May 2018 Inside this issue: General Managers Report New Members Events Review Annual Awards Dinner Overview Member Spotlight Expert Article
CHAMBER at a glance
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a publication of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce
President’s Message
W
ith the recent announcement of our new K-8 elementary school, and our upcoming Manitoba Chamber of Commerce (MCC) Annual General Meeting, I thought it would be perfect timing to discuss the importance of Chamber advocacy.
Canada, in the political landscape. At the upcoming MCC Annual General Meeting, all chambers in Manitoba will have the ability to put forth their submitted policies that are important to their community and ask that it be adopted into the Manitoba Chamber. These policies will be put to the floor and voted on. If adopted at the Terry Burgess, our past president, Manitoba level, it provides the wrote it the best in a previous article Manitoba Chamber with their “Advocacy on behalf of our members agenda for the following year, on does primarily happen at a local level where they will put their focus on but we also have an opportunity to advocating at a provincial level. It is a impact Provincial and National issues remarkable process and I personally when developing policies with and believe it to be a very exciting and for the Manitoba rewarding Chamber of opportunity to The best Commerce (MCC) watch. and the Canadian decision I Chamber of This May at the made on a Commerce. This MCC Annual means we are General Meeting personal, and potentially our Prompt business, level engaging the Payment Policy will strengths of these go to the floor was to get organizations to seeking approval. involved. impact our Our submission community.� speaks to the delayed payment that agreements Prior to joining the Chamber Board, I see when dealing with government was unaware of the impact that we contracts. Honourable Don Plett, as smaller chambers had throughout Conservative Senator from
Tami-Rae Rourke Chamber President
Manitoba, introduced Bill S-224 regarding this, back in 2016, and successfully passed third reading in the Senate May 4th 2017. Liberal MP, Judy Sgro, is expected to sponsor the bill in the House of Commons in 2018. We are asking the MCC to advocate for and support the adoption of the Prompt Payment in Manitoba. This leads me to our next step, your contribution. For the Chamber to continue to drive these issues and have them be at the forefront we need our members, like you, to come forward and invest a small amount of your important time into assisting the Chamber. The policies are created at the committee level, and approved at the board level, so even (Continued on page 6)