Policy & Advocacy

Chamber Network Wins for Businesses

As part of the Chamber Network, we are happy to share a number of policy wins that happened as result of advocacy or as adoptions of policy recommendations from pre-budget submissions and resolutions passed.

advocacy achievements

2025

Manufacturing 

• Protecting Ontario’s Manufacturing Sector: Advocated for enhanced support for Ontario’s manufacturing competitiveness through infrastructure investment and tax incentives. In May 2025, the provincial government announced a $1.3 billion package to modernize industrial infrastructure, enhance site readiness, and expand workforce training. Additionally, the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit was expanded, providing eligible manufacturers with up to $3 million annually in relief to support equipment and production investment.

Interprovincial Trade & Labour Mobility

• Eliminating Interprovincial Trade Barriers: Called for Ontario to remove internal trade restrictions and improve labour mobility. In April 2025, the province introduced the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act, making Ontario the first jurisdiction to remove all Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) exceptions. This move is expected to increase job creation, attract investment, and reduce consumer costs by as much as 14.5%.

Critical Minerals & Resource Development

• Accelerating Ring of Fire Development: Advocated for regulatory streamlining and infrastructure investment to support Ontario’s mining potential. In April 2025, the Ontario government introduced the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, aimed at reducing permitting delays and cutting red tape for critical mineral and infrastructure projects, unlocking economic opportunities in the Ring of Fire.

2024

Workforce & Skilled Trades

• Improving Interprovincial Labour Mobility for Skilled Tradespeople: Advocated for enhanced labour mobility by urging the Ontario government to promote mutual recognition of skilled trades certifications. In response, the Government of Ontario signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Nova Scotia to improve certification portability and workforce flexibility for skilled trades professionals.

Transportation & Trade

• Reducing Red Tape and Improving the Movement of Goods: Advocated for streamlined regulations in the trucking sector to improve supply chain efficiency. In September 2024, the Government of Canada launched a national pilot program, supported by Ontario and multiple provinces and territories, to mutually recognize regulatory requirements in the trucking industry, reducing delays and boosting cross-border productivity.

Through our national partners at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce has achieved:

Construction & Housing

• Labour Mobility in the Construction Sector: Advocated for and secured $150 million in Budget 2024 to address skilled labour shortages in the construction sector, including improved foreign credential recognition and reduced interprovincial barriers.
  
• Housing Infrastructure & Development Charges:  Supported the Canadian Chamber’s Housing and Development Strategy Council in achieving $6 billion for a new Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, a three-year freeze on development charge increases, and top-ups to both the Housing Accelerator Fund and the Apartment Construction Loan Program.

Manufacturing 

• Support for Canadian EV and Steel Manufacturing: Backed measures to address unfair Chinese trade practices, including a 100% surtax on Chinese-made electric vehicles and trade protections for Canada’s steel and aluminum producers, securing fair competition for domestic manufacturers.
• Excise Tax Relief for Craft Beverage Producers: Advocated for the extension of the 2% cap on annual alcohol excise duty increases and a reduction in excise rates for craft brewers, directly supporting Canada’s beverage manufacturing sector.
  

2023

Economic Growth

• Investment Tax Credits: Advocated for and secured an accelerated rollout of investment tax credits, addressing member concerns raised in October 2023.
• CEBA Loan Extension: Achieved a one-year extension to the CEBA loan repayment deadline, extended the qualifying period for forgivable components by one quarter, and secured a three-year sub-prime loan with a 5% interest rate for businesses unable to refinance or repay loans.
• National Supply Chain Strategy: Championed a longstanding priority that resulted in the announcement of the National Supply Chain Strategy in Budget 2023, focusing on investments in trade corridor infrastructure.

Sustainability

• Alcohol Tax Pause: Successfully lobbied for a one-year pause on the planned increase to the alcohol escalator tax through advocacy efforts, social media campaigns, and media outreach.

Labor & Workforce

• Labor Mobility & Credential Recognition: Secured commitments in the Fall Economic Statement to enhance labor mobility and improve credential recognition, addressing critical labor market needs.

2022 

Economic Growth

• National Trade Corridor Fund: Secured $450 million over five years to improve trade corridor infrastructure and $136.3 million over five years to support data-driven, industry-led solutions for supply chain efficiency.
• Critical Mineral Supply Chains: Advocated for $1.5 billion in infrastructure investments and an additional $1.5 billion for manufacturing, processing, and recycling applications related to critical minerals.

Sustainability

• Zero Emissions Vehicles: Extended the program to March 2025 with $1.7 billion in funding for adoption incentives and $547.5 million for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.
• Carbon Capture Tax Credit: Secured a sliding-scale investment tax credit to support air capture equipment, infrastructure, and CO2 utilization projects, with rates gradually phasing out by 2040.
• Emission-Intensive SME Support: Obtained $30 million over two years for Environment and Climate Change Canada to administer direct payments to emission-intensive, trade-exposed SMEs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario.

Labour & Workforce

• Labor Mobility Tax Credit: Successfully advocated for a $4,000 annual credit for skilled-trades workers relocating for employment.
• Disability Workforce Support: Secured $272.6 million over five years through the Opportunities Fund to support labor market integration programs for people with disabilities.

Innovation & Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity Investments: Secured $875.2 million over five years and $238.2 million annually for the Communications Security Establishment and related agencies to address cybersecurity threats.
• Innovation Cluster Funding: Obtained $750 million over six years to be distributed through a competitive process among participating innovation clusters.

Small Business Support

• Tax Rate Changes: Advocated for a gradual phase-out of the small business tax rate for businesses with capital exceeding $50 million, saving small businesses an estimated $660 million over four years.