Thank you for supporting the Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce! This WEEKLY email highlights information and updates from our Chamber, the Alberta and Canadian Chambers of Commerce, and our municipal, provincial, and federal government partners.
Be sure to watch for our weekly Member Marketplace newsletter on Thursdays featuring sales, promotions, accomplishments, events, and general awareness of our membership. Email tom@gpchamber.com for info.
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We've teamed up with the City of Grande Prairie to deliver a series of free instructional workshops to support current business needs.
The goal of each session is to cover a specific topic in detail which will allow businesses to leave with a skillset or ability to action the content covered.
If YOU have a topic you would like to see covered, or if you and your business have a skillset you'd be willing to share, please contact the Chamber or City Economic Development.
The next session in the series is:
Top Ten HR Policies You Need - Jennifer Caseley, Caseley Consulting
Thursday, March 11 - 10:00 AM
Human Resources Policies can be confusing and it can be difficult to know what policies your company needs. Jennifer Caseley, Owner, Caseley Consulting will take us step-by-step through the development process for creating the Top 10 Policies that every company should have. Attendees will learn the reasons why they should have policies, what the policy needs to include and how to make sure your staff are informed. There will be discussion on a Work-at-Home policy and how to update your Sick Days policy for COVID-19. At the end of the session attendees will have basic knowledge for writing their own policies, a list of 10 policies every company should have and a couple of basic policies that she will provide attendees.
UPCOMING SESSIONS:
The Pandemic is Ruining Everything - Kim Blanchette, Senior Vice-President & General Manger, Western Canada; Gabriela Gonzalez, Director; Tatianna Ducklow, Consultant, Argyle
Thursday, March 18 - 10 AM
To view our previous session on Food Photography 101 with Chris Beauchamp, CLICK HERE.
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CHAMBER COFFEE BREAK
The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Chamber Coffee Breaks beginning THIS FRIDAY, March 12.
These virtual events will run from 10:00-11:00 AM every second Friday and will offer an opportunity for our members to network online.
The agenda will include ice-breaker discussions, question of the day, and current news topics of interest.
For more information, contact our office by phone at 780-532-5340 or email cindy@gpchamber.com. |
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The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce and Seven Generations Energy invite you to a webinar "Sustainability / ESG: What is Your Business Ready For?" on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 10:00 AM via Zoom. There is no cost to participate but you must register to receive the Zoom link.
Among the topics up for discussion:
- What’s in a name? What is the difference between sustainability, ESG, CSR, triple bottom, people, planet and profit, etc.?
- Why is sustainability important for businesses, all levels of government, individuals, etc.?
- What are some of the key issues in sustainability?
- What can you do to be more sustainable as an organization, community or as an individual?
- What does it mean to be a good ancestor? An introduction to sustainability and how sustainability impacts future generations.
- The Good Ancestor: How our social and environmental decisions today impact future generations.
- Business with a purpose: what does it mean to be a responsible company?
- There will also be time for questions.
Our guest speaker is Marie Jurcevic.
Marie is a Manager of Sustainability at Seven Generations Energy.
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CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Membership renewal notifications have been emailed. If your business has not received an invoice for 2021, please contact our office by phone at 780-532-5340 or email janice@gpchamber.com.
Members are also encouraged to contact Leah Fujarczuk, Member Relations and Engagement, with any other questions including updating your account, enhancing your webpage, posting information, registering for events, accessing our digital sign and more. Email leah@gpchamber.com.
Members will receive their 2021 Chamber certificates upon renewal payment.
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Contact our office for more information on the Partnership Plan:
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PLEASE NOTE: GRANDE PRAIRIE SESSION IS POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE. For more info, email tap@edmontonchamber.com or phone 780-409-2128
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These recordings will be available to REGISTERED ATTENDEES for the month of March.
Log in using your email and password you used for Growing the North 2021 to access the videos.
Participants have been emailed with this information as well.
Thank you from the GTN Organizing Committee.
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Join the County of Grande Prairie Business Support Network for a Private Online Live Course With Disney Institute – New Date!
The County of Grande Prairie Business Support Network is pleased to announce that Disney Institute will be offering an exclusive 5-hour Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence live online course on April 7th, 2021 at 10 a.m. for our members.
Presented live online by Disney Institute leaders, Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence offers the opportunity to build knowledge and discover proven Disney business insights from our chain of excellence. The presentation will include Disney best practices in leadership excellence, employee engagement and quality service that can be adapted and applied to your own profession, team or organization to achieve greater results.
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Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kristin Klein invites you to a virtual COVID-19 Community Conversation for the North Zone. Following an update on the status of COVID-19 in Alberta and the north region, and AHS’ response - including AHS’ vaccination program - Dr. Klein will answer your questions.
The virtual event has been scheduled for March 9, 5:30 – 6:30 pm.
Please submit your questions when you register, or email them to us at Community.Engagement@ahs.ca. This will help us to design the presentation that reflects your key concerns.
We look forward to meeting with you,
AHS Community Engagement
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Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Update
From Alberta Health Services, March 3, 2021
We would like to share an update with you regarding progress at the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital (GPRH) as we continue to work closely with Alberta Health on the details surrounding opening of the new site.
We are currently working with Alberta Infrastructure on the second phase of construction underway at the new hospital. Phase two includes the buildout of a 28-bed mental health unit and an additional 32-bed medical unit being built-out in previously shelled space in the facility. Construction on this important phase of the project is expected to be completed in the fall. As
with the initial phase of new hospital construction, operational planning and commissioning will follow.
In addition, work has begun on two new operating room suites, supported by the Alberta Surgical Initiative. These two new suites will bring the total number of ORs at the site to eleven, including a dedicated obstetrics OR in the maternity unit.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) took possession of the facility last summer, but there is still much work to be done before we are ready to begin providing patient care. We are adjusting hospital opening plans to allow the entire facility to open in one smooth step in late 2021.
Opening the facility all at once, rather than phase-by-phase, will help to streamline services in one location. Having all inpatient programs under one roof will assist in continuity of care and make it easier for our healthcare teams to provide the same level of quality care to all our inpatients. Inpatients and families will be able to work with the same care team in the same space throughout their stay, rather than transferring between the new hospital and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital (QEII).
With all of Grande Prairie’s acute clinical programing located at the new hospital, there will be no duplication of services between the two sites. This will also eliminate the need for additional medical transport teams to move patients between the two facilities. Care teams and their patients will remain in one location. The bottom line is, moving all at once is best for our patients and their journey through the system.
The QEII site will continue to provide healthcare services once the new hospital is operational. The exact scope of services to be offered at the QEII is currently under review. We will provide you with information on this work as updates become available.
We appreciate your patience as we continue to work towards making our new hospital the exciting reality we know it will be. We would like to personally thank the commissioning team who are on site right now making sure our facility is prepared and ready for our move. Our latest GPRH capital
project update can be found at:
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The survey is designed to capture whether these priorities are aligned with the lived experience of local immigrants in Grande Prairie, as well as to identify any additional priorities.
Results are being used to help GPLIP plan and address local immigrant needs and concerns.
Landed immigrants, permanent residents, non-permanent residents, and refugees are all invited to complete the survey available at cityofgp.com/gplip from March 1- 15.
GPLIP thanks all participants for providing their feedback and helping improve local settlement services.
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Alberta moves into full Step 2 of Path Forward
Albertans can now enjoy reduced public health restrictions while strong measures remain in place to protect hospitals and limit the spread of COVID-19.
Completing Step 2 of Alberta’s Path Forward, updated health measures are now in place for retail, hotels and community halls, performance groups, and youth sports, performance and recreation.
These changes are effective immediately. They are in addition to the Step 2 measures announced on March 1, as pressure eases on the health system and hospitalizations remain well below 450.
Indoor masking and distancing requirements will remain in place throughout this stepped approach, and some degree of restrictions will still apply to all activities within each step.
Additional details on the current restrictions is outlined on alberta.ca.
Any decisions on Step 3 will be made on March 22, at the earliest, based on hospitalizations and the current spread of COVID-19. Metrics based on cases and growth, including variant cases, are being monitored and will also be used to guide any decisions around the need to pause further steps or potentially increase restrictions.
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MEETINGS INFORMATION
Under the current restrictions, people not of the same household are not permitted to dine at the same table in a restaurant, café or other food serving establishment.
Virtual meetings should be taking place as much as possible.
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Alberta Perspectives benchmark survey:
Labour market and skills
Once a year, our Alberta Chambers of Commerce network undertakes a comprehensive, province-wide survey about Alberta’s labour market and the skills we need to continue to grow. This annual survey helps us compare trends year over year—a comparison that is more important than ever as the labour market continues to evolve in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Your insights on skills, training, and Alberta’s labour market will directly inform our advocacy to government.
The survey will close on March 26.
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Government of Canada Announces Wage and Rent Subsidy Amounts to Remain Unchanged Through to June
The Government of Canada announced it intends to extend the current rate structures for these subsidies from March 14 to June 5, 2021. Specifically:
- the maximum wage subsidy rate for active employees would remain at 75 per cent;
- the maximum rent subsidy rate would remain at 65 per cent; and
- Lockdown Support would remain at 25 per cent and continue to be provided in addition to the rent subsidy, providing eligible hard hit businesses with rent support of up to 90 per cent.
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Simplifying Federal COVID-19 Relief for your Business: CEWS, CERS and the CEBA Loan
Presented by Vexxit and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, we are hosting a free webinar to provide simplified information on the big three federal relief funds, how to apply and what the tax implications are if you receive the funding.
Date: March 24 2021, 12-1pm MST
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SMB Webinar Series - Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Looking for information to steer a small business through the pandemic and beyond? CPA Canada has developed a webinar series to provide small businesses with the necessary information and resources to recover from the effects of COVID-19.
These free 60-minute webinars will feature special guests as they talk about specific measures and support available.
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Regional Relief & Recovery Fund Increased to $60,000!
Women Entrepreneurs requiring COVID-19 support can now access up to $60,000 through AWE’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF). If this loan is repaid by December 31, 2022, a portion of the loan may be forgivable, up to $20,000.
Businesses that have already been approved for and received RRRF funding from Alberta Women Entrepreneurs are now eligible to access a top-up to your RRRF loan, up to $20,000.
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Resources to Help Your Small Business Navigate COVID-19
We recognize SMEs have been especially hard hit by the global pandemic. We have dedicated a page on CBRN.ca to make it easier for you to find financial support, plan your operations and support the health and well-being of your employees.
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Government Support Programs and Tax Planning Strategies, with Grant Thornton
March 9 | 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET | Virtual
Join us for this event as Grant Thornton LLP (Canada) provides an update on CEWS, CERS and home office deductions.
Tara Benham, National Tax Leader, and Dennis Tmej, Partner, Tax Services with Grant Thornton, will discuss recent changes and updates to tax rules affecting businesses that may present both challenges and opportunities with respect to tax planning, compliance and strategy, including estate freeze strategies, estate planning alternatives and loss consolidation strategies.
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Women in Entrepreneurship: Support, Innovation and Creativity through Recovery, Reformation and Revitalization
March 10 | 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET | Virtual
Innovation Canada knows the past year has been anything but business as usual. That’s why it’s hosting this upcoming webinar where you can join Canadian business ecosystem experts to hear their unique insight into what change has looked like and how innovation and creativity have inspired people to revisit the way they operate to foster resilience.
Join a panel of experts as they share tips and tricks for your business to navigate the government support landscape.
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Grants of up to $5,000 available
Applications are open for all provinces and territories as of February 16th, 2021 at 1 p.m. EST.
Created by RBC, Canada United is a movement to support local businesses in communities across the country. The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund (CUSBRF) was established to help small businesses offset the cost of expenses to open safely or adopt digital technologies to move more of their business online.
Over $14 Million has been contributed by the Federal Government, RBC, and Canada United partners to support recovery efforts due to COVID-19. We have already provided relief to over 2,000 small businesses across the country. We are now able to extend relief grants to more small businesses and restart accepting grant applications from small businesses across all provinces for expenses incurred no earlier than March 15, 2020.
If you have already applied but have not heard from us yet, you should be contacted by February 15, 2021. If you can’t find an answer to your question, feel free to contact us at cusbrf@occ.ca. |
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Email info@gpchamber.com|Phone 780-532-5340 | Fax 780-532-2926
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