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In this Week's Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce Newsletter:
Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce updates
- Scenes from the Summer Vibes Take 5 at DOI & Compass Imaging!
- Read the Sault Chamber's 2026 submitted and co-sponsored provincial policy resolutions
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2026 International Bridge Walk - Saturday, June 27th - IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE TAKING PART
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The Talent Opportunities Program offers up to $5,000 in wage subsidies to hire an eligible post-secondary student
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SME businesses! Access over 60 FREE courses in Skills Bridge until August 31st
Ontario / Canadian Chamber updates
- It’s Green Across the board for May's labour market
- The importance of U.S. trade and trade diversification
Business insights & Workshops
- PODCAST - ICYMI: Blueprints for a rooted economy: Indigenomics
- Canada’s looming labour squeeze: The impact of retirements and immigration policy - RBC Insights
- Algoma Youth: AWIC wants to hear from you!
- Upcoming workshop: Business Insurance Essentials
- Upcoming webinar: Social Media in 2026 - Where to Focus and What to Forget
Benefits of Belonging to the Chamber
- Save money, reach new customers and expand your business network with the Chamber Perk$ Mobile App
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Scenes from the Summer Vibes Take 5 at DOI and Compass Imaging
Thank you to everyone that joined us for Take 5 at Dumanski Office Interiors / Compass Imaging on June 11th!
Attendees had the chance to tour the facility, and check out new equipment and new innovations in digital printing all while enjoying some great food and enjoying some amazing networking!
Thanks to the team at Dumanski Office Interiors and Compass Imaging for hosting this fantastic event! You can check out all of the services offered by DOI and Compass at www.doiweb.com/ and www.compassimaging.com/
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Read the Sault Chamber's 2026 Submitted
and Co-sponsored Provincial Policy Resolutions
A delegation from the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce attended the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting and Convention in Ottawa from April 23rd to 25th.
A portion of the OCC AGM is dedicated to allowing delegates to present and debate policy resolutions that will guide the OCC’s advocacy efforts at the provincial level for the next several years.
The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber presented its resolution with recommendations calling on the provincial government to improve early childhood educational outcomes through expanded education opportunities and innovation in childcare. The resolution was adopted with 96% approval The recommendations of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber’s policy will now become part of the advocacy framework of Ontario Chamber of Commerce and its 135+ member Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade from across the province.
You can now review this policy resolution on the Chamber's website, along with the additional resolutions that the SSMCOC co-sponsored this year.
Read our 2026 Ontario Chamber of Commerce resolution submissions:
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2026 International Bridge Walk - Saturday, June 27th
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE TAKING PART
The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce is pleased to partner with the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce and the Joint International Bridge Administration to host the 36th annual International Bridge Walk on Saturday, June 27th.
If you plan to participate, please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with some IMPORTANT INFORMATION you will need to know in order to take part, including:
- Identification requirements
- What to bring and what NOT to bring
- Walk start time and bussing times
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The Talent Opportunities Program offers up to $5,000 in
wage subsidies to hire an eligible post-secondary student
Are you an employer hiring post-secondary students on quality work-integrated learning (WIL) placements, such as cooperative education and internships, related to the student’s field of study?
The application portal is now open for the Summer 2026 term (May – August 2026)
If so, you may be eligible for a wage subsidy of up to $5,000 per student!
The Talent Opportunities Program (TOP) is an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce designed to help employers hire college and university students on quality WIL placements related to the student’s field of study. Employers hiring eligible students may receive a wage subsidy up to 50% of the wages (to a maximum of $5,000) for each placement (‘net new’ requirements apply to businesses of 100 or more employees).
| IMPORTANT: Once you apply, please be sure to contact the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce and advise us so that we can follow up on your behalf. E-mail info@ssmcoc.com and include ‘Talent Opportunities Program application’ in the subject line. | | FREE, unlimited access to curated training content EXTENDED until August 31, 2026 - Get started to today! | | |
SME businesses! Access over 60 FREE courses
in Skills Bridge until May 31st August 31st
The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce invite you to explore Skills Bridge, a program developed to help businesses upskill and reskill employees.
Powered by Magnet, Skills Bridge was created by the OCC in partnership with the Diversity Institute, and with funding from the Future Skills Centre and the Government of Canada, to address skills gaps in small- to medium-sized businesses.
Until August 31, 2026, you and up to 10 employees can access over 60 courses on the Skills Bridge learning platform at NO COST.
Courses cover areas such as AI, Management; Customer Service; Sales and Marketing; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); Digital Skills (Excel, SEO, Social Media and E-Commerce) and more.
What can you expect?
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Top-notch programs tailored to upskilling your employees
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Flexible learning accessible anytime, anywhere, at your own pace
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Earn certificates of completion on some of our most popular courses
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Easy management and tracking of your employees’ course progress through a custom dashboard
Learn more about Skills Bridge programs here or click the link below to register your organization today.
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It’s Green Across the Board for May's Labour Market
After months of labour market weakness, Canada added 88,000 jobs in May, clawing back nearly 80% of the employment lost over the first four months of the year.
While the rebound is encouraging, the picture remains mixed. According to Canadian Chamber of Commerce Economist, Anupriya Gangopadhyay, the stronger-than-expected jobs report once again complicates the Bank of Canada’s path forward.
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The Importance of U.S. Trade and Trade Diversification
Historically, Canada has faced three trade options. But there is a fourth option... the “yes/and” trade scenario that would see Canada continue its relationship with the U.S. while also expanding trade with other international markets.
In this edition of Policy Matters, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce covers what U.S. trade and trade diversification mean for Canada, and why it’s important we pursue both.
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PODCAST - ICYMI: Blueprints for a
Rooted Economy: Indigenomics
In this October 2025 episode of Canada’s Economy, Explained, host Marwa Abdou and Carol Anne Hilton, Founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute, unpack Indigenomics: a framework for redesigning economic systems around reciprocity, responsibility and relationship to land.
Their conversation flows from examples of how Indigenous businesses operate from fundamentally different values all the way to the radical concept of “land as law.”
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Canada’s looming labour squeeze: The impact of retirements
and immigration policy - RBC Insights
Without immigration, Canada’s population of potential younger workers (under age 35) would outright decline into the 2030s, while retirements of older workers remain at record-highs.
Current immigration restrictions are expected to ultimately be relaxed as the goals of reducing the temporary resident share of the population are approached, but it’s not likely enough to fully offset structural labour supply headwinds in the future.
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Algoma Youth: AWIC wants to hear from you!
Are you between 15 and 29 years old and living in the Algoma District?
Whether you're in school, working, job searching, exploring career options, or figuring out your next step, your voice matters.
Help us better understand:
- Employment opportunities
- Education and training pathways
- Career goals and aspirations
- Challenges youth face today
- What would make you stay and build your future in Algoma
Bonus: Complete the survey for a chance to win great prizes!
Take 10 minutes to share your thoughts on jobs, education, and opportunities in our region. Deadline to participate is Friday, June 26.
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Business Insurance Essentials Workshop -
Thursday, June 25th, 1pm - 2:30pm
Join a local insurance professional for a practical workshop on understanding business insurance and risk management.
Participants will learn about common insurance options available to entrepreneurs, key coverage considerations, and strategies to help protect their business from unexpected challenges. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and discuss real-world scenarios.
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Webinar - Social Media in 2026
Where to Focus and What to Forget
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce invites businesses across Northwestern Ontario to a webinar where social media strategist Autumn Wilson will explain what’s working on social media right now.
Backed by real data, Autumn will share the practical and simple strategies beyond following trends. You'll learn what to focus on in your marketing and what you can stop doing so your social media marketing attracts the right people. A recording will be shared with all registered attendees.
This is a no-cost event.
Date and Time: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026. 12:00noon to 1:00pm Eastern
Platform: Zoom
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Save money, reach new customers and expand your business network with the Chamber Perk$ Mobile App
Chamber member business benefits
- Boost sales by creating company perks
- Access to all local and Canada-wide perks
- Access to exclusive Perk Partner™ offers
- Showcase your company profile Canada-wide
- Create and manage your employee discount program from the app
- Easily connect with new companies across Canada
- Unique cost-effective advertising opportunities
- Access your chamber events, newsletters and resources right from the app
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The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of 600 plus business and agencies in Sault Ste. Marie and has been serving the needs of this community since 1889. The Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce will lead the way as the voice of business, advancing economic prosperity for its membership and the business community.
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