KELOWNA – The BC Chamber AGM is always an information-packed event. Three hard days of reviewing policies, debating changes, listening to lots of new information, all while renewing friendships and making new ones.
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce had the honor of hosting this annual event, which moves around the province from city to city, chamber to chamber, every year. Our Chamber was absolutely delighted at the attendance: several hundred attending delegates, representing 455 voting Chamber members, the most ever recorded at a BC Chamber AGM. Truly a testament to our beautiful Okanagan region, and the enticement of our golf courses, our outdoor attractions, our restaurants, and our city’s friendly welcome.
Kelowna is the fastest growing CMA (Census Metropolitan Area) in Canada for the third year in a row. We’re now at 200,000 with no signs of slowing down. Good news for all our businesses.
The big news coming out of the BC Chambers AGM is that delegates passed 49 of the 55 proposed policies that went to the floor. Adopting 49 policies after review, debate and more review takes time and dedication. There has been a flurry of media coverage on many of the policies in the subsequent weeks. Having so many voting delegates really sealed the process as fully transparent, well informed and democratic.
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Provincial & Federal Policy Committee, chaired by Board Vice-President Jeff Robinson of Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, submitted a policy recommending that the Provincial Government consider the role of “physician extenders” as a solution to the primary care shortage in British Columbia. This would provide British Columbia’s family physicians with the ability and incentives to financially integrate physician extenders into their practices.
Part of our submitted policy requires support for the necessary training of physician extenders to ensure that British Columbians receive the best quality, most cost-efficient care. This policy was adopted in the unique grassroots policy-building forum, recording as I said earlier, 455 votes from Chamber delegates from across BC.
Delegates consider and vote on new business/economic policies; policies that are adopted become part of the BC Chamber’s advocacy agenda.
Outside the hard AGM work of the policy discussions, we enjoyed re-connecting with our colleagues and counterparts from around the province. All expressed pleasure at being back in the beautiful Okanagan at a glorious, sunny time of year; I did see more than one set of golf clubs at the hotel registration desk!
On the closing evening of the AGM, the Kelowna Chamber was delighted to invite all our delegates and their guests to join us at one of Kelowna’s many beautiful wineries. We were thrilled by the stunning outlook over our lake, and the weather was perfect. A terrific opportunity to wrap up three days of hard indoor work with a few hours outside in the sunshine overlooking the vines.
On other May-June notes, our Chamber hosted a sold out – oversold, in fact – golf tournament at The Harvest Golf Club. It was our 31st annual tourney, and our most popular, ever. Over 160 golfers, and 200 at dinner. All enjoyed the spectacular Harvest golf course layout, the immaculate greens, the high level of service, and of course, the business networking.
And our sponsors really upped their games, too, offering tee to green entertainment from watergun ping pong golf, marshmallow golf, Velcro™ golf, and the occasional libation and BBQ. Our charity of choice for the tournament this year was KidSport™, a national charity started right here in BC. Funds raised by KidSport™ help defray families’ costs of signing up their children for organized sports: fees, equipment, travel.
We were fortunate to have several former KidSport™ recipients on hand to help us out: Kelsey Serwa, a two-time Olympian member of Canada’s Ski Cross Team; and Brittney Page, a member of Canada’s national volleyball team, plus keen KidSport™ volunteers. We raised just under $2,000 with a 50/50 and our WestJet ticket raffle, which went 100% to KidSport™. We also offered our golfers a chance to win our President’s Circle “Dream Vacation” sponsored by Pacific Coastal Airlines – a golf getaway to Vancouver Island. It was a great day. Did I mention that the Mayor joined our group of golfers?
We’re now in planning mode for our 110th anniversary party at the Vibrant Vine Winery in Kelowna on July 6th. We’ll host all our members, our volunteers and staff, and shine a spotlight on all our Business Excellence nominees for our October Awards. Our Charter date is June 1, 1906, so we’re actually already 110 years into serving our constituents, and will celebrate just as soon as a break in our busy June events schedule allows.
We are thrilled at the growth of our Chamber – we’re closely tied to the growth of our business community, and the benefits we give our members are inextricably entwined with the benefits and strength they give our business environment here in the Okanagan.
Summer in the Okanagan: nothing like it; no better time to ensure staff take some vacation down time, and recharge their mental and physical batteries ahead. See you on the golf course, on the lake, or in one of our beautiful restaurants sometime this summer.
– Tom Dyas is the President of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. To find out more information about the organization please visit www.kelownachamber.org.