like policy resolutions, letter campaigns, discussions with relevant ministries, and one-on-one chats with the decision makers.
 
Our current round of proposed policy resolutions for the Ontario government include:
• Diversifying healthcare options to ease the burden on Emergency Rooms and family doctors
• Creating tax credits for home care to make it easier for people to afford to get the care they need in their own homes
• Investing in our local workforce planning boards so employers can get the up-to-date resources they need
• Encouraging regional collaboration by developing a mechanism that allows for multiple municipalities who have invested in a regionally significant project to account for jobs created proportional to financial contribution when reporting to government
 
In March, we head to Queen’s Park for some dedicated time with provincial decision makers to highlight pressing issues from our local business community.
 
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce is one of a host of local voices advocating for our community. We are proud to count many local non-profit organizations within our membership. In fact, we recently started a dedicated non-profit group to help organizations engage each other, access the resources they need, and work together toward common goals. The group meets regularly to feature knowledgeable speakers, host presentations, and provide networking opportunities and idea sharing. Our goal is to work together to help each other improve our community through our not-for-profit sector.
 
If you would like to have input on and get involved with our grassroots advocacy efforts, please reach out to myself or the rest of the Chamber team.