All media requests should be directed to Émilie Potvin, Director, Public Affairs, epotvin@chamber.ca, (613) 238-4000 ext. 231 or (613) 797-1860.

Ottawa, January 26, 2011-Following through on the business tax reduction agenda is critical to moving from government-and Canadian taxpayer-funded-stimulus to a private sector-led recovery, Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Perrin Beatty, told his membership today.

In a message to the 420 local chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 192,000 businesses of all sizes across Canada, Mr. Beatty said improving the business climate to trigger private sector investment is the most significant economic issue now confronting Canada.

Ottawa, January 19, 2011-A report released today by the Canadian Intellectual Property Council (CIPC) concludes that Canada must improve and strengthen its intellectual property regime to close the gap with other leading industrialized countries to attract research and investment in the pharmaceutical sector. The CIPC is an organization of businesses under the banner of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce focused on improving and protecting intellectual property rights in Canada.

The report entitled, Innovation for a Better Tomorrow: Closing Canada’s Intellectual Property Gap in the Pharmaceutical Sector recommends that Canada make improvements in three crucial areas to attract jobs and spark growth in life sciences. These include:

• levelling the playing field between innovative pharmaceutical companies and generics,
• providing internationally competitive protection for the data produced by innovators, and 
• protecting their discoveries from regulatory and other delays in the approval process.

Ottawa, January 19, 2011-Elyse Allan, President and Chief Executive Officer of GE Canada, announced the launch of an initiative to gain greater insight into shaping the growth of Canada’s remote community economies and the decisions being made by global and national businesses to invest in these communities.

Joined by Hon. Perrin Beatty, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Ms. Allan posed the question “What is the enabling infrastructure that will engage Canada’s remote communities in the 21st century economy?” to dozens of business leaders in Ottawa.

Read the news release.

Ottawa, December 27, 2010-In its Economic Outlook for 2011, released today, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce observes that the Canadian economy has transitioned into a period of subdued growth.

After an initial strong rebound from the recession, Canada’s economy lost some of its swagger, expanding at a sluggish 2.3 per cent annual rate in the second quarter of 2010 and a meager one per cent in the third quarter.

“The Canadian economy is chugging along but not at full steam,” says Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “A number of factors are expected to constrain growth below 2.5 per cent in 2011,” says Beatty.