Newsletter August 25, 2023

FSJ & District Member News:

August 21, 2023

 

The Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce delivers significant policy and advocacy wins for our membership.

 

It is with gratitude for our Board of Directors, staff, membership and key partners that we are able to share progress in areas of significance for our members and the business community in general. Through increased advocacy efforts by our CEO, Kathleen Connolly, we are pleased to share some of our successes this year.

 

● The creation of the Good Neighbour's table in partnership with Northern Health.

The purpose of the table is to allow businesses affected by the Overdose Prevention Site to have a voice regarding the safety and accessibility of their businesses.

 

● The FSJ Chamber lobbied for bike and foot patrols (RCMP) in the downtown core. The RCMP has agreed to this and are working with the Chamber to provide education regarding crime-proofing businesses.

 

● The Chamber lobbied for funding for ranchers who were affected by wildfire and drought. The Province and the B.C. Cattlemans’ Association have responded and are offering some relief at this time. Of course, those who have been impacted by drought will require additional supports, which the Chamber will continue

lobbying for.

 

● Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, in their report released August 2023, highlighted the BC Chamber’s request for financial support for investment and business ownership in the form of loan guarantees to Indigenous businesses. This was a policy resolution that the FSJ Chamber brought forward at the BC Chamber AGM in June of this year.

 

● The Select Standing Committee on Financial has also recommended that the Province twin the highway from Alberta to Fort St. John after a presentation from Fort St. John and District Chamber of Commerce Vice Chair Mitchel Chilcott.

 

● The FSJ Chamber has lobbied aggressively around taxation issues. The report from the Select committee also recommends reviewing carbon tax, provincial sales tax and employer health tax threshold.

 

● The committee also recommended evaluating the regulatory and approval processes for all ministries and agencies to ensure timelines, efficiency, and predictability, and aligning processes with the federal government

 

● The committee also recommends support to farmers to address water supply concerns by allocating sufficient financial resources , establishing an irrigation framework, and allocating resources to support farmers to complete applications for groundwater use licenses

 

 

Many of the recommendations are issues which the Chamber has actively lobbied for. The report can be found by clicking the link below

 

https://www.leg.bc.ca/content/CommitteeDocuments/42nd-parliament/4th-session/fg

s/reports/SSC-FGS_42-4-2_Budget-2024-Consultation_Report.pdf

 

The Fort St John & District Chamber will continue to proudly represent our business

community, we encourage businesses to consider joining our chamber. Your

membership allows us to fund our work including educational and networking

opportunities. For more information about upcoming events and benefits of being a

chamber member (reduced rates on many programs as well as extended medical

benefits)

 

Join us today mailto:admin@fsjchamber.com

 

 

Kathleen Connolly

CEO

mailto:kathleen@fsjchamber.com

778.256.7762

Dawson Creek & District Hospital Project

 

Local residents and businesses have been looking for information about employment and/or business opportunities related to the Dawson Creek & District Hospital project. Graham Design Builders LP (Graham) is responsible for all employment and contracting related to the construction of the new hospital. They are committed to employing as many locals as possible and have already hired a number of local tradespeople. Graham plans to work closely with Northern Lights College’s Trades and Apprenticeships department to provide eligible students with apprenticeship training. Northern Health has also been reaching out to local and regional Indigenous communities to share these opportunities with the economic development and employment and training departments. Graham, through their subcontractors, will advertise employment opportunities on various platforms such as Indeed, Kijiji, LinkedIn and on the Graham Careers page.

 

Interested in employment or apprenticeship training? Submit a resume to Graham via email to dawsoncreekhospital@graham.ca

 

Interested in business opportunities or subcontracts? Graham has been reaching out to local and regional companies to explore the possibility of working together and will continue to do so throughout the project. Businesses are encouraged to send information about their services and product offerings via email to dawsoncreekhospital@graham.ca

Events Calendar

We are still seeking sponsors for the BC LNG Golf Tournament. 

Some of the available sponsorships include Hole Sponsors,

Title Sponsor and Dinner Sponsor. 

Sponsorships over $1,000.00 include four tickets for golf and dinner, recognition on signage displayed at the tournament, in social media posts and in our newsletters.

If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please email admin@fsjchamber.com

FEATURED MEMBER BENEFIT

Member Benefits

OFFICE HOURS

 

By appointment between the hours of 9am and 4pm

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday

and 9am to 3:30pm on Wednesdays

Contact us by phone at  250-785-6037 or

email to admin@fsjchamber.com 

BC CHAMBER NEWS

BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on Rejection of Tentative Agreement by ILWU

https://bcchamber.org/news/bc-chamber-commerce-statement-rejection-tentative-agreement-ilwu

 

BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on the Securing Small Business Rebate Program

https://bcchamber.org/news/bc-chamber-commerce-statement-securing-small-business-rebate-program

Embracing Truth: Honouring the National Day for Reconciliation

 

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day for Canadians to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system. In this spirit, we are honoured to invite you to the virtual event, "Embracing Truth: Honouring the National Day for Reconciliation," with guest speaker Chris Sankey, Indigenous Affairs & Economic Reconciliation Advocate. Hosted by the BC Chamber of Commerce, this event is a step towards fostering understanding, collaboration, and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in British Columbia.  Join us over Zoom on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, from 8.00am to 9.30am (PT) for an opportunity to contribute to ongoing reconciliation efforts. Click here to register - we look forward to seeing you there! 

BC Chamber

CHAMBER CHAMPIONS

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