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Dear Readers,
Happy February! We had a great start to the month with a sold out event at the Capri Hotel for the Annual State of the City Address by Mayor Colin Basran. We learned that t
he City’s business and entrepreneur development efforts continue to keep the local economy diversified and growing.
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State of the City Address Sponsors + Key People from Left to Right: Christy Lovig of Doak Shirreff LLP,
Steve Harvey of Business Finders Canada, Dr. Heather Banham of Okanagan School of Business,
AJ Hazzi of Vantage West Realty Inc, Mayor Colin Basran, Jim Hamilton of Okanagan College,
Cliff Ehnes of Interior Savings Credit Union, and Tom Dyas of the
Kelowna Chamber of Commerce.
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We were happy to announce that during Chamber Week, Feb 20-24th, we will be hosting the 2017 Budget Recap by Premier Clark at the Delta Grand Resort on February 24th.
Register now
before tickets are sold out!
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Nominations for the Civic and Community Awards:
Kelowna's Civic and Community Awards recognize outstanding contributions and achievements in our community each year. The 42nd Annual Awards night will be held Wednesday, May 10, at the Kelowna Community Theatre and will recognize individuals, businesses and organizations for their contributions in 2016.
Nominations will be accepted until Friday, February 17th, 2017. Find out more info here.
Warm Regards,
The Kelowna Chamber Team
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January New Members
Click on each one to learn more about our newest members!
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Cedar Creek Winery 30th Year
Diamond Delivery 40th Year
Kelowna Art Gallery 40th Year
Memphis Blues 10th Year
- Kelowna Human Resources has partnered with McLean & Company. They now have the research, best practices and HR support of a global HR Research & Advisory organization, serving over 4500 HR Professionals worldwide. With the support of their experts, they will be able to supply you with the latest insights, and even more industry-leading tools and services. Read more here.
Notable Community Events
- WorkBC Find Your Fit Tour
TODAY, Jan 9th from 4 pm - 6:30 pm @ Mt. Boucherier Secondary
WorkBC’s Find Your Fit Tour is coming to our community. It can help your kids discover in-demand jobs in BC and learn about training opportunities. www.findyourfittour.ca
- Bringing Big Customers to Your Doorstep - BC Innovation Council
March 3rd from 12:15 pm - 4:15 pm @ Coast Capri Hotel
The Regional Innovation Opportunities tour is an event hosted in multiple cities presenting problems faced by a collection of larger companies to an audience of potential individuals who could provide a solution. It will be a platform for industry, government, and regional stakeholders to communicate and discuss their innovation challenges with BC researchers, companies and entrepreneurs. Learn more here.
- Junior All Native Tournament Provincial Basketball Tournament
March 19th-24th
This annual First Nations youth basketball tournament held during the school spring break is one of the largest tournament of its kind in BC. The purpose of this event is to allow First Nation youth from throughout British Columbia to represent their nation and community in a positive environment. Come out to watch! Find more info here.
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Chamber Member Exclusive Offer
Save 40% on Shipping with UPS
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One of the many perks of being a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is that you can take advantage of several discounts and benefits offered.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce UPS Savings Program just got even better. You can now save 40% on UPS shipping services!
Let the experts at UPS help manage your shipping and supply chain needs so that your members can focus on the things that will support their growth – things like innovation, sales, and service.
For more info, visit the UPS site
here
.
To learn more about the Kelowna Chamber member discounts and benefits please visit our website.
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$100M Tech Fund to boost B.C.’s growing
tech sector
Excerpt from Accelerate Okanagan
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The B.C. government has implemented a Tech Fund to boost job creation in the province’s growing tech sector. The $100 million fund will give early-stage British Columbia tech companies access to venture capital, driving growth and innovation.
The technology sector employs over 86,000 people in our province and is on pace to grow faster than the province’s overall economy. The Fund will stimulate further business development and growth, helping to bring innovative ideas to market and create new jobs.
Sectors that are well positioned to benefit from the Fund include: digital media, information communications technology, life sciences/health care and clean technology.
For more information about the B.C. Tech Fund and to discuss opportunities for investment, visit Accelerate Okanagan's site here.
The #BCTECH Strategy is a key component of the BC Jobs Plan to support the growth of B.C.’s vibrant technology sector and strengthen British Columbia’s diverse innovation economy. Along with the BC Tech Fund, the multi-year strategy includes programs to increase talent development and market access for technology companies that will drive innovation and job creation throughout the province.
Learn more about the #BCTECH Strategy at the Government of BC's site here.
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150,000-Hour Birthday Gift to Canada
In honour of Canada's 150th anniversary year
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Mayor Colin Basran and partners—Kelowna Community Resources and Volinspire—have kicked-off the 150 for 150 Volunteer Challenge for Kelowna.
The 150 for 150 Volunteer Challenge is a nation-wide movement led by Volunteer Ottawa in partnership with Volunteer Canada and Volunteer Centres across the country. The City of Kelowna has accepted the challenge and encourages residents to give what time they have, whether that is one, or 10, or 150 hours this year. The goal is to amass 150,000 hours of tracked volunteer time by Kelowna residents in 2017.
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Kelowna Chamber of Commerce | 250.861.3627 |
www.kelownachamber.org
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