JOIN US to celebrate the newly resurfaced TOWNSHIP OF O’CONNOR COMMUNITY RINK
at 330 Highway 595
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19th
from
1:00 - 4:00 pm

Funding provided by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Guest speakers to include MPP Kevin Holland and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Event hosted by THE O’CONNOR COMMUNITY CLUB.  Bring the kids for some fun making paper snowflakes and fill their bellies with hot chocolate and cookies.  
Put on your skates in the newly renovated rink shack and join in the skate on our new concrete skating rink!
For more information, please call the Township of O’Connor at 476-1451.

Survey seeks data on Thunder Bay regional business’ unique struggles with COVID-19 to inform government interventions and supports

To ensure the unique circumstances of Thunder Bay District businesses are considered in government planning, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is working together with the North Superior Workforce Planning Board, the Thunder Bay CEDC and Northern Policy Institute to conduct a monthly business impact survey that will assess the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on businesses operating in the region until September 2020.

The 5-minute survey will be repeated each month through September in communities across the region. We strongly encourage respondents to participate in the survey each month. Participants returning regularly will allow for information to show how the effects of COVID-19 evolve over time for businesses.

The information gathered will inform advocacy work that helps shape federal, provincial and municipal government policies, ensuring Thunder Bay’s needs are identified and considered. It may also be used by community partners as a way of identifying workforce and business needs and developing supports unique to the region.

“We need to know what our businesses need – now, and as time progresses,” said Charla Robinson, President of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. “In our role as business advocates we want to help the government develop supports that make sense for our region’s specific needs. To be effective, we need businesses of all sizes to tell us what those needs are as they are evolving.”

Madge Richardson, Executive Director of the North Superior Workforce Planning Board, says their interest is in preparing the workforce to meet the ‘new normal’. “The information we collect through this survey will help develop programs that bridge gaps between the emerging needs of employers and the existing workforce,” she said. “We’re looking to employers to help us anticipate their labour requirements and be ready to meet them.”
The survey is open to businesses of all sizes and can be found at: https://bit.ly/2VQTD5d

New electricity pricing for TOU customers begins June 1, 2020
To support families, small businesses and farms while Ontario plans for the safe and gradual reopening of the province, the Government of Ontario has introduced a new fixed electricity price of 12.8 ¢/kWh for customers that are on time-of-use (TOU) prices. Starting June 1, 2020, that price applies to electricity used at all hours of the day, seven days a week. Having the same price apply at all hours of the day is a more predictable way to pay for power at a time when Ontarians continue to work and learn from home.
For more information, visit the Ontario Energy Board website.

With the reopening of some retail and thrift stores across the country, we hope to resume some clothing collection operations in the coming weeks. Our opening plans will coincide with the plans of our thrift partner, Value Village, and their requirements. The net proceeds generated through the sale of donated items to our partner are directed to Diabetes Canada for critical research to help End diabetes.
We will continue to follow provincial health and safety guidelines and we're working diligently on our safety and social distancing procedures to ensure the safety of our staff and donors.
We appreciate your patience and continued support during this unprecedented time. We kindly ask that you hold on to the clothing or small household items that you intend to donate until we resume operations. Thank you for choosing Diabetes Canada.
As we re-open we will notify our generous partners and donors, so please stay tuned and check back at declutter.diabetes.ca/

On September 21st, Mayor Jim Vezina attended a Memorial Dedication, located at Current River Park, for the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (LSSR) to honour the 52nd (New  Ontario) Batallion.  Please note that on the monument are names of residents from the Township of O’Connor. Please click on the links below to see pictures and watch videos of the  dedication and why this memorial was built.

Picture #1

Video #1

Video #2