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.
The first sessions in the series are focusing on supporting businesses’ digital goals in marketing, photography, and cyber security and include:
• Google My Business - nine10
Thursday, February 4 – 3:00 p.m.
• Cyber Security - Tertius Genis
Thursday, February 11 – 10:00 a.m.
• Facebook Newsfeed Optimization - nine10
Thursday, February 28 – 3:00 p.m.
• Food Photography 101 - Chris Beauchamp
Thursday, March 4 – 10:00 a.m.
To view last week's session on Product Photography Tips & Tricks with Chris Beauchamp from Beauchamp Photography, CLICK HERE.
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Contact our office for more information on the Partnership Plan:
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EXPLORE INNOVATE GROW
Join Growing the North's VIRTUAL Economic Development Conference
February 16, 17, 18, 2021.
The Growing the North Conference is an annual event organized and hosted by the following partners:
- City of Grande Prairie
- County of Grande Prairie
- Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region
- Farm Credit Canada
- Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce
- Grande Prairie Regional College
- Grande Prairie Regional Innovation Network
- Grande Prairie Regional Tourism Association
- Municipal District of Greenview
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS TO DATE:
PLATINUM
Grande Prairie Regional Innovation Network
GOLD
Aquatera
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Farm Credit Canada
Grande Prairie Region Destination Marketing Fund
Municipal District of Greenview
Nauticol
Side Group of Companies
GOLD PARTNER
GPRC Alumni Foundation through the Walter Paszkowski Agriculture Legacy Fund
SILVER
International Paper
Seven Generations Energy Ltd.
BRONZE
BDC
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce - Canada's Trade Accelerator Program
GetintheLoop Grande Prairie
Mackenzie County
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Nominations Now Open for 2021 Women of Influence Awards
The Women of Influence Awards were created to commemorate International Women’s Day in Grande Prairie. The 2021 theme is #ChooseToChallenge. It is a call-to-action to challenge and call out gender bias, discrimination and stereotyping and seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. These awards are a way to celebrate women’s achievements and promote equal opportunity for all.
To make a nomination, please fill out and submit the nomination form at cityofgp.com/womenofinfluence. Nominations are being accepted until Monday, February 15, 2021.
This year's reception will be held virtually via Zoom on March 5, 2021 from 12:00 p.m.- 1:00 p.m. Register for the free event in advance at cityofgp.com/womenofinfluence. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Stay tuned on our social pages for a guest speaker announcement in February!
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Easing of provincewide health measures will occur in steps based on COVID-19 hospitalization benchmarks.
These steps and benchmarks will provide a transparent approach to easing restrictions for businesses and individuals while protecting the health-care system.
Each step has an associated benchmark of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including intensive care patients. Changes to restrictions will be considered once a benchmark is reached.
The hospitalization benchmarks are:
- Step 1 – 600 and declining
- Step 2 – 450 and declining
- Step 3 – 300 and declining
- Step 4 – 150 and declining
With hospitalizations dipping below 600, Alberta will move to Step 1 on Feb. 8.
If after three weeks the hospitalization numbers are in the range of the next benchmark, decisions will be considered for moving to Step 2. The same three-week re-evaluation period will be used for all subsequent steps.
Indoor masking and distancing requirements will remain in place throughout the entire stepped approach, and some degree of restrictions will still apply to all activities within each step.
The grouping and sequencing of steps is based on relative risk for COVID-19 transmission. Actions with the lowest relative risk will be those first considered for easing.
Step 1: Hospitalization benchmark – 600
- Potential easing of some restrictions related to:
- Indoor and outdoor children’s sport and performance (school-related only)
- Indoor personal fitness, one-on-one and by appointment only
- Restaurants, cafes, and pubs
The full, four-step framework for easing restrictions can be viewed here.
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You are invited to a telephone town hall on February 3 from 5:00-6:30 PM with Jason Kenney, Premier of Alberta, Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health and Martin Long, MLA, Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and Tourism to receive an update and to have your questions answered regarding COVID restrictions and the recovery plan.
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Minister Ng announces launch of Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program
The Government of Canada announced the launch of the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program, or HASCAP. As first outlined in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, HASCAP will provide financial support to businesses that have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
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Extension of employer application period for Canada Summer Jobs 2021
The Government of Canada announced that the employer application period for the 2021 Canada Summer Jobs program is being extended until February 3, 2021, to allow more employers to apply for funding to hire young people. Not-for-profit organizations and private and public sector employers who have not already applied for funding are encouraged to do so today.
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Government of Canada invests in key sectors to help boost economic recovery and create jobs
The federal government is investing $72 million over three years as part of the Sectoral Initiatives Program's existing funding. Distributed through a call for proposals, which will remain open for six weeks, this investment will fund sector-specific projects to help Canadian workers gain skills and access resources. It will also help businesses and networks scale up strategies to drive job growth and create standards for education and certification purposes.
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Government launches budget consultations to hear from Canadians
These discussions allow the government to hear the best ideas from Canadians and experts across the country about how Budget 2021 can support Canadians through the pandemic and help us build back better.
When COVID-19 is under control and Canada’s economy is ready to rebound, the government has a plan to make smart, targeted investments to jumpstart the country’s economic recovery and begin to repair the damage done by the pandemic. These pre-budget consultations are an opportunity for Canadians from across the country to share their ideas and priorities for how the government can best invest to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and build a greener, more competitive, more inclusive, and more resilient economy.
Over the coming weeks, the Government of Canada will hold virtual roundtables with diverse groups of people from a range of regions, sectors and industries, including those hardest hit by the pandemic. These roundtables are an opportunity to discuss the very real challenges Canadians are facing and listen to ways that the government can ensure a robust recovery that leaves no one behind.
Most importantly, all Canadians are invited to share their ideas through an online questionnaire at LetsTalkBudget2021.ca, which will be available until February 19, 2021.
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WARKENTIN ELECTED CHAIR OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS
Chris Warkentin was elected Chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics by his parliamentary colleagues. This role is in addition to his responsibilities as the Member of Parliament for Grande Prairie-Mackenzie.
“It is an honour to be elected as chair of this important committee as we seek to protect the rights of Canadians to access to information, ethics, and personal privacy. I am looking forward to fulfilling my duties in this new role. My priority will always be serving and representing the constituents of Grande Prairie-Mackenzie to the best of my abilities.”
Warkentin has served in a number of different roles throughout his time in Ottawa, including as Chair of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works, the Official Critic for Agriculture and Agri-food and most recently as Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition.
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The Grande Prairie-Wapiti Constituency Office is creating a directory of businesses in the constituency.
Our goal is to be able to more quickly and efficiently get the word out to businesses when there are events, forums, upcoming programs, and other information you might want to know about.
Most public organizations already have lines of communication directly to their inboxes, but the many diverse businesses in the area may not have the same connections.
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ABAD 2021 nominations and submissions now open!
Alberta businesses deserve celebrating, especially after the challenges so many of our local businesses have faced this year.
Show your appreciation for your favourite Alberta businesses by nominating them for the 2021 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction in one or more of this year's 13 categories:
The closing date for nominations and submissions is February 14, 2021. Finalists will be announced Spring 2021.
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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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Canada 360° Economic Summit Announces Hardest-hit Sectors Panel
February 17 | 6:45 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. MT | Online
The COVID-19 pandemic is having an uneven impact on different sectors of the economy. Some industries have adapted seamlessly to working remotely and in a virtual world. However, other sectors of the economy that rely much more on a physical presence have been hit hardest by the restrictions put in place.
This panel will discuss how these hard-hit sectors are managing the pandemic, how they are adapting and what targeted supports and policies they need in order to play a leading role in Canada’s economic recovery.
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Email info@gpchamber.com|Phone 780-532-5340 | Fax 780-532-2926
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