B Local Ontario Update

B Local Ontario partnered with B Lab United States and Canada to put on an event hosted by BDC in conjunction with the CHFA Natural Organic Wellness conference.

Chair Arni Mikelsons presented an update for B Local Ontario, which follows.

We thank B Lab for providing sponsorship for this event. It is really nice to work together on an event like this. I would also like to thank BDC for the event space. And a heartfelt thank you to the events committee for organizing it. Thanks so much.

I want to spend a couple of minutes giving people an update of what B Local Ontario is up to, and how we continue to foster and deepen connections among B Corps in Ontario who share our purpose and passion for using business as a force for good.

• I am happy to say that there are now 172 B Corps registered in Ontario with an annual revenue with $2.5 Billion in Annual Revenue
• We continue to put on events regularly, and are planning for a holiday event, likely in December, so watch out for that.
• Our Advocacy Committee is working on a project to support the 21^st Century Business Act, put forward by Senator Julie Miville-Dechene. This act aims to transform Canadian business by expanding the fiduciary duties of corporate directors and officers to cover their company’s social and environmental impacts, in addition to their profit-seeking objectives. Very much in line with B Corp values. B Lab has also provided funding with this.
• The Advocacy Committee is also reaching out to like-minded organizations to see how we can work together more.
• This summer we formed a Membership and Sponsorship committee. We are first encouraging B Corps who are operating in Ontario to become members. As a member, In addition to supporting the above work, you also get a logo on the website, be featured in a Spotlight, have speaking opportunities, and can vote at the Annual General Meeting.
• Since launching Membership in the spring, we now have 22 B Corps as Members, including BDC and Bullfrog Power. We encourage others to become a member to support B Local Ontario. Membership is $100 per year with a $100 initiation.
• We are also developing a sponsorship model that we hope to launch in October to support our events, but we also hope to generate enough substantial sponsorship to be able to have a part time staff person to help make things run smoother. So yes, everything that we have done to date has been strictly on a volunteer basis.
• I would like to mention if you are interested in becoming involved in any of the committees I have mentioned, please let us know, as we can always use some more help
• Finally, the Marketing Committee has been supporting all of this by sending out regular newsletters, updating our LinkedIn and Instagram, and continuing to improve the website that now includes a blog, that contains, updates on our advocacy work, upcoming events, news and our Spotlight on Members, and also logos of our Members. And you can become a member by clicking on the bright orange “Become a Member” button.

I think we can all agree that this has been an incredible year of building momentum.  We are excited that our second year as a registered not-for-profit corporation has started out well. And look forward to doing a lot more. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at through the website.