After nearly two years of the pandemic in Canada, two years of lockdowns and sacrifice, small businesses remain a shining example of the resilient spirit that is the fuel of Canada’s economic engine.
Despite facing a disproportionate amount of hardship in the wake of COVID-19, it is also the ingenuity and hard work of Canadian small businesses and their employees that have carried us to a point that we can cautiously begin to peer beyond the pandemic and set our sights on the future.
Many of you have fought tooth and nail to weather the storm, and it is your passion and dedication that fills us at the Canadian Chamber with hope and renewed energy as we forge ahead into 2022. While we know it may take years for your balance sheets to fully recover from the pandemic’s worst economic impacts, we will work tirelessly to support your path to recovery. When the business community comes together, there can be no doubt that we will succeed in putting the economic damage of the pandemic behind us and continue down the road to sustained, inclusive economic recovery.
Small businesses are at the heart of communities from coast to coast to coast. You are essential to Canada’s recovery and growth, and we will continue to work to provide the support, tools, and resources you need to keep Main streets across the country vibrant and flourishing.
On behalf of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, I look forward to working with you to build a brighter, more prosperous future for all Canadians.
By Perrin Beatty
President & CEO – Canadian Chamber of Commerce
The Honourable Perrin Beatty is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the 200,000-member Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s largest and most representative national business association. Prior to joining the Canadian Chamber in August 2007, Perrin was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME).
A descendant of one of Canada’s most prominent manufacturing families, Perrin grew up in Fergus, Ontario, and graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 1971.
Perrin was first elected to the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative in 1972. During his 21 years in Parliament, he served as Minister in seven different portfolios, including Treasury Board, National Revenue, Solicitor General, Defence, National Health and Welfare, Communications, and External Affairs.
