Social Issues are Business Issues
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Social Issues are Business Issues: Connection is the Opposite of Addiction
A Symposium on Health, Housing, and Human Connection
A day of empathy, action, and community building for leaders who mean business. Bring your voice to the table as we turn social crisis into local impact. You’ll leave with the tools and wisdom needed to tackle the most pressing issue of our day – grounded in the connections you make here, and the collaboration required to deliver results back home.
This one-day symposium is designed for community leaders to bridge the gap between social crisis and sustainable solutions. Our MC for the day is Pete Bombaci, Founder and CEO of GenWell, Canada’s Human Connection Movement. Pete’s work anchors the day in the understanding that the solutions to our most complex social challenges – from isolation to addiction – are rooted in the strength of our human connections.
Presented by | St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce
Sponsored by | Steelway Building Systems (co-presenting partner); Kindred Credit Union (co-presenting sponsor); Royal Containers; GenWell; Elgin County; Petals of Love; Rogers TV; 94.1 myFM; Establish Media; CASO Station; Geerlinks Home Hardware Design Centre
Tuesday, June 16th, 2026
9am-3pm – breakfast at 8am; walking tour at 3:15pm
CASO Station, 750 Talbot St., St. Thomas
Tickets: In-person: $50+HST (includes breakfast and lunch);
or online: FREE
[email protected]
The Economic Imperative – 09h00 to 11h30 – Understand the empirical impact of social issues on communities and businesses:
• A Fireside Chat with the Honourable Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who will discuss the Provincial Government’s priorities and the intersection of housing policy and local commerce
• A conversation with National Post journalist Adam Zivo who will explain why solving homelessness and addiction requires proven, data-driven strategies rather than ideological experiments, highlighting the direct link between effective social policy and economic vitality
• A presentation by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce that evaluates how the cost of inaction – measured in emergency responses, lost productivity, homelessness, and repeated crises – now far exceeds the cost of system reform
• A panel discussion of Chamber CEOs from across the province who will discuss the specific challenges facing their respective business communities and why they deserve a seat at the table
The St. Thomas Success Story – 12h30 to 15h00 – Hear from the “Team of Teams” and learn how connection, collaboration, and a common vision are essential to every community’s success:
• The Mayor of the City of St. Thomas, His Worship Joe Preston
• The Executive Director of Indwell, Natasha Thuemler
• The Acting Director of St. Thomas Elgin Social Services, Danielle Neilson
• The Chief of St. Thomas Police Service, Marc Roskamp
• The Head of The Inn St. Thomas-Elgin Emergency Shelter, Brian Elliott
• the Executive Director of the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, Lindsay Rice
The Results in Real Life – 15h15 to 17h00 – See our solutions in action through an immersive two-kilometre tour showcasing our community's built response:
• Indwell’s Railway City Lofts, 16 supportive micro-apartments with intensive therapeutic services for the city's most at-risk individuals transitioning from homelessness.
• The Inn, the region's only low-barrier emergency shelter, providing 24/7 safe temporary accommodation, food, and basic necessities for individuals aged 16 and older.
• Project Tiny Hope, a community collaboration led by YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin of 40 energy-efficient tiny homes that provide permanent supportive housing for vulnerable women, youth, and families.
• Indwell’s Balaclava Crossing, an upcoming project that is transforming the former Balaclava Street Public School into 78 supportive housing units, offering a mix of enhanced and standard on-site supports
Why St. Thomas? | While many communities struggle with the rising tide of homelessness, St. Thomas is proving that progress is possible when municipal leadership decides to act. We recognized early that an unmeasured crisis cannot be solved, that a fragmented system cannot provide clear pathways to care, and that affordable housing alone is not enough without the support required to sustain it. Above all, we understood that a municipality cannot wait for other levels of government to lead; success requires radical collaboration, political courage, data to track progress, and a relentless commitment to building supportive housing.
A Symposium on Health, Housing, and Human Connection
A day of empathy, action, and community building for leaders who mean business. Bring your voice to the table as we turn social crisis into local impact. You’ll leave with the tools and wisdom needed to tackle the most pressing issue of our day – grounded in the connections you make here, and the collaboration required to deliver results back home.
This one-day symposium is designed for community leaders to bridge the gap between social crisis and sustainable solutions. Our MC for the day is Pete Bombaci, Founder and CEO of GenWell, Canada’s Human Connection Movement. Pete’s work anchors the day in the understanding that the solutions to our most complex social challenges – from isolation to addiction – are rooted in the strength of our human connections.
Presented by | St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce
Sponsored by | Steelway Building Systems (co-presenting partner); Kindred Credit Union (co-presenting sponsor); Royal Containers; GenWell; Elgin County; Petals of Love; Rogers TV; 94.1 myFM; Establish Media; CASO Station; Geerlinks Home Hardware Design Centre
Tuesday, June 16th, 2026
9am-3pm – breakfast at 8am; walking tour at 3:15pm
CASO Station, 750 Talbot St., St. Thomas
Tickets: In-person: $50+HST (includes breakfast and lunch);
or online: FREE
[email protected]
The Economic Imperative – 09h00 to 11h30 – Understand the empirical impact of social issues on communities and businesses:
• A Fireside Chat with the Honourable Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, who will discuss the Provincial Government’s priorities and the intersection of housing policy and local commerce
• A conversation with National Post journalist Adam Zivo who will explain why solving homelessness and addiction requires proven, data-driven strategies rather than ideological experiments, highlighting the direct link between effective social policy and economic vitality
• A presentation by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce that evaluates how the cost of inaction – measured in emergency responses, lost productivity, homelessness, and repeated crises – now far exceeds the cost of system reform
• A panel discussion of Chamber CEOs from across the province who will discuss the specific challenges facing their respective business communities and why they deserve a seat at the table
The St. Thomas Success Story – 12h30 to 15h00 – Hear from the “Team of Teams” and learn how connection, collaboration, and a common vision are essential to every community’s success:
• The Mayor of the City of St. Thomas, His Worship Joe Preston
• The Executive Director of Indwell, Natasha Thuemler
• The Acting Director of St. Thomas Elgin Social Services, Danielle Neilson
• The Chief of St. Thomas Police Service, Marc Roskamp
• The Head of The Inn St. Thomas-Elgin Emergency Shelter, Brian Elliott
• the Executive Director of the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, Lindsay Rice
The Results in Real Life – 15h15 to 17h00 – See our solutions in action through an immersive two-kilometre tour showcasing our community's built response:
• Indwell’s Railway City Lofts, 16 supportive micro-apartments with intensive therapeutic services for the city's most at-risk individuals transitioning from homelessness.
• The Inn, the region's only low-barrier emergency shelter, providing 24/7 safe temporary accommodation, food, and basic necessities for individuals aged 16 and older.
• Project Tiny Hope, a community collaboration led by YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin of 40 energy-efficient tiny homes that provide permanent supportive housing for vulnerable women, youth, and families.
• Indwell’s Balaclava Crossing, an upcoming project that is transforming the former Balaclava Street Public School into 78 supportive housing units, offering a mix of enhanced and standard on-site supports
Why St. Thomas? | While many communities struggle with the rising tide of homelessness, St. Thomas is proving that progress is possible when municipal leadership decides to act. We recognized early that an unmeasured crisis cannot be solved, that a fragmented system cannot provide clear pathways to care, and that affordable housing alone is not enough without the support required to sustain it. Above all, we understood that a municipality cannot wait for other levels of government to lead; success requires radical collaboration, political courage, data to track progress, and a relentless commitment to building supportive housing.
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Where is it happening?
750 Talbot Street, Suite 101, Saint Thomas, ON, Canada, Ontario N5P 1E2, 750 Talbot St, St Thomas, ON N5P 1E2, Canada
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherSt. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce
