In the face of recent struggles, Port Hope Chamber CEO says businesses remains optimistic about future

Robert Washburn February 6, 2021 2 min read

A recently released report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce says confidence in the provincial economy is at an all-time low. Yet, local businesses are more confident and believe the economy will thrive coming out of the pandemic.

Full interview:

Keeping the economy from collapsing at the same time stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus is a balancing act. It is complex, and it isn’t easy. Public health officials want to keep the lid on the spread of the virus until they can get needles in their arms. They hope to get on top of the virus before variants create even more problems. Last week, we heard from Dr. Ian Gemmill, the acting Chief Medical Officer of Health for the local health unit. Meanwhile, politicians and business owners are worried that we will be plunged into a recession or even a depression without sufficient economic activity. They worry it will take years before we will recover.

This podcast will try to shed some light on the business side of this tension. This interview is with Brenda Whitehead, CEO of the Port Hope District Chamber of Commerce; she will be talking about a recently released report on the state of the Ontario economy. It is fascinating because it has a lot to say about business confidence and the future.

Originally aired: Feb 5, 2021