News & Events - Express Newsletter
BC Chamber of Commerce Express Newsletter - May 2009 Issue
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Chamber News |
AGM Reminders for Delegates: Things you need to know
Delegates can find more important reminders in the May issue of the AGM News. If you are attending the AGM and haven’t received this newsletter, email ahoy@bcchamber.org BCBusiness magazine special offer for Chamber membersBCBusiness magazine is making a special offer for members of the BC Chamber of Commerce. Sign up today to receive 3 months free from BCBusiness Magazine. BCBusiness is Canada’s best-read and most successful regional business magazine. Each month, BCBusiness calls on some of the country’s leading journalists to go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C. Plus, regular columns serve up practical workplace tips, expert opinions, profiles of unique local ventures and much more. Winner of the Magazine of the Year by the Western Magazine Awards Foundation and a Jack Webster Award for editorial, BCBusiness is the authoritative voice on the province's business scene. To start your 3 month free subscription, please send an email with the subject ““BC Chamber 3-month free trial subscription offer,” and include your name, company, title and full address (including phone and fax) to Tracy McRitchie at tmcritchie@canadawide.com. |
Provincial News |
Chamber offers congratulations to Premier Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals on a third consecutive term governing British ColumbiaThe BC Chamber of Commerce offers its hearty congratulations to Premier Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals on a successful campaign and a historic third term as Government of British Columbia. Over the next four years we hope to continue what has been, for the past eight, a successful working relationship with the government to achieve our common goals. We look forward to accomplishing more on behalf of the businesses in BC, and the people of this province. BC Chamber of Commerce Past Chairs Victorious in Provincial ElectionThe Chamber is proud to report that two of its past chairs have won seats in the legislature. Steve Thomson (Chair, 2003-2004) is the new MLA for Kelowna-Mission with 54% of the vote in his riding. Naomi Yamamoto (Chair, 1997-1998) is the new MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale with 49.5% of the vote in her riding. Naomi is also the first person of Japanese-Canadian descent ever to hold a seat in the BC legislature. “The success of these two candidates is great news for the chamber movement and great news for the province,” said John Winter, President and CEO of the BC Chamber. “Both Steve and Naomi have been outstanding ambassadors for their communities, it is only fitting that this has been recognized by their constituents. We look forward to working with them over the next four years and wish them every success in their new roles.” To view the results in your riding, click here. RFP Issued for South Fraser Perimeter RoadA Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued to three prequalified bidding teams, in order to select one proponent to design, build, finance and operate the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR), as part of the Province’s Gateway Program. For more information click here. Canada Export Centre SurveyThe Canada Export Centre, in partnership with the Asia Pacific, Trade & Investment Division of the BC Government, is conducting a two minute survey to develop stronger tools and resources for BC exporters. Results will be shared with the participants, who will also be entered to win an iPod for completing the survey. Click here to take the survey. |
National News |
Employer's guide to supporting reservistsThe Canadian Forces Liaison Council has released a new guide for employers of Canadian Forces Reservists. You can download the guide online here Call for Presentations / Call for Workshops for Canadian Post-Secondary Access Partnership ConferenceThe Canadian Post-Secondary Access Partnership will hold its Inaugural Conference in Toronto in October 2009 in collaboration with Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, European Access Network and National College Access Network. The conference will look at civil society’s role in broadening access to post-secondary studies and building human capital and a skilled labour force. International proposals for presentations and workshops are invited from practitioners, program administrators, policy-makers, academics and researchers from community and civic organizations, ethnic groups, schools systems, post-secondary institutions, corporations and business associations, foundations, government and other stakeholder groups. Submissions for workshop formats that focus on the transfer of learning and experience and strategy development are particularly encouraged. The deadline for submissions is June 15, 2009 For more information, visit: www.preparedminds-preparedplaces.com or contact: info@preparedminds-preparedplaces.com CIC-Vancouver Branch Regional Conference - “Canada and the Dominant Emerging Powers: Brazil, Russia, India, China (the BRIC)”
Cecil Green Park House, University of British Columbia A distinguished group of participants from government, the media, business and academia will gather at Cecil Green Park House on the campus of the University of British Columbia for a two day conference Thursday and Friday, May 28 and 29, 2009 on the emergence of the four dynamic economic powers that constitute the “BRIC” and its implications for Canada. The meeting will be keynoted by Dr. Jim O’Neill, Head of Global Economic Research for Goldman Sachs International in London, who is credited with coining the acronym, and will feature presentations by the Right Honorable Joe Clark, former Prime Minister and Louise Fréchette, former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. For more information, click here. Skills LinkSkills Link is a program offered by Service Canada to help youth facing barriers to employment obtain the knowledge and develop the broad range of skills and work experience they need to participate in the job market. Interested employers should contact their local Service Canada Centre and consult the Youth Employment Strategy Guide for Applicants. The guide helps applicants develop proposals for federal funding offered by Service Canada under the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. Project selection is based on local community needs, innovative approaches, targeted participant selection, relevant skills enhancement and work experience, possibility of long-term employment, contributions of sponsors/partners and funding availability. For more information, click here. Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment FundThe Government of Canada has launched the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund application process. Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides $75 million for the Aboriginal Skills and Training Strategic Investment Fund over two years. The Fund will strengthen partnerships between Aboriginal organizations and employers to help Aboriginal people gain the skills they need for the labour market today and for the long term. The Fund will support short-term, focused initiatives designed to help Aboriginal people obtain the specific skills they require to benefit from economic opportunities. All proposed projects must be able to deliver measurable results within the two‑year timeframe and be completed by March 31, 2011. For the regional component, the deadline for the initial call for applications is June 19, 2009. Applications for the national component will be considered until the funding allocation has been committed. More information is available on the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Web site. Electronic Commerce Protection ActThe Government of Canada has introduced legislation in Parliament that aims to boost confidence in online commerce by protecting the privacy and personal security concerns that are associated with spam, counterfeit websites and spyware. The proposed Electronic Commerce Protection Act (ECPA) is intended to deter the most dangerous forms of spam, such as identity theft, phishing and spyware, from occurring in Canada, and to help drive spammers out of Canada. This bill would allow businesses and consumers to take civil action against anyone who violates the ECPA. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Competition Bureau and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner will be given the power to share information and evidence with their counterparts in other countries who enforce similar laws internationally, so that violators beyond our borders cannot use Canada as a spam safe haven. The proposed ECPA would allow the CRTC and the Competition Bureau to charge offenders with administrative monetary penalties of up to $1 million for individuals, and $10 million for all other offenders. Read more... New citizenship law in effectCanada’s new citizenship law took effect April 17, 2009. The law restores or gives citizenship to many who lost it or didn’t have it due to outdated provisions in past legislation and limits citizenship by descent. The changes implemented mean that certain people who became Canadian citizens on or after January 1, 1947, when the first citizenship act took effect, and who then lost citizenship, will have their status restored back to the date they lost it. Some may have lost it when they left the country. Others, born outside Canada, may have ceased to be Canadian by not taking steps to retain their citizenship. The changes will also grant citizenship to those who have never been Canadian, but who are part of the first generation born outside Canada on or after January 1, 1947, to a Canadian parent. Their citizenship will be retroactive to their date of birth. Read more... |