– Dan Rogers is the General Manager at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at manager@vernonchamber.ca.
VERNON – There has been a lot of talk about advocacy over the last month by members of the chamber and the business community at large but just what is advocacy? Well it can be described in definitive terms as the act of influencing others in favour of something such as a cause, policy or particular interest.
It can be done quietly behind the scenes or actively by marching in the streets. No matter the method, there is no other organization in the country that is as respected for its advocacy work on behalf of small business and strong local economies than chambers of commerce.
Advocacy is one of the pillars of the chamber movement along with providing benefits to its members and setting the stage for building strong business connections. As part of its advocacy efforts in giving a voice to its members, representatives of the Greater Vernon Chamber were among a few hundred from across the country who gathered recently at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM in Regina.
The reps from the North Okanagan were part of a strong continent from BC that tabled a number of policy resolutions. Greater Vernon vice president Dauna Kennedy Grant represented the Greater Vernon Board.
The Canadian Chamber passed policies ranging from calling on the Federal Government to adjust the tax code to create fairness in the sports and entertainment business by permitting golf greens fees as an eligible business entertainment expense to restoring Tax Free Savings Account annual contributions limits to 2015 levels.
The delegates dealt with more than 70 resolutions and among the others that were supported included one calling on the federal government to acknowledge the base principles of pension reform while also setting a fixed a timeframe for advancing the discussions. The delegates also passed a policy calling on Ottawa to engage businesses in establishing the legal framework for recreational marijuana production and distribution while protecting the health of Canadians and creating consumer choice in a free market.
Most delegates were of the opinion that if the federal government is moving forward on this issue that it is best to engage business and community leaders early to ensure whatever regulatory framework that is put in place makes the most amount of sense.
“It`s important for us to attend these discussion along with our colleagues in BC to ensure our members interests in the Okanagan and throughout the province are fairly represented,” says Kennedy Grant.
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In other news, the Greater Vernon Chamber continues to celebrate the many talented young professionals in the area who are making their mark through business success and community involvement. KPMG recently teamed up with the chamber in launching the Top 20 under 40 Vernon. All the recipients will be recognized on Thursday October 20th at a community celebration event during Small Business Week in BC. You can read more about the young talent in the north Okanagan by checking out www.20under40vernon.ca.
In celebrating the area’s young leaders, the chamber is also recognizing the enterprises they are leading as small business is critically important to Vernon and every other city in B.C. Small businesses represent 98 per cent of all businesses in the province and in fact this province is at the top of the pack in terms of small businesses per capita in Canada. BC has 83.4 small businesses per 1,000 people, which is slightly ahead of Saskatchewan and well ahead of third placed Alberta. The national average is just over 70 per cent.
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Finally, the Greater Vernon Chamber is pleased to welcome a number of new members including Virtual Job Search Coach, A & E Community Market, Best Defense Driving Academy, Bellman Specialty Product, and Vernon Optometry. Welcome to the Chamber network!