Chamber Blog ~ April 2017

Today is World Intellectual Property Day. World IP Day is a celebration created by the WIPO as a means of raising the profile and awareness of IP as the generator of wealth through the protection of ideas. As the National Committee for the International Chamber of Commerce, we are pleased to share with you the ICC IP Road Map on World IP Day!

Driving down Highway 7 to Ottawa recently I had a solid three hours to visualize what my week as a policy intern with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) would be like.  And in all honesty, it went as I envisioned it - a high energy week in the bubble of federal politics.  It was a flurry of meetings, including joining my counterparts at the Sault Ste. Marie, Hamilton and Windsor chambers to support them during their presentation to the International Trade Standing Committee.  I also participated with those chambers in meetings with a BC MP and the Ontario Regional Policy Advisor to the Minister Responsible for Small Business. A breakfast session presented by IPolitics called Troubled Waters: Clean Water for First Nation Communities? was an eye-opening, frank and important conversation on the politics, need and desire to find solutions. I had the opportunity to dine in the Parliamentary Dining room; tour the Ottawa office of my local MP, Maryam Monsef, Minister Status of Women; attend an event at the newly constructed Ottawa Innovation Centre; conduct one-on-one meetings with the policy team; and, during the weekly policy staff meeting, inform them about the issues facing Peterborough.

Every other week, we release 5 Minutes for Business, a publication written by Hendrik Brakel, our Senior Director of Economic, Financial and Tax Policy. This week we are pleased to welcome guest writer Susanna Cluff-Clyburne, our Director of Parliamentary Affairs. Susanna sheds light on the big barrier that must be addressed: The Crown has a constitutional duty to consult with and accommodate Indigenous peoples whose rights could be affected through infrastructure development. There is a need for a consistent framework that bridges the gap between Indigenous communities and businesses.