Business leaders and entrepreneurs from across Greater Sudbury gathered together Thursday night for a night of networking at the local Chamber of Commerce's 124th Annual General Meeting.

While accomplishments were celebrated, many remain uncertain with a federal election just around the corner.

Bryan Welsh is the chair of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.

"It’s all about transparency, making sure everybody knows what’s going on and it’s a wonderful night to celebrate the accomplishments of the chamber,” said Welsh.

Some of the accomplishments highlighted include:

  • work on making Highway 69 four lanes  
  • repeal of bill 148
  • introduction of bill 47, which saw a number of changes to the workplace standards

However, the challenges still ahead were also at the forefront of discussion.

Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, the new Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, says a new ministry has been created to address some of the small business issues.

"What we are hearing from businesses is red tape and regulation is very burdensome and it’s halting a lot of projects or really slowing a lot of projects down. So, we’ve said to them, our ministry, we’ve now created a ministry of small business and red tape. That’s a first ever,” said Fedeli.

The Minister of Economic Development was the night’s key note speaker. He says the new ministry will table two major bills every year.

After spending the day in Sudbury, Fedeli also heard concerns of a labour shortage in the north.

"We know that we will grow through immigration, especially here in northern Ontario. So, we want to make sure that we have programs in training that are aligned with the companies that need employees, because right now, they aren’t really aligned. We need to encourage the parents, let your kids get into the skilled trades, because that’s where the jobs are," said Fedeli.

But with a federal election just around the corner, many are feeling uncertain.

"Over the next year, it’s going to be a lot of work for us, just making sure everybody understands what the future holds, making sure everybody is aware of what’s happening, all the parties and what their platforms are, so people can make an informed decision,” said Welsh.

The chamber says it will continue its work on attracting skilled workers and working alongside the city on its core services review and 2020 budget.