Ottawa Special Events’ Mike Wood to chair roundtable with finance ministry

Ottawa’s rockstar entrepreneur, Michael Wood, is creating connection between
small businesses and the Federal Government to support and uplift them through this
unforeseen crisis. Tomorrow, Wood will moderate a conversation between small business
owners and members of the Ministry of Finance team. From 2003 to 2017, 85.3% of all new
jobs (1.2 million jobs) were created by small- to medium-sized businesses.
The virtual forum will take place Wednesday, April 22nd at 1:00 PM via Zoom.
The video conference will have more than 20 Ottawa small business owners in
Attendance, from restaurant owners to consulting companies. The Finance Minister’s
Parliamentary Secretary Sean Fraser and Ian Foucher, Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance
(Bill Morneau) will be there.
The purpose is to have local business leaders engage directly with the government offices that
make the decisions impacting the future of Canadian small businesses. These business owners
are community builders, employers and innovators. They shape the communities we live in and
the country we call home and are a major economic driver for all Canadians. This forum gives
space for their questions and concerns to be addressed by governmental decision-makers so
that we may all continue to progress together.
“With the cancellation of events, festivals and other gatherings in a “festival town”, businesses
like Ottawa Special Events has zero revenue for the foreseeable future,” says Wood. He goes
on to say, “As an example, we are going to ask the Federal and Provincial government to absorb
the personal guarantees on outstanding loans for small business before people face an even
bigger crisis”.
Michael Wood is also a college professor who is a Forty Under 40 recipient and won the
“Community Giver” Award at the 2019 Febe Awards. For more information or to speak with
Michael Wood, please call 613-265-9967.