The City of Langley is one of 13 finalists for the 2014 Open for Business Awards.
The awards recognize communities that support small business through local government measures aligned with the B.C. Small Business Accord.
“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our communities,” said Naomi Yamamoto, the minister of state for small business.
“It’s imperative that B.C. has a business-friendly climate that allows them to grow and succeed.
“The Open for Business Awards are a great opportunity for us to recognize communities that value the importance of small business.”
“B.C.’s economy depends on local governments partnering with businesses to drive prosperity, community by community, right across the province. These awards both incentivize and recognize those efforts,” said John Winter, the president and CEO of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce.
The other finalists are Delta, Grand Forks, Kelowna, Nelson, Parksville, Port Coquitlam, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Smithers, Surrey, Vernon and Whistler.
“The submissions this year were well written and thoughtful. It is clear that municipalities are implementing programs that assist small business in reducing the time and cost of doing business with government, allowing business owners to concentrate their efforts on building their business and contributing to the communities they serve,” said Ian Tostenson, who is the chair for the Open for Business Award subcommittee.
Each winning community receives $10,000 to support the implementation of measures that benefit small business. The winners will be announced next week (Sept. 24) at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities annual conference in Whistler.
