News & Events - Express Newsletter
BC Chamber of Commerce Express Newsletter - November 2008 Issue
Contents |
Policy SuccessesChamber News
Provincial News
National News |
Policy Successes |
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Chamber News |
Upcoming Events
Congratulations to Local Chamber Volunteers & Staff Elected to Municipal GovernmentsNetwork-wide congratulations to the chamber volunteers and staff members who stood for municipal elections this past weekend. Chamber representatives were elected to Councillor- and Mayor-ships in municipalities across the province. The success of these individuals is a clear demonstration of the Chamber Movement’s strength at the municipal level. Local chambers and their staff and volunteers are leaders in communities all over British Columbia. Our applause to those leaders as we continue to do our utmost to foster the strong cooperative relationship which exists between chambers of commerce and the community. BC Chamber of Commerce Member Consultation: Public Policy Priority SurveyThe BC Chamber of Commerce will shortly be polling Member Chambers of Commerce about the Policy Priority Areas for 2009/2010. Chambers will be asked to identify new priority areas for the BC Chamber, and any current priority areas which may need replacing. The survey will also encourage Chambers to begin thinking about policy development for the coming year and what new or existing policies need to be included as priorities for the BC Chamber’s advocacy efforts. The Survey, to be distributed to Member Chambers later this week, is due back to the Chamber no later than December 17th, 2008. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact: Jon Garson HR Tool Kits for Tourism Industry to help retain workersgo2 - The Resource for People in Tourism are offering a new resource for tourism professionals. The Performance First® HR Tool Kit is designed for those responsible for HR duties within a tourism organization of any size. It is in CD format, consisting of “Step by Step” tools and learning resources meant to help recruit, retain and train employees in today’s industry. The tool kit also comprises customizable templates, files and forms including job offer letters, training plans and employer manuals. Performance First® HR Tool Kits are $55.00 plus tax. For more information view the flyer. |
Provincial News |
Government and First Nations reach ground-breaking agreementThe Province and the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations have achieved an unprecedented incremental treaty agreement (ITA) that will provide benefits to the First Nation and B.C. in advance of a final treaty, Premier Gordon Campbell announced November 13. The BC Chamber of Commerce is in the process of reviewing the ITA, but is supportive of efforts to advance the treaty process. Read more about the treaty here. Ministry of Small Business & Revenue introduces new and multilingual guides for businessThe Ministry of Small Business & Revenue has released the newly updated “Starting a Small Business Guide,” and “Import/Export Guide” in 8 languages besides the original English: Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Filipino, French, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi and Vietnamese. The Ministry says it hopes these guides will now reach a wider audience, and help expand business into worldwide marketplace. The Guides are a part of the Ministry’s newly launched 2008 Small Business Resource Centre that contains the Ministry’s core publications, cross-government resources and tools. The Resource Centre and copies of the guides are available at: http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/resource-centre/publications.htm In addition, the Ministry has recently introduced a guide entitled “How to do Business with the British Columbia Government,” which explains providing goods and services to public sector. This guide is available at: http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/resource-centre/stg/index.htm BC gift card regulations are now in effectBritish Columbia’s legislation on prepaid purchase cards came into effect on November 1, 2008. Prepaid purchase cards include gift cards, gift certificates and vouchers with a monetary value that are issued or sold in exchange for the future supply of goods and services to a consumer. The new law states that gift cards issued or sold after November 1, 2008 will not be permitted to have expiry dates or charge fees, with a few exceptions such as mall cards and cards issued for charitable purposes. The regulations also say that information about all the terms and conditions of purchase and use of the card must be disclosed at the time of purchase. Businesses may continue to use up old card stock, but must not charge a fee or enforce an expiry date unless it is permitted. Required information about the card must be clearly disclosed. Cards with credit card branding or logos as well as telephone cards are exempt. This legislation is enforced by the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Authority (BPCPA). For detailed information about the new regulations including circumstances where expiry dates and fees are permitted, please visit the BPCPA website at www.bpcpa.ca (you can click here to access the gift card page directly) or call the BPCPA toll free at 1-888-564-9963. Conference – Freight Demand Outlook: Is Western Canada’s Transportation System Up to It? December 3 & 4, 2008 The national freight outlook conference "Freight Demand Outlook: Is Western Canada's Transportation System Up To It?" will be hosted by Transport Canada and the Western Transportation Advisory Council (WESTAC). In addition to presenting the results, interactive panel discussions will have industry representatives outline their views on future freight movements and infrastructure requirements. Questions and comments from the audience will be actively encouraged throughout the event. |
National News |
Canadian Chamber Releases Report On Skills Crisis: Calls for Action to Address Critical Labour ShortageOn November 10th, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce released a report entitled Building a Twenty-First Century Workforce: A Business Strategy to Overcome Canada’s Skills Crisis. This report’s recommendations call on the federal and provincial/territorial governments, as well as business, to act quickly to combat this real threat to Canadian prosperity, especially in times of global economic turmoil. The Canadian Chamber initiated a broad consultation of its members and their members and staff to hear views on this important issue. The Chamber received feedback from all areas of the country and all sectors of the economy. This consultation provided the foundation for the in-depth report being released on November 10, and is a critical step in identifying just how Canada can confront this skills shortage head on, with recommendations to government, as well as business. By 2010, 75 percent of all new jobs created will be high skilled, meaning that those without skills will be hard pressed to find work. By 2010, only 6 percent of jobs will be open to those with less than a high school diploma. The challenge for Canada is to act quickly and wisely to prosper from these changes rather than allow them to become impediments. This important research paper is available to the Canadian Chamber’s members on its website, www.chamber.ca. |