Published Date: June 27th, 2024
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President’s Message
by Ruth Hanna
We had a busy start to the year that has laid the table for an even busier second half. We maintained the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce as a go-to resource for Quebec-Ireland business; held two in-person events; saw growing Montreal-Ireland momentum; and had our mandate strengthened with a 19% year-over-year increase in individual members and a 30% year-over-year increase in corporates. In addition, we progressed the following two topics that will remain baseline projects in the new board year:
Advocacy for an Irish Consulate in Montreal
The ICCC posits that Montreal merits an Irish consular post due to a unique combination of economic and societal factors. These include the size of the Quebec economy and of its relative population; Ireland-Quebec economic
sector similarities and cultural affinities; Quebec’s considerable devolved powers (more than Scotland’s); and persistent Irish official underrepresentation in Quebec, which results in the Ireland investment case and Irish businesses flying under the radar.
ICBA Report – The Ireland-Canada Economic Opportunity: Building on the growing Ireland-Canada relationship, the Dublin-based Ireland-Canada Business Association (ICBA) commissioned Irish economist Jim Power to author a report that documents the growth in trade, and opportunities and trade between Ireland and Canada. Given the high level of interest generated by the report, Jim Power visited Canada in December, attending our Christmas reception and even a “Power Breakfast”.
Currently, we are investigating the potential to obtain a Quebec-Ireland iteration of the report and will update when more information is available.