Abbotsford – This past Friday and Saturday concluded the annual BC Chamber of Commerce AGM & Policy Convention which took place virtually May 28 and 29th with delegates and stakeholders from across the province who proposed and debated critical issues impacting business. Economic recovery and restart was top of mind. The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce was pleased to collaborate with fellow Chambers and to have put forth two key issues for advocacy which passed with high support.
The first policy “Focused Support for the Local Tourism and Hospitality Sectors in the Economic Restart” for the particularly devastated industry during the pandemic passed with 100% approval as part of a consent agenda. This signals the strong commitment the business community has to stand behind and re-build tourism in BC. Providing incentives and ensuring ongoing dialogue with tourism businesses and stakeholders was at the heart of the position, in addition, data-informed policy decisions with the BC Chamber’s very own Mind Reader platform, which played a critical role to inform both the provincial and federal governments on business impacts during the pandemic.
The second policy, “BC Lobbying Act 2020 – Implications for Non-Profits, Smaller Organizations & Chamber/Boards of Trade” to alleviate the overly burdensome lobbying and reporting requirements, the most restrictive in Canada, also passed with high support, 98%. This is a win for the non-profit stakeholders, small organizations and chambers that have been active in voicing concerns to the provincial government on this issue. Changes to the recent BC Lobby Act 2020, are paramount to enabling greater capacity and access for organizations and businesses to engage in the democratic process of advocacy and lobbying. In particular, the Abbotsford Chamber is pleased to have worked with the Surrey Board of Trade to elevate the profile of this issue.
“The policy convention was engaging and full of healthy debate. I was pleased to have brought forth our resolutions this year. This truly is a grassroots process voicing the important issues for our members and local business. Congratulations to all the delegates and BC Chamber who will now take these policies forward to the provincial government,” said Katerina Anastasiadis, Executive Director, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce
The final book of resolutions will be available on the BC Chamber website: www.bcchamber.org.
