Provincial Grits Launch New Project

The Ontario provincial government has announced a new outreach and education pilot project, aimed at small business, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced Friday.
“We are on the side of small business owners in Ontario,” said Peters at Park Lane Chevrolet Cadillac Ltd. “That is why we have introduced a pilot project to provide small business owners with one-stop shopping for information on regulatory requirements in the auto body sector.”
The Auto Body Repair Compliance Information Centre (CIC) is a new, free website designed to make it easier for auto body shop owners to find information about legislation governing their industry.
This will save business owners time and effort and will better protect workers and the public.
The pilot will also include outreach and education in order to increase awareness and understanding.
“Helping small businesses to grow and succeed is part of our overall strategy to build a stronger and more vibrant Ontario,” said Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Harinder Takhar.
“Because when they succeed, Ontario prospers.”
The information centre was developed through the combined work of the auto body repair industry, shop owners, regulatory ministries and ServiceOntario. ServiceOntario is a government website dedicated to making it easier for Ontarians to do business with the province by providing information and services online, in person and over the phone.
The CIC site launched today at www.serviceontario.ca/autobody.
“This truly is a business-friendly approach,” said Rosanna Armata, executive vice-president of the Collision Industry Action Group (CIAG), a provincial trade association for Ontario’s collision repairers.
“By working with the government, we have created a product that addresses the needs of the small business owner, in ways they can understand, while still meeting the regulatory requirements of the province. Everybody wins.”
The Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA) expressed similar support. “The CIC is definitely a step in the right direction,” said John Norris, executive director of HARA.
“It presents a user-friendly navigation path for small business owners to be able to
find provincial regulatory information in one place. That’s the real value of the project, and our members look forward to using the site and providing feedback to add to future developments.”