On April 23-25, 2026, representatives from the Belleville Chamber of Commerce attended the 114th Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s AGM & Conference held in Ottawa. CEO Jill Raycroft was joined by the Vice-President of the Board, Sandi Ramsay (CEO, Centre for Workforce Development).
The event is held annually to elect directors, present financial statements and bring together the network of Chamber leaders and volunteers from across the province. It is also the gathering that confirms as a collective network what the voice of business needs to tell Queen’s Park.
Belleville presented three policy resolutions concerning issues related to standardizing Ontario Building Code interpretation, the need to eliminate duplicative provincial legislation regarding Pre-Start Health & Safety Reviews and following two years of consultation with other chambers across the province, a key directive to the Ontario Chamber to advocate for the province’s responsibility to restore health care and housing reform. All resolutions passed with a healthy majority. On the floor, Jill Raycroft also requested the addition of a recommendation to Supporting Small Landlords – wherein the Government of Ontario should repeal the Measures Respecting Premises with Illegal Drug Activity Act, 2025 as it relates to measure that place enforcement obligations on small landlords. Following some debate, the amendment was included and the resolution passed with 98% support.
The conference also included a special awards presentation as part of Friday evening’s gala event. The Belleville Chamber of Commerce received a Certificate of Achievement – Honourable Mention for an Outstanding Advocacy Campaign: The Hidden Cost of Community Safety. This was the culiminating report prepared by Loyalist College’s Healthy Communities Research team with distribution through the Chamber Network to help identify similar initiatives to assist in advocating for broader funding support to the mental health & addictions crisis many mid-size communities now face.
Jill Raycroft was selected through a nomination from her peers with the James Gordon Carnegie Memorial Award which recognizes a chamber leader who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, mentorship, contribution, impact, and integrity within the chamber network. It honours someone who leads with vision, supports others generously, and strengthens both the profession and the community through service.
She was also acknowledged with an Honourable Mention as a candidate for the Burnie Gillespie Memorial Award which recognizes a chamber professional who demonstrates excellence in chamber management and outstanding commitment to the community through volunteer service.
