October 6 | 2020
NEWS & UPDATES
Join us for a Back-to-Back-to-Back Forum with Your Local Candidates
As BC's snap election draws closer, the Kelowna Chamber will be gathering local candidates for the upcoming election in three back-to-back-to-back forums on Tuesday October 20, 2020.

The schedule is confirmed as follows:

  • Kelowna - West (9:00am)
  • Kelowna - Mission (12:00 Noon)
  • Kelowna - Lake Country (3:00pm)

The event will be live streamed, and more information will be available shortly. Each lasts an hour & a half.

If you have an issue that is top of mind that the Province should be addressing, please email us. Keep your eyes peeled this week for our official election survey.
BC's Urban Mayors Call on Provincial Parties to Address Mental Health & Substance Use in Their Election Platforms
Mayors from 13 of BC's biggest cities are calling on all provincial parties to commit to addressing mental health and substance use in their platforms. In a call-to-action document released last week, the newly formed BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus also advocated for greater provincial investment in affordable housing and public transit, as well as a new funding framework for municipalities.
BDO Offers Best Practices for Enhancing the Security of Your Remote Workforce
While the COVID-19 crisis has brought changes into our work environments, and our homes are doubling as offices, remote work and teleconferencing are no longer just ‘nice-to-haves’. Cyber-criminals are taking advantage of the increase in home networks being used to conduct business—networks that usually have insufficient security measures.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and proud Kelowna Chamber President's Circle Member BDO is offering a comprehensive guide for the most effective approaches and critical steps to enhance the security of your remote work infrastructure.
Kelowna Chamber Applauds Movement Towards Community Court
Community stakeholders have come together this fall to bring back a Kelowna Community Court, which now has been approved in principle. The Kelowna Chamber has been advocating for the revival of the Kelowna Community Court for a number of years with resolutions supported through the BC Chamber. This comes on the heels of the City's announcement to launch a Community Safety Plan.

The goal of a Community Court is to reduce crime and improve public safety by integrating justice, health and social services in an effort to address the root causes of criminal behaviour by those whose interactions with the criminal justice system are a result of their substance use, mental health issues, or housing challenges. 
KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence Unveils Updated Building Plans
The KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence is excited to share new building plans for its aviation museum and conference centre at Kelowna International Airport. Following revisions to the original construction schedule and location, the facility is now intended to be built on Lapointe Drive off Airport Way in Kelowna, BC.
 
The project is made possible through a collaboration with the Kelowna International Airport and the City of Kelowna. Site preparation will begin this fall, with the facility construction intended to follow in 2021. The Centre is anticipated to open in the Spring of 2022.
Join us as we Announce the Finalists for the 2020 Business Excellence Awards
The nominations are in for our 2020 Business Excellence Awards, and it's time to start celebrating the very best in Kelowna business.
 
This year, we'll be kicking off the festivities with a virtual Finalists Announcement on Wednesday October 14 at 12:00 Noon. We encourage you to join us, and invite colleagues and members of our community to help us honour our 2020 nominees, and hear the finalists announced before our Business Excellence Awards celebration in November. Those who attend will be entered to win a door prize.
Forging the Way Forward: A Special Small Business Week Presentation
Join us during Small Business Week on Wednesday October 21 at 12:00 Noon as Michael Denham, President & CEO of BDC highlights how this crisis is changing consumer habits and what the entrepreneurs are doing to adapt and position themselves for growth and success in this new context.

This year for BDC's Small Business Week, we are taking the time to recognize small businesses' resilience, trying to understand what has changed for Canadian businesses and look to build for the future in these uncertain times.
Disability Employment Awareness Month: Accessibility Experts Weigh-In
Over the past several months, the way that we work has dramatically changed. Employers have been adapting their business models to fit a “new normal” of remote work, shifting consumer demands, and increased flexibility for staff. In many ways, the crisis has shifted our organizations and our concepts of work to align perfectly with the principles of accessibility.

While the period has been hard for everyone, the increased accessibility is something we can celebrate and reap the benefits of. Join us on Tuesday October 27 at 12:00 Noon for a conversation with the Presidents Group and the Neil Squire Society. 
A Special Thank You to Former MLA Steve Thomson
We had to stop by and say a big THANK YOU to former MLA Steve Thomson who is down to the final few days and cleaning out his office before moving into retirement (and other adventures).  This is a major milestone and we wanted to ensure we thanked Steve for his many years of dedicated service to this community, region and province both as an elected official and as a volunteer with the Kelowna Chamber and BC Chamber network. 

Current Chair of the Kelowna Chamber Board Jeffrey Robinson was joined by Executive Director Dan Rogers in presenting Steve with a gift basket full of local products as a small token of appreciation for his many years of service.  Thank you Steve!
Congratulations to Board Member Angela Nagy for 5 Years of Service!
It took a while but we finally tracked down a very busy Angela Nagy of GreenStep Solutions and presented her with her recognition plaque for serving five years on the Chamber Board. Thanks Angela for your past work and your current efforts helping the BC Chamber review environmental policies that come before BC Chamber members at their annual conference. 

GreenStep is currently busy coordinating Bike to Work Week in the City (now GoByBike Week) and they are also making a big impact across the province working with the BC Hotel Association in accelerating cost saving energy retrofits. GreenStep is also working with Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association on similar Go-Green initiatives. COVID-19 has hit many small businesses hard and introducing cost-saving programs at this time is extremely helpful so a big shout out to Angela and her team.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
TD Benefits Talks Employee Benefits & Future of the Family Business
TD Benefits has been a Chamber partner since 1995, offering simple, stable, and smart solutions when it comes to your employee extended health, dental, and pension benefits. Having served the Okanagan for well over a quarter century, they've become experts in our community, creating benefit programs that suit each business's individual needs.
What sets TD Benefits apart?
TD Benefits is a local, family run business. We do our very best to make certain that there is always a friendly voice answering the phone when you call, with the hope that we are able to address your concerns immediately. We are also current on all technology for those clients who prefer to use those options, even if they prefer to work with us via text message or Zoom. The team at TD has had a very long term working relationship; Kathy Finley has been with TD Benefits since 2000 and Maggie Moldovan since 2010. And of course, father and son Tom Dyas and Lyndon Dyas. We have all been working together for a long time and are a close-knit bunch who know each other well and work comfortably and confidently with one another. We can provide our clients with Canada’s #1 pooled Employee Benefit plan through the Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan; however as Brokers, we maintain a relationship with, and have access to, all other conventional insurance carriers and product lines. 
What is on the horizon for TD Benefits?
Having been in business in British Columbia for 34 years now, we have seen many changes take place within the Group Benefits, Pension and Insurance industry. One of the greatest things that has taken place within TD Benefits is that we have become a second-generation business, and keeping good business planning practices in mind, future succession planning has begun. Tom’s son Lyndon joined the business nine years ago after completing his Business Administration courses at Okanagan College. Lyndon learned the ropes of the business during the time that he was in school, assisting with office administration. The future planning for this family run business is looking positive, youthful, and bright.

Tom and Lyndon enjoy working with their clients and are engaged daily with the business operations of TD Benefits, while also staying involved within the community, while both Kathy and Maggie provide the backbone administrative strength to the operation. We all see a future where we will invest in new technology to help the business continue to grow and prosper, as well as increase our staffing requirements so that we are available to effectively service our valued clients who place their trust in our company and our staff. We will continue to examine new Insurance and Investment product lines, while continuing our education which will enable us to stay apprised of changes and innovation within our industry.

TD Benefits would like to thank our extremely valued clients for continuing to place their trust in us and all members of the community who enjoy calling Kelowna home. We appreciate you!

If your company is interested in a benefits program, please don't hesitate to reach out to the Chamber, or TD Benefits directly.

Sincerely,

Your Team at TD Benefits
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KELOWNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | kelownachamber.org