Hon. Patty Hajdu, P.C., M.P. Minister of Jobs and Families Employment and Social Development Canada House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
May 25, 2026
Re: Consultation on Building Canada Strong for All – Powered by Canada’s Workers Dear Minister Hajdu, The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) appreciates the opportunity to provide input into the Government of Canada’s consultation on Building Canada Strong for All - Powered by Canada’s Workers. The OCC is the indispensable partner of business, representing a network of 60,000 members across Ontario’s regions, sectors, and sizes. Our purpose is to advance inclusive, sustainable prosperity for Ontario’s businesses, workers, and communities. Ontario’s connectivity is foundational to Canada’s economic strength, and it is increasingly at risk. As Canada's largest provincial economy, generating 37 per cent of national GDP, Ontario anchors the country's primary aviation network and critical trade corridors.1 For Ontario businesses and workers, labour stability in federally regulated sectors is a core condition for sustaining growth, competitiveness, and quality employment. When labour disruptions strike federally regulated industries, the damage is immediate, measurable, and far-reaching, for example: •
A two-week Canada-wide rail shutdown could reduce GDP by roughly $3 billion and threaten tens of thousands of jobs, with a disproportionate share falling on Ontario firms and workers.2
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Canada's port authorities move over a hundred million tonnes of cargo annually, supporting 213,000 jobs. Port shutdowns can disrupt billions of dollars in goods movement each day, as seen during the labour disruptions at the ports of Vancouver and Montreal in 2024.3
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A two-week Air Canada work stoppage could reduce Canada’s real GDP by approximately $1.4 billion, with passenger volumes dropping an estimated 29 per cent.4
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Toronto Pearson processes nearly 30 per cent of Canada’s air passengers, 45 per cent of air cargo, and generates $19.6 billion in GDP annually. Any disruption to aviation supply chains reverberates across the entire economy.5
1 https://www.ontario.ca/page/about-ontario
2 https://www.signal49.ca/insights/rail-stoppages-will-have-widespread-impacts/ 3
https://globalnews.ca/news/10864095/bc-montreal-port-shutdowns-economic-impact/;
4 https://www.desjardins.com/content/dam/pdf/en/personal/savings-investment/economic-studies/canada-pilot-strike-sept-12-
2024.pdf 5 https://cdn.torontopearson.com/-/media/project/pearson/content/corporate/who-we-are/pdfs/annual-reports/gtaa-annualreport-2024.pdf
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