Dear Chamber Members,

As you are all aware the BC Chamber has partnered with the Business Council of BC on a new initiative, the BC Agenda for Shared Prosperity.

I think it is fair to say that this project is one of the most exciting initiatives undertaken by the Chamber in some time. The BC Agenda is an ambitious project that, if successful, has the potential to fundamentally shift the decision making process in BC for the betterment of all British Columbians.

The BC Agenda fundamentally seeks to find new ways of creating prosperity and better ways to distribute it.

As we have engaged chambers and businesses in this discussion we have found a high degree of excitement around the potential this project has for the communities and regions around the province.

To ensure that we continue to communicate progress on this project, I am pleased to provide you with this update on our recent activities on the BC Agenda for Shared Prosperity.

Regional Workshops

The foundation of the BC Agenda for Shared Prosperity is to develop a common fact base around the issues, concerns and opportunities that exist in all regions of the province.  To begin this process, the BC Chamber and Business Council held a number of regional workshops in partnership with local chambers to bring together business and community leaders.

So far we have held workshops in:

• Kelowna
• Nanaimo
• Terrace
• Kamloops
• Prince George
• Langley

These workshops have allowed us to engage over 150 leaders on the need for a new dialogue and a new approach to prosperity.  We would like to thank all the chambers that participated in these discussions.

It is important for chambers to note that even if members were unable to participate in the regional workshops there will be numerous opportunities for chamber members to provide input into the BC Agenda.

If you would like to get involved please do not hesitate to contact the BC Chamber office.

In addition to these 6 workshops, we are also looking at holding workshops in Vancouver and Victoria early in the New Year and potentially adding a videoconference workshop for participants across the province.  We are also looking at holding targeted sessions with both organized labour and First Nations to ensure that all perspectives are brought to the table.

Summit

The culmination of the regional workshops will be a major summit in the early spring in Vancouver.

This summit will bring together international speakers who will outline the global challenges and opportunities facing BC.  In addition, we will also present the finding and the information we have collected in the various sessions around the province.

While the summit will be the culmination of the regional workshop process, it will also be the launch pad for a broader conversation.  At the summit we will have thought leaders from across the province come together to begin a provincial dialogue on how we can build truly shared prosperity for all British Columbians.

Policy Development

For this dialogue to effect real change and have a lasting impact there will need to be a strong policy foundation. The BC Agenda will be releasing several key policy documents which will outline the core foundation elements that are essential to a jurisdiction's ability to build economic prosperity.

We will also be looking at developing thought pieces on potential challenges that exist around decision making structures, and how we can shift the dialogue to a more constructive process.

The Chamber anticipates that these policy pieces will lead to significant new policy submissions at the BC Chamber AGM which will allow us to further broaden the conversation.

Post-election

The BC Agenda for Shared Prosperity is a non-partisan initiative; we believe this process will lead to a better foundation for all British Columbians irrespective of who is in government.  To ensure that this is not subject to political influence, the BC Agenda will be taking a pause in activity over the election period.

Following the election we will be re-engaging through policy pieces and a further outreach to communities.  We will have a strong foundation established with the business and community leaders that we have engaged through the regional workshops, through the summit and through individual connections that we will look to begin engaging at the individual community level.

Sincerely,