New Federal Government Unveiled

The BC Chamber welcomed the strong representation from BC in the new, smaller, 27 member federal cabinet as good news for the province.  It is also worth noting that BC has been allocated critical portfolios in agriculture, public safety, natural resource and international trade. At a critical stage in the development of BC we were also pleased to see that Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics will be a Minister with a proven track record of delivering for BC in David Emerson. The lighter cabinet structure reflects the PM's style of working in small and focused groups.  The Chamber believes that this will lead to a businesslike approach to governing, resulting in steady incremental change. The Chamber will be writing to the new cabinet outlining the issues of importance to our members and encouraging them to address these issues as a high priority.  The chambers message will focus on the issues we feel are achievable in a minority government such as skills, a focus on small business and infrastructure.  In addition the chamber will also be urging the new federal government to immediately lift the moratorium on offshore oil and gas exploration.  

BC Chamber Announces Lunch with the Premier and Cabinet

The BC Chamber is pleased to announce the upcoming “Lunch with the Premier and Cabinet” event, following a one year hiatus.  Premier Gordon Campbell has agreed to be the guest speaker at this unique and important event that will provide government and business an unparalleled forum to discuss issues of importance to business across the province.  This year, to accommodate the Premier’s commitment to attend the Turin Games in February, the event will be held on March 24, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. Members wishing to attend will be able to select which Minister’s table they would like to sit at, increasing the value of this event.  Further information regarding registration will be sent out to all BC Chamber members in the near future, as well as posted on the BC Chamber website, www.bcchamber.org.  

Province Unveils Gateway Transportation Program Details

The Provincial Government announced on Tuesday, January 31 2006, its comprehensive $3-billion plan to expand on the Gateway Program. This announcement was made by the Premier at the BC Chamber’s Transportation Summit, an event that helped outline BC businesses’ priorities in improving transportation. The BC Chamber welcomes this news and emphasizes the importance of this new program.  Transportation infrastructure in Greater Vancouver is essential to maintain our role as the Gateway to Asia and as Canada’s highest volume container shipping location. The Gateway Project includes of the Port Mann Bridge, the widening of highway 1, new construction of the North and South Fraser Perimeter Roads.  These projects will help Greater Vancouver’s transportation system address capacity issues as the province continues to grow.   The next stage is a series of public consultations which will occur in three stages:   2006: Pre-design Consultation 2007: Preliminary Design Consultation 2008: Detailed Design Consultation   It is important to note that there will be opposition to these projects.  The BC Chamber thereby urges chamber members to involve themselves in the upcoming consultations to ensure that B.C.’s business interests are heard and involved.  For more information on the project or further information on the public consultations, visit www.gatewayprogram.bc.ca.    

Province Supports Mining Industry

B.C.’s mining industry is experiencing phenomenal growth, with $220 million invested in new exploration in 2005 alone.  While companies are capitalizing on B.C.’s rich natural resources, it also makes the looming skills shortage more daunting – an estimated 80,000 jobs will be created in the next 10 years.  The B.C. Chamber therefore welcomes the Provincial Government’s announcement that they are creating programs to help support this revitalized industry with the following two initiatives: Mining Job Fairs and funding towards Mining and Mineral Exploration Training.  

Mining Job Fairs The B.C. government is hosting a series of job fairs throughout the province.  These job fairs are scheduled for February to April 2006 and will showcase local mining and exploration companies and post-secondary institutions.  This is a positive announcement that will help garner interest from potential employees while informing them of the skills and training necessary to work and be successful in the mining industry.   Investment in Mining and Mineral Exploration Training To complement the job fairs, the Provincial Government announced its plans to invest $2.3 million to expand training for youth interested in pursuing careers in the mining and mineral exploration industry.  While the job fairs will act to attract interest to the sector, this program will help encourage youth to pursue a trade following secondary school.  The BC Chamber believes this is an important initiative that will help address the daunting skills shortage.  With an industry set to flourish, it is important that British Columbians are prepared and have the skills to work in the industry. For further information visit the provincial governments website at www.gov.bc.ca    

Chamber Proud to Endorse Workplace Mental Health Conference

The BC Chamber of Commerce is proud to endorse the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division's 4th annual Bottom Line Conference on depression, anxiety disorders and addictions in the workplace happening on March 8th in Vancouver. With mental illnesses rapidly emerging as one of the most common workplace disabilities, learning how to sensitively and effectively address mental illness in the workplace is an essential management skill. Employers and managers also need to understand that addressing mental illness is not only a humanitarian issue, but an organizational and financial issue. This annual conference is designed to focus managers, business leaders, human resource specialists, unions, employees, benefit providers, and mental health service providers on the monumental task of reducing the impact of stress, depression, anxiety disorders and addictions in the workplace. This year's program will focus on progress through partnership between the employer, the employee and the union. For more information or to register, see www.bottomlineconference.ca.  

Government Commits to Maintaining Film Tax Credits

In advance of the provincial budget Finance Minister Carol Taylor announced her intention to maintain the current film production tax credits until 2008.  The tax credits were due to expire in March of this year.  Pending formal legislation, the production Services Tax Credit will remain at 18 per cent while the basic Film Incentive B.C. tax credit will remain at 30 per cent.  The BC Chamber is pleased that the Provincial Government recognizes how vital the film industry is to B.C.’s economy.  The BC Chamber supports helping B.C.’s film industry become competitive, as it is an important element of a vibrant and diverse provincial economy.  However, the BC Chamber maintains that it is crucial that the film industry take the initiative to put itself into a competitive position.  We will continue to work with the film industry as it strives to build a foundation for long term sustainability through addressing issues such as labour, location costs and service levels.    

China Posts Impressive Economic Growth Rate – Again

Good news for British Columbia’s resource rich economy: China’s economy grew 9.9 per cent in 2005.  China’s gross domestic product for the year 2005 was an estimated $2.26 trillion US (National Bureau of Statistics) spurred largely by strong export growth and foreign investment.  This is excellent news for B.C: as China’s economy continues to grow, demand for competitively priced natural resources will increase with it.  Already, Western Canada has experienced the positive effects of China’s strong economy: while Canada experienced a 19.5 percent increase in exports to China during the first quarter of 2005 (compared to a year earlier), exports from Western Canada made up 70.5 per cent of total exports.  Since 1995, Canada has seen its exports to China grow from $3.5 billion to $6.7 billion, a positive trend that has helped offset the negative pressures associated with a rising dollar.  Data Sources: StatsCan and Canada West Foundation    

Concern about US Travel Documents Continues

On January 17, 2006 the U.S. government announced plans to introduce the People Access Security Service (PASS) system card as a less expensive and smaller alternative to a passport.  This move came in response to the Canadian and U.S. Tourism industries’ concern that the U.S.’s intention to require that all Canadian and American visitors carry a passport and secondary identification to cross the border, effective December 31, 2007. The BC Chamber is concerned that while the new system is less expensive and the PASS card a convenient size, it does not address members significant concern regarding issues such as staggered introduction dates and the fact that it still requires the same time-consuming process as obtaining a passport. The Chamber will continue to work with our counterparts at the Canadian Chamber and colleagues south of the border to highlight the significant impact this initiative will have on economies in Canada and in the US.    

Canadexport

The Canadian Ministry of International Trade (MIT) recently launched Canadexport, a web-based newsletter, aimed at providing Canadian businesses with reliable, relevant, and up-to-date information about international trade and market intelligence abroad. Canadexport’s twice weekly newsletter includes country profiles as well as information on potential markets, trade opportunities, upcoming trade fairs, mission activities, trade policies, and agreements.  Canadexport is a free publication, courtesy of the (MIT), that is circulated both online and in print.  For more information, or to subscribe to either the print or electronic edition, please visit www.canadexport.gc.ca or email canad.export@international.gc.ca.    

Upcoming BC Chamber Deadlines, 2006

AGM Bursary                                February 10

Policy Resolutions for 2006-2007 Manual    March 27

AGM – Early Bird Registration Deadline     March 31

Chamber of the Year Award Nominations      March 31