https://www.bookkeepersbootcamp.ca/

Tanya's Bookkeepers Bootcamp, Belleville, ON (2026)

09/01/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only | Ontario, Canada

The Ontario government has announced an investment of nearly $1.9 million to strengthen the province’s nuclear supply chain and prepare workers and businesses for major nuclear projects planned across Ontario.

The two-year initiative will be led by the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries (OCNI) and will focus on identifying workforce, manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain gaps as Ontario expands its nuclear energy infrastructure.

Key developments include:
✅ Investing nearly $1.9 million through the Ontario Labour Market Partnerships program
✅ Mapping Ontario’s nuclear supply chain, workforce capacity, and related industries
✅ Identifying future shortages in skilled labour, manufacturing, engineering, and supplier capacity
✅ Developing a roadmap to help more Ontario businesses participate in major nuclear projects and compete for domestic and international contracts
✅ Supporting workforce planning as Ontario advances nuclear projects at Darlington, Bruce, Wesleyville, and other locations
✅ Preparing for an expected increase in labour demand as more than 25% of the current nuclear workforce approaches retirement between 2030 and 2035
✅ Supporting a nuclear expansion expected to create or support up to 150,000 workers and generate more than $800 billion in additional GDP

Why does this matter?

Ontario’s nuclear expansion will require far more than engineers and nuclear specialists. Large-scale energy projects create demand for skilled trades, construction, manufacturing, transportation, professional services, technology, training, and hundreds of businesses throughout the supply chain.

Planning for workforce and supplier shortages now can help more Ontario companies prepare to compete for that work instead of relying on outside suppliers when major projects move forward.

For businesses in manufacturing, construction, engineering, skilled trades, technology, and related industries, this could mean significant opportunities over the coming years.

Major infrastructure investment creates opportunity, but businesses and workers need time to build the capacity to actually take advantage of it.

Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007969/ontario-investing-19-million-to-build-a-strong-nuclear-supply-chain-and-workforce

Ontario Investing $1.9 Million to Build a Strong Nuclear Supply Chain and Workforce | Ontario Newsroom
news.ontario.ca
Ontario Investing $1.9 Million to Build a Strong Nuclear Supply Chain and Workforce | Ontario Newsroom

Ontario Investing $1.9 Million to Build a Strong Nuclear Supply Chain and Workforce | Ontario Newsroom

08/27/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only | Canada

The federal government has announced an investment of more than $11 billion to build six new Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers at Chantier Davie Canada Inc. in Lévis, Québec. The contract is being described as the largest shipbuilding contract in Québec's history and is intended to strengthen Canada's domestic shipbuilding capacity, support trade routes, and expand Canadian industrial production.

All six vessels will be built in Canada using Canadian steel and other domestic materials, with construction expected to begin in 2027.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
✅ Investing more than $11 billion to build six new Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers in Lévis, Québec
✅ Creating nearly 5,000 jobs during the construction phase
✅ Contributing approximately $650 million annually to Canada's GDP
✅ Using Canadian steel and other domestic materials under the government's Buy Canadian Policy
✅ Creating opportunities for Canadian manufacturers, suppliers, and small and medium-sized businesses throughout the shipbuilding supply chain
✅ Replacing aging Coast Guard vessels that help keep Atlantic Canada, the St. Lawrence, and Arctic waterways accessible for shipping
✅ Beginning construction in 2027, with the first vessel expected five years later and the full fleet planned to be operational by 2038

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?
Canada relies heavily on trade, and keeping major waterways open is critical for moving Canadian goods to domestic and international markets. Icebreakers help maintain those shipping routes while also supporting search and rescue, environmental response, Northern resupply, and Arctic operations.

Economically, a shipbuilding contract of this size can create significant demand throughout the supply chain, from steel and manufacturing to engineering, technology, transportation, and professional services. It can also provide long-term opportunities for smaller Canadian businesses that supply products and services to major shipbuilding projects.

Major procurement projects like this can do more than replace aging equipment. They can build domestic industrial capacity, support thousands of jobs, and keep more of that investment circulating within the Canadian economy.

Source: https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2026/08/24/prime-minister-carney-announces-largest-shipbuilding-contract-quebecs

That is why the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, today announced the largest shipbuilding contract in Québec’s history.

08/27/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only

The Ontario government has announced an expansion of the Protect Ontario Financing Program (POFP) in response to new U.S. tariffs affecting a broader range of Canadian exports. The changes will make more Ontario businesses eligible for financing support as they manage tariff-related pressures on cash flow, operations, and employment.

The program provides loans to Ontario-based businesses facing working capital challenges caused by tariffs, including costs such as payroll, lease payments, and utilities.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
✅ Expanding eligibility for the Protect Ontario Financing Program to businesses affected by newly introduced U.S. tariffs
✅ Providing access to a program offering up to $1 billion in loan financing for Ontario businesses facing tariff-related working capital pressures
✅ Continuing support for businesses affected by existing tariffs on steel, aluminum, copper, and automotive products
✅ Supporting businesses affected by new 50% U.S. tariffs on a broader range of Canadian goods
✅ Maintaining Ontario's broader $30 billion tariff relief and support plan aimed at protecting businesses, workers, and supply chains
✅ Continuing the $150 million Ontario Together Trade Fund, which has supported 89 companies representing nearly $1 billion in investment and more than 10,000 jobs created or protected
✅ Supporting businesses looking to diversify exports, strengthen domestic supply chains, and reduce reliance on the U.S. market

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?
Tariffs can put pressure on businesses long before they show up as layoffs or closures. When export sales decline or costs rise, companies may face tighter margins and cash flow challenges that affect payroll, investment, production, and hiring.

Access to working capital can give businesses more time to adjust, find new customers, diversify markets, or restructure their supply chains rather than making immediate cuts.

For Ontario businesses that sell into the U.S. or supply companies that do, these programs may become increasingly important as trade uncertainty continues.

Economic resilience isn't just about finding new markets. Sometimes it's also about giving businesses enough breathing room to survive the disruption while they make that shift.

Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1007923/canadian-exports-eligible-for-support-through-the-protect-ontario-financing-program

Canadian Exports Eligible for Support Through the Protect Ontario Financing Program | Ontario Newsroom

08/27/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only

The Ontario government has announced an investment of more than $4.8 million through the Skills Development Fund to support workforce training in Simcoe and surrounding communities. The funding will support three projects designed to prepare approximately 400 workers and jobseekers for in-demand careers in skilled trades, agriculture, and long-term care.

The programs are focused particularly on people facing barriers to employment, including vulnerable jobseekers, women, underrepresented groups, and at-risk youth.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
✅ Investing more than $4.8 million across three workforce training projects
✅ Providing $3.64 million to Blue Door Support Service to help 200 vulnerable, unemployed, and unhoused jobseekers prepare for careers in skilled trades, agriculture, and long-term care
✅ Investing $813,700 in Botree Inc. to train 125 women and people from underrepresented groups for careers in long-term care and frontline care
✅ Providing $417,000 to The Karma Project Community Food Co-Operative to help 75 at-risk youth gain hands-on training and mentorship for careers in agriculture
✅ Providing participants with practical skills training, work experience, mentorship, and employment supports
✅ Strengthening program oversight by tracking employment outcomes at three, six, and 12 months and introducing additional screening and transparency requirements
✅ Building on previous Skills Development Fund rounds that have supported more than 1,000 training projects across Ontario

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫?
Labour shortages affect businesses across many industries, particularly skilled trades, agriculture, health care, and other sectors where employers are already struggling to recruit workers.

Training programs that connect people directly with in-demand careers can help businesses access the workers they need while also creating opportunities for people who may face barriers entering the workforce.

For local economies, increasing workforce participation can support business growth, strengthen communities, and help employers build a more reliable pipeline of skilled workers.

Workforce development isn't just about filling today's vacancies. It's about making sure businesses have access to the skills and people they will need to grow tomorrow.

Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007932/ontario-investing-48-million-to-protect-and-train-workers-in-simcoe-and-surrounding-area

Ontario Investing $4.8 Million to Protect and Train Workers in Simcoe and Surrounding Area | Ontario Newsroom

08/22/2026

Whoops... I double-booked myself. 😅

And not in the “I accidentally booked two things I wanted to attend” kind of way.

I am actually speaking on two webinars at the exact same time.
So, unless AI has figured out how to clone me and put me in two Zoom rooms at once, Tanya’s Big UN Adventure Live needed a new date.

The new date is:
Thursday, September 3
12:00 PM Eastern / 9:00 AM Pacific

If you already registered, Zoom has sent you the updated date and time. Please make sure you accept or download the new calendar update.
There’s actually a nice upside to this little scheduling fail.

The webinar I was already committed to is with Dext and Financial Cents:
From AI Experimentation to Firm-Wide Adoption: What Accounting Firms Need to Get Right

That session will focus more specifically on how accounting firms move from experimenting with AI to actually using it responsibly across the firm.
Then, a week later, Richard Roppa Roberts and I will pick the conversation back up with Tanya’s Big UN Adventure Live, where we’ll go deeper into what I brought home from Geneva and what it means for accounting pros and the small businesses we serve.

So, yes, there is value in registering for both.

And if you can’t attend live, register anyway. Both webinars will be recorded and sent to everyone who registers.

Register for Tanya’s Big UN Adventure Live:
https://lnkd.in/e57GgNdB

Register for the Dext + Financial Cents webinar:
https://lnkd.in/eaP5ZWtv

Apparently AI can help with a lot of things. Being in two places at once still isn’t one of them. 😂

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

08/22/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only | Ontario, Canada

The Ontario government is investing $3 million through the 2026–27 Francophone Community Grants Program (FCGP) to support 75 projects across the province.

The funding is intended to strengthen the economic, social and cultural vitality of Ontario’s Francophone communities. Projects include expanded French-language services, employee training, community outreach, digital skills development and new employment opportunities.

Key developments include:
✅ 75 projects will receive funding in 2026–27, including 69 projects through the Community and Culture stream and six through the Economic Development stream.
✅ The Francophone Community Grants Program has an annual budget of $3 million, including a $1 million federal contribution through the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Services.
✅ Équipe Santé Familiale Nord-Aski Family Health Team will receive $50,000 to strengthen mental health awareness and supports for Francophone communities in Hearst, Mattice-Val Côté and Constance Lake.
✅ VALORIS for Children and Adults of Prescott-Russell will receive $42,882 for staff training focused on supporting adults with intellectual disabilities and strengthening community participation.
✅ Employment Services Centre of Prescott-Russell will receive $50,000 to provide introductory artificial intelligence and digital skills workshops for job seekers who are disconnected from the labour market, with the goal of improving employability and helping address regional labour shortages.
✅ Carrefour Communautaire Francophone de London will receive $49,326 to develop a digital platform featuring Francophone cultural content and support programming for youth, newcomers and artists in the London region.
✅ Applications for the 2027–28 Francophone Community Grants Program are expected to open in early 2027.

Why does this matter?
For Francophone communities, particularly outside larger urban centres, access to services, training and employment opportunities in French can directly affect workforce participation, business development and the ability to attract and retain workers.

For small businesses, initiatives that improve bilingual skills, digital literacy and workforce readiness can also help expand the local labour pool and strengthen regional economies. The inclusion of AI training in one of the funded employment projects is especially worth watching as governments increasingly connect digital skills with workforce development.

Investments like these may be relatively small individually, but targeted community and workforce programs can have a meaningful local economic impact when they improve skills, employment access and business capacity.

Source:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/francophone-community-grants-program?utm_campaign=%2Fen%2Frelease%2F1007916%2Fontario-investing-3-million-to-support-francophone-communities&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsroom

Learn more about this funding program that supports the vitality of Ontario’s Francophone community.

08/19/2026

📊 Economic Update | Information Only

The Ontario government has announced an investment of more than $2.1 million in four forestry-sector projects aimed at increasing competitiveness, expanding export opportunities, and developing new uses for forest biomass and mill by-products.

The funding includes support for increased lumber-processing capacity, biomass-generated energy, and new lower-carbon products made from forest residues. The investments form part of Ontario’s broader Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, which focuses on strengthening supply chains, creating and protecting jobs, and expanding access to global markets.

Key developments include:

✅ Investing more than $1.9 million in Ben Hokum and Son to install two biomass-assisted steam kilns that are expected to triple lumber drying capacity

✅ Supporting an expected increase of more than 30% in export sales for Ben Hokum and Son while protecting 115 jobs and supporting more than 100 indirect jobs

✅ Investing another $100,000 in Ben Hokum and Son to plan a biomass-powered electricity and thermal energy facility using carbon capture and storage

✅ Providing $87,500 to TorchLight Bioresources for a feasibility study on a combined heat and power plant in Petawawa that would replace natural gas with biomass-generated energy

✅ Investing $62,500 in Carboform to develop technology that turns forest biomass residues into higher-value, lower-carbon coatings and inks

✅ Supporting projects with the long-term potential to use more than 350,000 tonnes of forest biomass each year

✅ Building on nearly $90 million approved through the Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program, which the province says has helped secure another $420 million in external investment, create close to 500 jobs, and retain another 3,800 jobs

✅ Continuing investment through the Forest Biomass Program, which has committed more than $66 million to over 60 projects and helped secure close to $250 million in additional external funding

✅ Supporting an Ontario forest sector that generates close to $21 billion in business revenue and supports approximately 155,000 jobs

Why does this matter?

Forestry remains a major part of Ontario’s economy, particularly in rural and northern communities. Increasing processing capacity and developing higher-value uses for wood residues can help businesses improve productivity, make better use of existing resources, and compete for new domestic and international opportunities.

For small and medium-sized businesses connected to forestry, manufacturing, transportation, clean technology, energy, and regional supply chains, these investments may create opportunities beyond the companies receiving the funding directly. Increased production and new biomass projects can generate demand for suppliers, contractors, technology providers, transportation services, and other supporting businesses.

Investing in processing capacity, new products, and stronger export markets can help Ontario’s forestry sector create more economic value from resources already being produced within the province.

Source: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007900/ontario-investing-more-than-2-million-to-unlock-global-markets-for-made-in-ontario-forest-products

Ontario Investing More Than $2 Million to Unlock Global Markets for Made-in-Ontario Forest Products | Ontario Newsroom

08/15/2026

Well, that's a wrap on three days at the AIFOD Summit in Geneva.

My brain is full, my notes are slightly terrifying, and I have a LOT to unpack over the coming weeks. 😂

But one thought probably sums up these three days better than anything else:

Small cannot be an afterthought.

I came here to make sure small business had a voice in these conversations. What surprised me was how often I could replace the words “small country” with “small business” and the problem barely changed.

Access. Dependency. Sovereignty. Cost. Intellectual property. Who controls the infrastructure? Who makes the rules? What happens when the small become completely dependent on the large?

I was disappointed that there wasn't official representation from the major AI companies or ministers from larger developed countries in the room. There was so much they could have learned and contributed, and I sincerely hope they're represented when this work moves forward in Nairobi in February 2027.

But maybe their absence reinforced something we sometimes forget.

The small have power. Especially when we work together.

And I'm coming home knowing I made the impact I hoped to make.

My idea around decentralized AI energy and infrastructure became part of one of the 14 recommendations of the Geneva Compact 2026. It still needs to be tested to determine whether it actually works in the real world, but knowing that something I contributed is moving forward in this process is pretty damn cool.

👉 Read my full Day 3 recap:
https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6a80515ce49e79b44f8c2820

This isn't the end of the conversation. Over the next few weeks, I'll be unpacking individual topics and sharing more about what I learned and what all of this could mean for small businesses and accounting professionals.

👉 Sign up here to follow the continuing updates:
https://tanyasbootcamp.myflodesk.com/bho5zpxcbp

Three days later, I'm even more convinced:

Small businesses matter. Small countries matter. Independent thought matters. Humanity matters.

And the small have a hell of a lot more power than we sometimes realize.

G

08/15/2026

Day 2 in Geneva gave me a lot to think about.

We were sitting inside the United Nations in a room where Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi had spoken about humanity, dignity, independence and human rights.

Now we were sitting there talking about AI.

Different challenge. Many of the same human questions.

How do we keep our dignity as technology changes the way we work? How do people stay relevant? How do we keep human judgment and accountability in the process? Who gets access, who gets a voice, and who gets left behind?

We also spent a lot of time talking about sovereignty, and one question really stuck with me:

If you can’t leave an AI provider and take what you’ve built with you, are you really sovereign?

That matters to countries. It matters to governments. And it absolutely matters to small businesses.

Another thought I wrote in my notebook yesterday was that AI could be an enabler or a divider.

I think that depends on the choices we make now.

My biggest takeaway from Day 2?

AI should be for all of us, not just those with the most money, infrastructure or power.

I’ve pulled together my personal reflections from the day here:
👉 https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6a7e349774e77421d655d837

Next week, I’ll be putting together a more detailed briefing on what I learned in Geneva and what I think it means for small business and accounting pros.

You can sign up for the rest of the Geneva series and receive the briefing here:
👉 https://tanyasbootcamp.myflodesk.com/bho5zpxcbp

G

08/14/2026

Day 2 in Geneva gave me a lot to think about.

We were sitting inside the United Nations in a room where Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi had spoken about humanity, dignity, independence and human rights.

Now we were sitting there talking about AI.

Different challenge. Many of the same human questions.

How do we keep our dignity as technology changes the way we work? How do people stay relevant? How do we keep human judgment and accountability in the process? Who gets access, who gets a voice, and who gets left behind?

We also spent a lot of time talking about sovereignty, and one question really stuck with me:

**If you can’t leave an AI provider and take what you’ve built with you, are you really sovereign?**

That matters to countries. It matters to governments. And it absolutely matters to small businesses.

Another thought I wrote in my notebook yesterday was that **AI could be an enabler or a divider**.

I think that depends on the choices we make now.

My biggest takeaway from Day 2?

**AI should be for all of us, not just those with the most money, infrastructure or power.**

I’ve pulled together my personal reflections from the day here:
👉 https://view.flodesk.com/emails/6a7e349774e77421d655d837

Next week, I’ll be putting together a more detailed briefing on what I learned in Geneva and what I think it means for small business and accounting pros.

You can sign up for the rest of the Geneva series and receive the briefing here:
👉 https://tanyasbootcamp.myflodesk.com/bho5zpxcbp

G

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