Labour shortages, language barriers and interprovincial trade were some of the key issues on the agenda of a presentation by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) at a meeting organized and hosted by the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.

The after work gathering was held at the Little Red Wagon Winery in Clarendon on October 19.

The presentation touched on a number of issues facing business owners, particularly in the Outaouais region.

Speaking after the meeting, CFIB policy analyst Benjamin Rousse explained that the organization conducts a number of surveys of its membership to look at trends and challenges by region.

He added that they had done studies on interprovincial trade and the impacts that the language barrier have on business. He said that half of Ontario businesses surveyed said that the language barrier prevents them from doing more business across the border. Only 1 in 5 Quebec businesses said the same thing.

The full interview with Rousse is available below: