BEDC E-Newsletter
January - February
Innovation Centre Scheduled to Open in June
The outside of 5500 North Service Road.
At his State of the City Address on January 25th, Mayor Rick Goldring announced that BEDC will lead the development of an Innovation Centre, scheduled to open in June 2017. The space will provide the local start-up community with direct access to programming, mentorship, and support. There will also be exciting opportunities for existing businesses to tap into talent, technology, and resources.
 
A lease has been signed at 5500 North Service Road for just over 8,600 square feet. Here at BEDC, we are hard at work on the design of the space, and engaging with key partners on programming and service delivery details. Sponsorship opportunities will be available. If your company is interested in exploring these opportunities further, please send an email to [email protected].
 
For more information, please visit the BEDC website here, and check out the update in Mayor Goldring's blog here.
Burlington's Population is Growing! 
Statistics Canada released population and dwelling counts from the 2016 Census Data i n early February.  The data shows that since 2011 Burlington had a population increase of 4.3%, bringing our population to 183,314. This growth rate places Burlington above Hamilton, but below Oakville, Milton, Halton Region, Ontario, and national growth rates.  Burlington contributed 16% towards regional growth. The next round of the 2016 Census Data will be released on May 3rd and will include Age, Sex and Type of Dwelling information. 

Haltech Showcases Young Tech Entrepreneurs at The BYOB Challenge
On Thursday February 23, 2017,  Haltech  hosted the Build Your Own Business (BYOB) Challenge - an exciting business plan and pitch competition for young entrepreneurs and students in Halton Region. With a focus on promoting entrepreneurial action and unleashing creativity, six finalists competed for cash and in-kind prizes valued at over $20,000. Congratulations to T oolLinked who won the grand prize and  Healthy Pets who took home People's Choice and runner up. 

Find out more by visiting www.haltech.ca

Rina Carlini (far left) and Ignacio Mongrell (far right) from Haltech with the ToolLinked grand prize winning team. 
Burlington's Business Directory 
The Burlington Business Directory is your one one-stop resource for tapping into local businesses. The directory uses data gathered from the 2015 Halton Employment Survey and includes relevant website information, addresses, and sector information for Burlington businesses. View and download the directory on our website.
Come Home 2 Burlington 
Canada is celebrating 150 years this summer. Tourism Burlington has created an initiative to encourage current and  former residents, their family and friends, to visit and rediscover Burlington events, restaurants, shops and attractions during 2017. Take a look at the video and check out the website for a full list of events and contests.
 
Stay in the Loop! 
Dragons' Den comes to Hamilton 
Think you have what it takes to face the Dragons? CBC's Dragons' Den will be holding auditions on March 4th at Mohawk College. Prospective entrepreneurs should apply online and prepare a pitch of  five minute or less for the Dragons' Den producers. For more information and to apply, click below. 
 
1Awards Business Competition 
FirstOntario has established the 1Awards Business Competition. The competition aims to nurture and grow businesses within the Hamilton, Oakville and Burlington communities. Top prizes include $150,000 worth of cash and services from leading experts in business, planning, finance, legal, advertising, and online services. For more information and to apply, click bellow. 
Burlington's Internet Performance Test 
The City of Burlington and CIRA  (Canadian Internet Registration Authority) are asking residents to test their internet performance.  Burlington's Internet Performance Test will not only provide businesses and residents with information about the health of their internet connection, but will also contribute valuable data to municipal leaders who can better understand  any gaps or areas of best-practice.  The results show up on a map which allows users to understand the geography of their connectivity. Click the link below 
to take the test.  

  Take the test
City of Burlington's Mobile App  
The City of Burlington now has a free mobile app available for Android and iOS users through Google Play and iTunes. T he information included in the app was chosen by more than 400 residents who participated in an online survey. App resources include parks and recreation programs and times, festivals and events, emergency alerts and snow removal. In the future, real-time Burlington Transit information and schedules will be added to the app as well. 

Upcoming Events 
Learning @ Haltech: Establishing Business Operations in the U.S.
Haltech 
March 2nd 8am - 10am 

This informative session will help businesses understand U.S taxation laws and other important elements to the American business climate. Javeria Kaleem, a U.S Senior Tax Manager, and Hal Brown, Tax Services Manager at PwC focusing on U.S taxation, will speak at the event providing an in-depth understanding of U.S taxation laws. 
Social Media for the Sales Team with Chad McCaffrey 
Innovation Factory 
March 8th 8am - 10am 

Chad McCaffrey, Vice President Global Sales at PostBeyond, will talk about the things that sales leaders can do to support their team's social selling efforts. Chad will also review his teams sales stack and how they target companies.
Our Turn: Developing Your Leadership Potential 
DeGroote Women's Professional Network
March 24th 7:15am - 9:30am 

Catherine Murray, Host of BNN's Business Day PM and Market Call Tonight, will sit down with Kirstine Stewart, CSO of Diply and former VP, Media, North America, Twitter, to talk about her experience and insights on succeeding in the workplace. 
2017 Chamber Business Awards Gala
Burlington Chamber of Commerce 
April 6th, 5pm - 10pm 
The Chamber has named 22 local organizations as potential winners of awards in a variety of categories. Award nominations are based on overall business excellence and the criteria include excellence in business leadership, community contributions, entrepreneurship, environment, employee welfare, innovation, and market growth. 

Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.