Brampton Board of Trade


The Brampton Board of Trade is a business organization founded in Brampton, Ontario, in 1887. It engages in government lobbying, member discounts, and networking. It has also organized the Brampton Santa Claus Parade.
Joe Spina served as an Ontario MPP from 1999 to 2003, after his time as BBOT President.
The Board's archival fonds is at the Region of Peel Archives, with records from 1909 to 1919 and 1947 to 1973.

History

Speakers

The organization has hosted many notable speakers, including federal Small Business Minister Tony Abbott, Chrysler Canada CEO Reid Bigland, Ontario Premier Bill Davis, Canadian Alliance party leader Stockwell Day, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Mike Harris, Chrysler Canada president Yves Landry, Reform Party leader Preston Manning, Ontario Minister of Agriculture William "Bill" Newman, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion Mary Ng, Ontario Premier David Peterson, federal Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan, and Minister of Finance Michael Wilson.

Policy positions

The Board supported the Charlottetown Accord.

Brampton Santa Claus Parade

Brampton's Santa Claus parade stopped in the mid-1970s. In 1985, the Brampton Board of Trade started planning a Santa Claus parade for 1986; simultaneously, the Jaycees were intending to start a parade in 1987. With City co-operation, the Board's parade launched in 1986, with Jaycee assistance in marshalling. That year's program was announced to include forty community entrants, sponsored by companies, but ended up with 52 units. In recent years, it has included over 100 units. The parade moved to a "night parade" format in 1995.
The parade route has expanded from Vodden to south of Wellington Street to Sproule to south of Elgin Street.
The parade typically happens a week before the Toronto Santa Claus Parade.
The Board claims an in-person attendance of 160,000. It claims to be the largest single-day event in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and the largest night parade in Canada. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has named the parade as the Best Community Lighted Parade in Canada.
The program was broadcast on Rogers TV Brampton, which claimed viewership of over 250,000 between live and repeat broadcasts.

People

Chairpersons of the BBOT

From 1887 to 2011, Chairs were referred to as Presidents of the BBOT.