– Dione Chambers is the General Manager at the Vernon Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached at 250.545.0771 or manager@vernonchamber.ca.
VERNON – With only a few days at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce under my belt, there has been much in the way of news, that business should be watching closely. With wildfires burning through many areas of BC and the ongoing threat of wildfires imminent, we will be monitoring not only the impacts to business over the normally busy summer season but on how business should prepare in the event of a natural disaster.
This is a time to check business insurance policies and ensure proper documentation has been backed up on portable devices and important documentation moved to cloud technology. Take current pictures of your place of business, prepare an emergency plan with your staff. BC Economic Development Association has a very comprehensive list of how to prepare your business in case of an emergency.
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In other news from the Province, with the swearing in of Premier John Horgan in July and his new cabinet unveiled, notable changes are the creation of a new Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, as was promised in the NDP platform.
Some other noteworthy changes to the Ministries included reconstituting a stand-alone Ministry of Labour and removing a stand-alone Ministry of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction while collapsing the Ministry of International Trade into a new economic development ministry, the Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology. The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce is looking forward to working with the Provincial Government on behalf of business.
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Noteworthy news is the cancellation of the multibillion dollar LNG Petronas project. I was fortunate to travel with a number of Chamber of Commerce delegates from across Canada in the fall of 2016 to see the LNG site and to speak with many of the stakeholders within the region.
The federal government had set goals of increasing investment in Canada and reducing the barriers to investment. It is unclear what all factors have played into the LNG project cancellation, however with a competitive global market, the importance of relieving regulatory burdens and tax reductions to encourage investment is critical to Provincial economic stability as well as Federal stability.
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The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce is hosting its third annual “Swing Fore Fall” Chamber Golf Classic will be held on Thursday, Sept 28th, 2017 at the Vernon Golf & Country Club. It is an opportunity for the business community to network while competing for prizes and sharing some laughs. Register yourself or a team early by calling the office at 250.545.0771.
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Finally, welcome to the newest members of the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce; Don Cherry’s Sports Grill, BX Creek Bar and Grill, Kalwest Farms, Boostraps Lifeskills and Graphic Enterprise Signs and Designs Ltd.