Grimsby business leaders will take their concerns straight to provincial decision-makers next week. On June 2, 2026, the Grimsby and District Chamber of Commerce joins the Ontario Chamber of Commerce for the 11th annual Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park, pushing for actions that support local economic competitiveness and business resilience across Grimsby, Niagara and the whole province.
“This is an opportunity for us to discuss the actions necessary to support Ontario’s economic competitiveness and bolster business resilience,” the Chamber stated ahead of the event. The push comes as Ontario businesses face mounting pressures. According to the Ontario Chamber’s 2026 economic report, business confidence has slipped to just 23 percent, down from 26 percent a year ago. Only 26 percent of firms plan to increase investment this year, while high costs and trade uncertainty tied to U.S. tariffs have many putting capital projects on hold.
The numbers paint a challenging picture for Grimsby and beyond. Ontario’s unemployment rate sits at 7.6 percent, among the highest in Canada, and real GDP growth is projected at a modest 1.2 percent in 2026 after weak 1.4 percent growth last year. The Chamber network, now led by Ontario Chamber President and CEO Daniel Tisch, says these conditions make direct talks with government critical. Last year’s advocacy helped secure a win in the 2026 Ontario Budget, when Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy made the small business corporate income tax cut permanent, dropping the rate from 3.2 percent to 2.2 percent. That change is expected to benefit over 375,000 businesses across the province.
Locally, the Grimsby Chamber wants business owners to get more involved. It is recruiting one or two members to join its Advocacy Committee, which meets monthly over Zoom and helps shape the Chamber’s voice on issues affecting the community. The committee feeds into a broader regional effort through the Niagara Chamber Partnership, which links nine chambers to strengthen local business representation. Interested members can reach out directly to the Grimsby and District Chamber of Commerce.
