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 five sessions in the series will focus on supporting businesses’ digital goals in marketing, photography, and cyber security and include:
• Product Photography Tips & Tricks - Chris Beauchamp
Thursday, January 28 – 10:00 a.m.
• 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.
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The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend a Chamber Group Plan information session on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 from 10:00-11:00 AM. The event will be virtual. All registered participants will receive a Zoom link to access.
Representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Canwest Group Benefit Consultants will be on hand to answer questions about our Group Insurance Plan. NO PURCHASE REQUIRED! This is an information session for Members and anyone interested in joining the Chamber.
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Contact our office for more information on the Partnership Plan:
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Third and final round of digital marketing training
Earlier this year the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie, Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, and Community Futures Grande Prairie and Region partnered with nine10 to develop and deliver a Digital Marketing Training program. The program equips businesses with knowledge and practical training in digital content strategy, web design tools, social media, and search engine optimization.
Businesses accepted into the first two cohorts represent various sectors, including accounting, mechanical repair, retail, personal care & health services, construction, food & beverage, and oil & gas service.
The third cohort will be hosted in a virtual format to comply with provincial health measures and allow delivery to begin as soon as possible with minimal disruption. A series of tools and platforms will be utilized to ensure the experiential and hands on nature of the training is translated into the digital format.
Applications for the program are now closed. Successful applicants will be notified this week with training running from February 8 to March 31.
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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
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
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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ACC statement on Keystone XL decision
Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) President and CEO Ken Kobly issued a statement on the decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline project.
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Ken Kobly on the Danielle Smith Show
Ken Kobly chatted with Danielle Smith on limited reopening of Alberta business.
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AltaLink proposes to refund $350 million to customers over three years
"Alberta’s job creators continue to face rising costs of doing business, particularly given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and energy price collapse. In recent Alberta Perspectives market research, electricity costs have been among the top concerns for the business community. AltaLink’s proposed refund initiative would provide much-needed relief to the struggling local businesses that play a significant role in our communities,” said Alberta Chambers of Commerce President and CEO Ken Kobly.
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Expanding funding to support new businesses
To better support Alberta’s small business community through the ongoing public health crisis, the Alberta government is expanding the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant to allow new businesses to apply. By expanding applications to businesses that started operating between March 1 and October 31, 2020, up 5,000 more Alberta businesses will be eligible for this funding.
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Emissions Reduction Alberta webinars
On February 1, 2021, Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA) is opening the application process for its new Energy Savings for Business (ESB) Program. ERA is offering a webinar on February 2 at 1 p.m. to introduce full details of the program.
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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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FAQ on Claiming Work-from-home Expenses
The Canadian Payroll Association, has made a Q&A document available for download that answers commonly asked questions about the simplified process for claiming workspace-in-the-home expenses on your 2020 tax return.
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Applications for Canada Summer Jobs now open
The employer application period for the 2021 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program is now open. Applications can be submitted until Friday, January 29, 2021. For more information on CSJ, including the eligibility criteria and application guide, visit Canada.ca/Canada-summer-jobs, a Service Canada Office or call 1-800-935-5555.
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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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Email info@gpchamber.com|Phone 780-532-5340 | Fax 780-532-2926
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