What's Happening?
Upcoming Chamber Events

 

Mar. 6 Power Hour: Struggle with the "S" Word?
  
  
  
  
  
Apr. 16 Speaker Series: Sales 101 - Selling without "Selling"  -SOLD OUT-
  
  
  
If you are interested in sponsoring a Chamber Event please contact:
Caroline Miller at 250-469-7358
 
Voting for the 2013 Kelowna Chamber Board of Directors has been underway during the month of February and now the votes are in.
 
Congratulations to our returning Board members: Tom Dyas, Ken Carmichael, Ian Stuart and Peter Angle and welcome to our new additions: Freedom Bannerholt, Sherri Chapman and
Andrew Gaucher.
 
Visit our website for an updated list of our Board of Directors and to read their bios.

Tom Dyas

TD Benefit Solutions

Ken Carmichael

BDO Canada

Dr. Ian Stuart

UBC Okanagan Campus

Peter Angle

Astral Media

Freedom Bannerholt

JDS Mining & Energy

 

Andrew Gaucher

Green Solutions - A Division of G Group Developments & Gazelle Enterprises

Sherri Chapman

Platinum Personnel & Business Solutions

 


YOU ARE INVITED
To a briefing on the 2013 Balanced Budget with Team Okanagan.  
   
Ministers Letnick, Thomson and Stewart will review budget highlights and take your questions.
  
Date: Friday, March 1, 2013
Time: 9:00-10:00am
 
Mary Irwin Theatre, 421 Cawston Ave., Kelowna, BC

 

Click here for the official Kelowna Chamber media release

What's the Chamber working on?
Connection, Advantage, Influence

Discover China - We invite you to experience China with us as the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce hosts a nine-day tour that will take you to see the natural beauty, culture and traditions of Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou.

 

Job Bank - Do you have a position to fill within your organization? Do you have any friends or family looking for a job? Sign in as a member and post your vacancy in our Chamber Job Bank or browse available jobs.

 
Call for Committee Members - Our committees are always looking for new member representatives to take part. Learn more about your community while influencing change. Contact the Chamber for details.

New Members - Each month our membership is growing, to find out who has recently joined go to our New Member section of the website. 
  
 
   

 

The Canadian Chamber has just released an important document that speaks to the top ten barriers to competitiveness in Canada. We will be working at local levels to keep you informed of the progress we make in bringing real changes to policies, approaches and taxes. One barrier is Uncompetitive travel and tourism strategies.

 

The travel and tourism sector is one of Canada's largest generators of GDP, contributing close to $80 billion to its economy annually, and accounting for more than 600,000 jobs. Visitors to Canada spend more than $15 billion annually. So important is the sector that most municipalities and provinces have tourism marketing organizations like Tourism Kelowna and Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association. The impact of the sector is very widespread. The various local businesses that benefit, directly or indirectly, when tourism volumes are strong include:

  • Transportation: air, charter bus, tour services and car rentals
  • Real estate and realty finance
  • Accommodations
  • Food and beverage
  • Meetings and events: conventions and business meetings, major sporting events and art festivals
  • Attractions: recreation and entertainment activities, as well as cultural, natural and historical attractions Other than U.S. visitors who drive to Canada other visitors on the air mode.

But Canada has a very high-cost air transport market that results from a long list of government policies. User fees and levies on aviation add hundreds of millions to passenger costs. Because the air mode enables all the other sectors of the tourism community, policies affecting this one sector damage all the others that rely on it, including accommodations, restaurants, sports and arts events.

 

In 2013, the Canadian Chamber will advocate:

  1. A rigorous examination by the federal government of the cost competitiveness of the tourism sector and development of a federal strategy for reducing government-imposed costs to the sector
  2. A tourism competition strategy crafted under the direction of the Canadian Tourism Commission, incorporating the private sector and other levels of government to create a priority list of enhancements required to the quality of the Canadian travel offering and reduce disincentives
  3. Increased Canadian tourism marketing to levels competitive with our travel rivals
BC HRMA
  

So what exactly are the "rules" for employers and employees when it comes to statutory holidays? Here's a quick HR101 guide to common questions from BC HRMA.

 

Click here to read the full article

 
In the news
Business, Technology, Economy

 

Budget 2013 Takes a Prudent Approach to Returning to Balance - Budget 2013 forecasts a modest $197 million surplus in 2013/14. The return to Budget is achieved through a combination of spending restraint and additional revenue measures
  
Mayor updates Chamber members on City plans - The Mayor's annual "state of the city" presentation to a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce lunch meeting emphasized Council's pragmatic leadership in the first year of its mandate, and efforts to deliver on plans to grow the local economy. 
  
Kelowna nets National Sustainable Community Award - The award, in the Energy category, recognizes two plans that the City developed to tackle greenhouse gas emissions - one outlines what the City of Kelowna as an organization will do and the other is a broader community plan.
  
Pink Shirt Day, Feb. 27Get your workplace involved: Purchase your official Pink Shirt Day t-shirt at London Drugs or online at PinkShirtDay.ca. Net proceeds benefit the CKNW Orphans' Fund in support of Boys & Girls Clubs anti-bullying programs.
 
Parkinson Recreation Centre celebrates 40 years - City staff will host a customer appreciation day on Thursday, Feb. 28 as a thank-you to members for their commitment to their health.
  
Micro-Business Training Program - The BC Chamber of Commerce Micro Business Training (MBT) Program is 100% funded by the government, and offers courses such as Bookkeeping, Marketing & Sales, Management, Computing, Websites & Social Media.
 
Click here to view all Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Media Releases.

 

Suncoast Enclosures began after the James family immigrated to Australia. As a young entrepreneur in the 1980's, Court James noticed a common problem. Just like in the Okanagan, homeowners wanted a back yard space to enjoy their wonderful "outdoor lifestyle" without the occasional hassles of scorching sun, mosquitoes and bugs, gusting winds, or sudden rainstorms. Seasonal make-shift solutions were either too flimsy or required unsightly structural elements. While old-fashioned sunrooms and solariums added usable square footage to the home, they were ill equipped and cost-prohibitive for pool and hot tub enclosures, entertaining spaces, barbeque areas, exercise rooms, and outdoor play spaces. Not only was their building process cumbersome and expensive; but the overwhelming summer heat made the space nearly unusable and humidity caused numerous problems. Worst of all, the resulting structure created a feeling of being confined indoors while observing the great outdoors through a window -- rather than providing a truly outdoor living experience. 

Suncoast's unique innovation was to create a super strong, architecturally appealing Screen Enclosure for the home. The result is an amazingly useful year-round living space that makes you feel like you're totally outdoors, yet with none of the hassles. No more wasps in your drinks. No more rain-interrupted dinner parties. No more wind gusts upsetting your umbrella and sending linens flying. No more shoveling winter snow off the deck. No more scorching heat or glaring summer sun. Just pure enjoyment of the great outdoors.

Suncoast's slogan of "Better Outdoor Living" is made for the Okanagan. We embrace the lifestyle with green energy solutions such as our solar powered Louvered Roof System which opens and closes to either let the sunlight into the home, or keep the elements out. Residential or commercial. How can we serve you?


544 Harvey Ave. 
Kelowna BC V1Y 6C9
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