March 9, 2017
Chamber News & Updates
Dear Readers,

Happy March! The last few weeks have been a busy at the Chamber which saw the conclusion of the 2017 Board of Directors' Election (Please find the Directors announcement below) as well as the tabling of the provincial budget on Feb 24th with Premier Clark.   

The 2017 budget combines continued fiscal discipline, including an on-going focus on paying down operating debt, and a number of forward-looking initiatives strongly advocated for by the BC Chamber network, such as looking at ways to reform the Provincial Sales Tax, including removing the PST on electricity bills for business, to support future economic growth.
ConneXions is Getting a Makeover!
We are very excited to announce our new partnership with Csek Creative. The Kelowna Chamber is working with the digital agency to revamp current online branding and newsletter communications to help us better connect with our members.

In addition to giving us a new look, Csek will be facilitating newsletter chamber members and advertising sales on our behalf. Members will benefit from the same great value and quality that they are used to. Questions or concerns? Drop us a line.


Warmest Regards,

The Kelowna Chamber Team
Upcoming Events
Kelowna Chamber Announces 2017-18 Directors
The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce announced its 2017-18 Directors last week, following the close of its election last Thursday at 3:00 p.m. All directors will be sworn in on March 15 at the Chamber’s 111th AGM at the Delta Grand by Mayor Colin Basran

Returning directors include: 

Andrew Ingenhorst, Grant Thornton LLP: Director
Silvano Todesco, Access Law Group: Director
Ken Carmichael, BDO Canada LLP: Immediate Past President, Chamber 
Tom Dyas, TD Benefits: President, Chamber 
Carmen Sparg, Associated Property Management: Executive Vice President, Chamber 
Jeff Robinson, Rush Ihas Harwick LLP: Vice President, Chamber 
Martine Hickman, Business Development Bank Canada: Vice President, Chamber 
Shelagh Turner, Canadian Mental Health Association: Director 
Nikki Csek, Csek Creative: Director 

Re-elected directors include: 

Una Gabie, Touchstone Law: Vice President, Chamber 
Stuart Grant, Norelco Cabinet Solutions: Director 
Al Hildebrandt, Luv N Hope Foundation: Director 
Angela Nagy, GreenStep Solutions: Director 

Newly-elected directors include: 

Ron Cannan, Interior Savings Credit Union: Director
Domenic Rampone, West Manufacturing Ltd.: Director 
February New Members
Members in the News
  • Congrats to Central Kitchen + Bar on winning Best Employer BC at the Small Business BC Awards!
  • Costco Kelowna is celebrating their 25th Business Anniversary

  • Interior Savings Credit Union presented a $9,700 cheque to Okanagan College Enactus Students in support of their initiative to promote seniors' wellness through tech-savvy training.

  • Gray Monk Cellars Ltd. is celebrating their 45th Vineyard Anniversary

  • Congratulations to lawyer Sean Pihl of Pihl Law Corporation who was appointed to the 2016 Queen’s Counsel. The QC designation is conferred each year on a small number of legal professionals to recognize exceptional merit and contribution. 

  • Okanagan co+Lab announced today that it has signed a new long term lease with ‘The Switchboard’ building at 1405 St. Paul Street for additional space that doubles the size of its coworking space to 12,000 sq. ft.  

    Congrats to All!
2017 BC Provincial Election Survey

What is on BC's Mind
The BC Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is committed to driving insights to our partners, government and each other.

In pursuit of this goal, we are seeking to know what is on B.C.'s mind for the upcoming 2017 Provincial Election.

The survey will take 8-10 minutes to complete. We appreciate your time in helping the our Chambers get business done in our province!
Are Your Newest Hires Trained to Work Safe?

 Providing a safe and healthy workplace for your employees

As an employer, you are responsible for the health and safety of your workers. Having orientation and training programs in place, and documenting your staff’s participation is a good way to ensure that everyone receives consistent and relevant training.   “Employers should feel confident that their workers have learned safe work procedures and are well-trained to do their jobs,” says Glen McIntosh, manager, new and young worker and small business with WorkSafeBC. “After training, ask them for a replay. Get workers to show you, or tell you, how to do each task.”

The Human Resources Management Association is pleased to provide monthly HR advice and information to the members of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. 

Kelowna Chamber of Commerce | 250.861.3627 | www.kelownachamber.org