Now The What!
In our previous newsletter, I talked about reasons to join the Chamber and what our core focus is.
This time I'd like to talk about what that means.
There are only a couple core services a Chamber should focus on:
- Advocacy
- Creating benefits and opportunities that improve members bottom line
- Creating connections focused on Education & Networking opportunities
Let's start with Advocacy
Over the years, the Chamber has been working on multiple issues that are impacting Golden businesses. The thing with advocacy is that sometimes it can be a quick win, but often it's a long journey before you start seeing any results.
As a Chamber, we don’t only work on a local level. We are part of a regional cluster of Chambers in the East Kootenays. We regularly come together to discuss common issues and share best practices. We are also a part of the British Columbia Chambers, which has a big role in communicating with the Provincial government.
And then there is also the Canadian Chamber, which is more active on a federal level. The Board of the Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce has decided to be active on a local, regional and provincial level, and not so much on a Federal level.
During our last board meeting, we reviewed the current advocacy topics list and prioritized them. This list came together from a “business call” our staff did last year.
Priority #1:
- Housing issues in Golden (resulting in labour shortage)
- Internet (access and speed)
- Shipping (cost and delays)
Priority #2:
- Recycling options
- Property taxes
- Commercial property taxes
Priority #3:
- Sick days increase in BC
- Building permit (process improvement and cost)
- Highway safety
Some of these topics are quite large and it would be unrealistic to believe that we as a Chamber can change them by ourselves. In the next couple of months, I will explain how we are working on each of these topics and provide updates on the progress on them.
If you want to know more about myself and my position / journey with the Chamber, feel free to reach out via email! I am happy to share more about why I am still passionate about this organization.
Marloes van Lent
Interim Executive Director
[email protected]