Greetings!


October 2021
Chamber Update
Annual Community Awards Celebration
On Thursday October 21, 2021 the Renfrew & Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the Annual Community Awards Celebration to recognize businesses and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding customer service, community involvement and notable achievements. The awards celebration began with a social hour. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening were Tom Sidney and Carol-Ann Adams. “The Chamber is delighted to host this annual event which celebrates our outstanding community,” “Congratulations to all of the Nominees and Award Recipients.”

2021Award Recipients
 
 Citizen of the Year – Ken Dillabough
 Community Champion of the Year – Patrick John Mills
Chamber Member of the Year – Julie Villamere
Renfrew Downtown BIA Member of the Year – The Warehouse
Young Person of the Year – Alexa Narezny
Visual Artist / Artisan of the Year – Diana Wakely
President’s Award – Ottawa Valley Coffee
Outstanding Business Achievement – Protyre
2021 Local Hero – Renfrew & Area Vaccine Roll Out Team
Inclusive Employer Champion – Chris & Tanya No Frills
New Business Award – Ottawa Valley Coffee

Thank you to our generous sponsors who helped make this night a huge success including: BrokerLink, Downtown Renfrew BIA, Chartwell Quail Creek Retirement Residence, Corporation of the Town of Renfrew, ontrac Employment Resources Services, RBC Royal Bank, Renfrew Home Hardware Building Centre,
Renfrew Parks & Recreation, myFM Broadcasting, Renfrew Mercury

Photo credit: Sherry Haaima/Metroland

Click below to view pictures:
Chamber Office

Our next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled for November 16 at 8:00 a.m., via Zoom virtual meeting. If you would like to join in on the meeting, please reach out to the Chamber office and a link to the meeting will be provided to you.

Social Media is a powerful tool to help showcase your buiness. Do you have a Facebook, or Twitter page? Like and follow the Renfrew Area Chamber of Commerce pages and we will help showcase your business through sharing posts.

Renfrew & Area Employers… Did you know this funding may be available to you?

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) is a program designed to help employers invest in training for their existing employees as well as new hires. This program provides direct financial support to individual employers who wish to purchase training for their employees and it’s available to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees.

The Job Grant…

·        Provides up to $10,000 in government support per person for training costs

·        Employers with less than 100 employees will be required to contribute 1/6 of the training costs

·        Employers with over 100 employees will be required to contribute 1/2 of the training costs

·        Requires training to be delivered by an eligible, third-party trainer

·        Training must be less than one year in duration and not required by law

·        All COJG applications MUST be submitted and approved PRIOR to the start date of training

·        Up to 70% of committed funding can be released during the training period and the remaining 30% of committed funding is released once training has been completed

·        If you have any training in mind ontrac encourages Employers to give us a call and we can help you determine if the training is eligible for Job Grant funding. ontrac can also help Employers with the application process if the training is appropriate for funding

o  An Employer with less than 100 employees hiring an unemployed individual, conditional on the individual successfully completing training, could be eligible for 100% reimbursement of training costs (up to $15,000 per trainee)
 
If you’re an employer with a particular skills demand, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant might be right for you. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

For further information, please contact ontrac directly at 613-432-3424.
  
Funding provided by the Government of Canada through the Canada Job Grant Programs delivered by the Government of Ontario.
Get ready, Renfrew!

The 2021 Santa Claus Parade is HAPPENING!!

More information and updates will follow regarding event specifics, including stationary FLOAT REGISTRATION, but for now,
SAVE THE DATE and get excited!

 Businesses in Renfrew County Can now Order Their Rapid Antigen Tests
 Ontario Chamber Network is distributing rapid tests to help keep businesses and communities safe through COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative
 
The COVID-19 Rapid Screening Initiative will provide free rapid antigen tests for employees of small and medium-sized businesses. Businesses will be able to log into one of the 3 Renfrew County Chambers’ websites or visit https://sites.google.com/view/rapidtestsrenfrewcounty/home to order their two-week supply of rapid tests.
 
CHAMBER CONTACTS:

Gail Laird, Manager, Renfrew & Area Chamber of Commerce

Danielle Delaney, Executive Director, Greater Arnprior Chamber of Commerce
613-623-6817 www.gacc.ca
 
Lorraine MacKenzie, Executive Director, Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce 613-732-1492 www.uovchamber.com

Canadian Chamber of Commerce - Access for up-to-date information that affects Canadian Businesses. Visit the Canadian Chamber of Commerce website... http://www.chamber.ca


Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan

Contact the Chamber office for more information regarding this plan.