Blogs & Newsletters

Shining a Spotlight on Ottawa’s Small Business Community Shining a Spotlight on Ottawa’s Small Business Community  Small businesses are the backbone of Ottawa’s economy, accounting for approximately 98% of all businesses in the region and employing nearly half of the local workforce. This Small Business Month, we’re proud to celebrate the passion, resilience, and creativity…

Anchoring Ottawa as Canada’s Defence Innovation Hub Photo credit: Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa The Ottawa Board of Trade has long advocated for Ottawa to become Canada’s National Defence Innovation Hub. Today, I was pleased to speak at an event where Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Sonya Shorey, President and CEO of Invest Ottawa, hosted defence experts…

Ottawa Small Business Summit: Ten Key Takeaways  The Ottawa Board of Trade, Invest Ottawa, and the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas proudly hosted the Ottawa Small Business Summit 2025 on Monday, October 20 during Small Business Week, bringing together entrepreneurs, community leaders, and experts dedicated to strengthening Ottawa’s small business ecosystem.   Small businesses are…

OBOT Hosts Roundtable with Canada’s Minister of International Trade, the Honourable Maninder Sidhu The Ottawa Board of Trade was proud to host the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, alongside MP Yasir Naqvi, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Secretary of State for International Development, for a closed-door roundtable with…

Making Canada Wilder: Why Protecting Nature Protects Us All OBOT Member Blog Post By Dr. Gráinne McCabe, Chief Conservation Officer, Wilder Institute I’ve always believed that nature has a way of grounding us. It slows our racing thoughts, clears the fog of daily life, and reconnects us to what really matters. Nowhere is that truer…

Insights from Building the Workforce for Ottawa’s Defence Innovation Hub On August 19, 2025, the Ottawa Board of Trade convened leaders from government, academia, and industry for a pivotal panel discussion on Building the Workforce for Ottawa’s Defence Innovation Hub. As Ottawa navigates major structural changes – from looming federal public service cuts to the…

Talent Roundtable with Minister Nolan Quinn The Ottawa Board of Trade proudly hosted a special roundtable with the Honourable Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, about how Ontario can produce more competitive graduates to drive innovation and economic growth. OBOT business, academia, healthcare, and research members came together at Ottawa…

Powering Ottawa’s Future: Hydro Ottawa & The Ottawa Board of Trade  Hydro Ottawa Group is a private company that is 100 per cent owned by the City of Ottawa and whose strategic business lines include electricity distribution, renewable energy generation, energy solutions, telecommunications and utility services. As a future-powered energy provider and partner in key green energy projects, Hydro Ottawa Group…

Building Stronger Businesses: Keynote Search’s Collaborative Vision for Ottawa In today’s competitive market, organizations need more than just candidates – they need exceptional talent that fits their culture, stays engaged, and performs at their best. That’s where Keynote Search comes in. Unlike typical search firms that concentrate on the hiring transaction, this executive search and…