Game Connection Lyon - December 8-10

SIRADEL, a Rennes-based provider of global solutions designed to improve the radio coverage quality of any wireless network, has opened a branch in Toronto. The Toronto Branch is currently the “American” office for SIRADEL, as it is there first location in North America. The Toronto branch will focus on research in radio technologies.

The Embassy of Canada to France introduced the GTMA to SIRADEL in January 2009 to help attract SIRADEL to the GTA, the GTMA coordinated with its public and private sector partners to help SIRADEL with its “doing business in Canada” issues.

SIRADEL delivers turnkey solutions to operators and equipment vendors to design and optimize the infrastructure of sophisticated systems such as 3G, WiMAX or Digital Broadcasting networks.

The GTMA and FDI into the GTA: 2009 Review

Around the world, 2009 was a year that many are glad to have seen pass. Economically, it was one of the worst years the world has seen in decades. For the GTMA, 2009 yielded mixed FDI results. While our new investments were down, our leads and prospects were up. We helped four foreign companies establish their business in the GTA, and we worked with 30 prospect companies that are considering investing in the GTA. In addition, we had over 150 leads that we continue to pursue. Since 2009 was a year in which we generated a greater number of leads and prospects than we ever have in a given year, we are very hopeful that we will achieve very successful FDI results in 2010.

2008 Golf Event Photo Gallery

Past International Leaders Breakfast Club – January 29

Minister Goodyear Address the ILBC
On Friday, January 29, 2010, the International Leaders Breakfast Club (ILBC) gathered a sold-out audience of 150 to hear from keynote speaker the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State, Science and Technology, Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

Over a year ago, Canada responded to the global economic crisis by introducing the Economic Action Plan - which includes the largest stimulus package in Canadian history, and one of the largest among all G7 countries. Minister Goodyear outlined what FedDev Ontario has been doing to ensure this potential has been fulfilled and what to look for as the new budget - Canada’s Economic Action Plan, Phase II – takes place on March 10, 2010.

Minister Goodyear shared a positive outlook on Canada’s signs of recovery in the economy, as more than 50,000 new jobs have been created in Ontario since last summer. He shared information on FedDev’s programs and activities moving forward, and how to be involved as a partner. The topic certainly garnered much interest from an impressive array of business and community leaders who are keen to hear of the enormous opportunities the Action Plan presents for people, communities and businesses in Southern Ontario.

“We’re pleased to kick off the 2010 ILBC series with Minister Goodyear on a topic that is at the core of GTMA’s mandate. The high level of collaboration and involvement we’ve gathered here today exemplifies how the GTMA is the bridge to bring together municipalities, the private sector, educational institutions and governments at all levels. This will allow us to achieve even greater results in fostering foreign direct investment into the GTA” George Hanus, President & COO, Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance.

Guests enjoyed a morning of business networking opportunity connecting with a broad range of stakeholders from across the GTA, including Mayors, Consul Generals, GTMA board members, staff and other business dignitaries.

The GTMA would like to acknowledge the support and generosity of our Sponsors – all contributed to making this event a success:

• Platinum: Metrolinx
• Silver: IBM
• Bronze: Compass Promotions, the City of Brampton, and the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
• Table sponsors: Ontario College of Art and Design, the City of Brampton, the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and KPMG

For more information, contact
Michelle Cortez
Manager, Program Development, GTMA
T 416-360-4223
E mcortez@greatertoronto.org

For more information, contact Michelle Cortez, Program Coordinator, GTMA, at 416-360-4223 or mcortez@greatertoronto.org

OSHAWA – The Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) recognized the City of Oshawa at its Annual Marketing Awards Dinner held on Thursday, February 4, 2010 in Toronto.
The City’s Director of Economic Development, Cindy Symons-Milroy accepted the award for the City of Oshawa’s Museum Brochure. The brochure won the print publications category, competing against hundreds of other entries.

The Museum Brochure highlights five Oshawa community museums as well as Parkwood Estate and is available at Service Oshawa, the Visitor Information Centre and at all of the locations featured in the brochure.
“This award highlights the tremendous efforts of Oshawa City staff and recognizes their pursuit of excellence in the development of marketing materials for the City,” said Councillor Louise Parkes, Chair of the Development Services Committee.

EDCO’s annual marketing awards feature and showcase the best in economic development marketing initiatives within Ontario and applaud the outstanding marketing achievements of communities and economic development organizations across the province. Categories for judging included: community profiles, newsletters, brochures, branding projects, advertising campaigns, innovative promotional pieces and innovative marketing practices.

EDCO is a non-profit association with over 600 members working in the economic development field in Ontario.

To sign up for the Business Connections or City of Oshawa e-newsletters, or to follow the City on Twitter, visit www.oshawa.ca/ecommunications

Professor Rob Ritchie, who teaches in the General Education department of the School of Advancement, has been selected as one of TVOntario's Top 20 nominees for the public broadcaster's Best Lecturer Competition this year.  more…

This designation is determined by Corporate Counsel’s nationally respected reference guide, In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies. The guide is distributed to in-house legal departments at all the nation’s leading companies – reaching 20,000 General Counsel and all Fortune 1,000 Companies.  more…

On January 4, 2010, the Canada Revenue Agency announced proposed changes to the reporting requirements for most GST/HST registrants. These proposed changes, which include mandatory electronic filing of returns for some filers, are scheduled to apply to reporting periods ending on or after July 1, 2010.

In New filing requirements for GST/HST returns, we discuss some the details surrounding the proposed mandatory electronic filing of returns, along with information relating to the claiming of input tax credits.
more…

With their worst fears of prolonged recession behind them, CEOs' confidence for future growth has bounced back from the gloomy prospects of a year ago, according to the 13th Annual Global CEO Survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Overall, CEOs in Canada tend to be more optimistic about their prospects for short- and long-term growth, and with respect to the recovery for their industry and their nation’s economy, than their global counterparts.  more…

Great news from UOIT - ACE one-of-a-Kind Research Facility

Only months away from opening as the first research, development and innovation centre of its kind in the world, the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) is taking shape on the Oshawa campus of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT). ACE will offer a full range of testing facilities under one roof, including one of the largest and most sophisticated climatic wind tunnels on the planet.  more…

Investment in Vaughan Bulldozes Past $1-Billion Mark in 2009

Building permits issued by the City of Vaughan totaled $1.049 billion in 2009, the eighth time in ten years the annual value of new construction has surpassed the billion-dollar mark. The announcement was made by Mayor Linda Jackson at the Annual Mayor’s Outlook Luncheon, hosted by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce.  more…

Toronto Named Top Sustainable City in Canada

The City of Toronto is the most sustainable large city in Canada, according to Corporate Knights Magazine, which released its 2010 Most Sustainable Cities Ranking today.  more…

The Board of Directors for Invest Toronto gave unanimous support to the appointment of Renato Discenza as the agency's Chief Executive Officer.

KPMG’s biennial Competitive Alternatives study provides a comparative analysis of the cost of doing business in locations around the world. The 2010 version marks the eighth global study that KPMG has produced using verifiable, comparable measurements to determine where business might find the most cost effective place to locate among advanced industrial economies.

Competitive Alternatives is a valuable tool in the hands of investors and economic development officers – helping them understand the choices they have when considering to locate their business.

The strength of the study is the effort that has gone into identifying measurable components that are comparable in all the regions studied, and allowing the authors to make objective comparisons.

Competitive Alternatives 2010 compares business competitiveness for more than 100 cities in ten countries: Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For 2010, Competitive Alternatives expands its coverage of large international business centres, adding a number of major global cities to the study for the first time. International results now reflect business costs in each country’s major metropolitan regions.

The 2010 version of the study will be issued in two parts:

• Business Costs – March 2010: The primary focus of Competitive Alternatives 2010 is international business costs. The study measures the combined impact of 26 significant cost components that are most likely to vary by location, as applied to 17 different business operations over 10-years. Competitive Alternatives also compares a variety of non-cost factors that also influence the relative attractiveness of locations to business. Aspects considered by the study include labour availability and skills, economic conditions and markets.

• Special Report: Focus on Tax – May 2010: This supplementary report assesses the general tax competitiveness of cities in 10 countries. The report assesses numerous and complex factors affecting a company’s tax burden, in order to provide a simple and effective approach for cross-location comparisons based on the tax results of different business scenarios.

Both parts of Competitive Alternatives will be published online at www.competitivealternatives.com. This web site includes a variety of online tools to help investors:

• Compare business costs in the cities of their choice
• Assess the impact of exchange rate changes
• Access demographic and economic profiles for each of the cities analyzed

OTT/COM/215/1/2010

The Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Chennai, India invites sealed tenders under two-bid system from reputed manufacturers or their accredited/sole-selling agents/dealers for following items:

Supply, Installation and Commissioning of IP based Surveillance System.

Rs. 40, 000

For any further information, please contact:
Mr. E. Mahesh Kumar
Section Officer (S&P)
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Taramani, Chenni – 600113, India
T: +91.44.22542175
F: +91.44.22541508

T/T206/2009/7255/W

The Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant (HEEP) located in Haridwar, India invites tender for “Fabrication and Finish Machining of LP Inner Outer and Inner Casing” as per details given below:

Cost of Tender Document: Rs. 2000/-
Earnest Money Deposit: Rs. 1,00,000

Quantity: 16 Nos.

We shall be grateful if the above global tender notice is circulated amongst the relevant Canadian companies/contractors. For complete details of the tender and tender documents please access website: www.bhelhwr.co.in or www.bhel.com

For any further information, please contact
Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant
BHEL
Ranipur, Haridwar-249403, Uttrakhand, India
Tel: +91.1334.281561
Fax: +91.1334.286462
www.bhelhwr.co.in or www.bhel.com

The closing of tender is on 25 February, 2010 up to 1345 hrs (IST) and the tender will be opened on the same day at 1400 hrs (IST).

In order to succeed in our efforts to generate economic development, we work hard to build strong partnerships with the private sector which are of mutual benefit:

• Access to new business:  we provide trigger point of access to companies as they first enter the North American market.
• Monthly events:  we can offer access to decision makers in public, private, education and consular sectors through sponsorship of our sold out (120+ attendees) International Leadership Breakfast Club (ILBC).
• Special tailored events:  the higher partnership levels will provide an additional speaking platform to promote your company’s thought leadership programs.
• Flexibility:  as a growing organization, we will work with you to build partnership programs of mutual benefit.
• Networking:  As a partner, you will be able to build business connections with other GTMA partners.

What your company offers the GTMA

• Thought leadership: your depth of research on economic development issues, particularly in current economic conditions, would be of great value to our community.
• Introductions to the GTMA: Your network could introduce us to companies in our key markets that might want to establish a footprint in the GTA to serve you better and access NAFTA.
• Value proposition to investors:  your leadership brings great value to the investment table in attracting investment and new business to the GTA.

The on-going support and participation of the private sector is essential to the success of the GTMA. We encourage you to consider using the products and services of the GTMA’s corporate partners.

REMINDER:  Online GTMA Alliance Membership

If you are new to the GTMA and wish to be more actively involved, we have introduced a one-year entry level membership which will provide an opportunity during your first year to learn more about the organization and meet its key partners and stakeholders, as well as, received additional benefits through a pre-paid subscription to various GTMA local networking events. The membership cost is $1,000 and includes:

• Free Annual Participation in ten International Leadership Breakfast Club Events ($250)
• Free Participation in GTMA’s Fall and Spring Luncheons ($180)
• Free Participation in the Branham 300 Report Launch ($75)
• Promotional Banner on GTMA’s Website ($250)
• Listing in Resource Guide
• Annual Certificate of Membership
• 10% Discounts on all GTMA Events, Missions and Related Programs
• Use of GTMA Logo on Corporate Materials

Become an Alliance Member

For information on becoming a GTMA partner, contact Pamela Denecky at
T: 416-360-6701 or E: pdenecky@greatertoronto.org

View complete listing of GTMA Partner’s Resources and Services