The Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce joined chambers from across Canada at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s 2019 AGM in Saint John, NB. last week
The AGM brought together 323 chambers of commerce executives and community business leaders to discuss the policies presented on economic and political issues that affect the prosperity of Canadian business.
This gathering gave Mission members a voice at the national level which means local concerns receive national attention across the chamber network
” The opportunity for the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce to represent their membership at a national level on policy reform gives them a voice in discussions that affect their daily operations like credit card merchant fees, or getting more rental housing on the market now, just a few policies that were debated and presented,” said Raj Patara, president of the Mission Chamber.
Examples of some policies presented from the BC Caucus include:
– Addressing Barriers to Succession Planning;
– Credit Card Merchant Fees;
– Getting more rental housing on the market now;
– The Impact of the Mortgage Stress Test on Local Economies;
– Address labour shortages and access to labour;
– Removing barriers for indigenous participation in Post-Secondary education;
– The Need for a Renewed Softwood Lumber Agreement
– Childcare;
– Keeping Canada’s Air Travel Industry sustainable and affordable to Canadians and;
– Gender Diversity in Corporate hiring practices.
At the closing of the second day of policy sessions, a total of 71 policies were adopted and four policies introduced from the floor were put forward to the board for review.
“This AGM & Conference included two firsts for me. On a personal note, this was my first time traveling out to the Maritime provinces and have enjoyed every moment in this enchanting and historic city. On a professional level, this was also the first Canadian Chamber of Commerce event that I have attended. The connections and experiences gained have far exceeded my expectations,” said executive director Jo-Anne Chadwick.
