BurnabyNOW WEDNESDAY November 23, 2016 23
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bbot.ca
BBOT committees update By Cory Redekop cory@bbot.ca The Burnaby Board of Trade works hard to connect with and represent all types of businesses and individuals in our community. The committees present a platform for advocacy for and engagement with the Burnaby business community. Here are some updates on what the committees have been working on.
Pacific Gateway
The Pacific Gateway Committee facilitates connections between the Burnaby business community and industries in the Asia/Pacific region, and pursues opportunities to create a more ethnically integrated business community. The committee identifies priority issues relating to trade, investment, education, and cultural exchanges with the Burnaby Board of Trade, the business community and Asia Pacific region. The committee is excited about the success of their sub-group’s (the Indo-Canadian Working Group) successful India-Canada Business Dinner event and is currently working on their signature event, the Lunar New Year Banquet.
Social Development
The Social Development Committee assists and supports the Burnaby Board of Trade to foster social responsibility, increase awareness and understand community issues for the benefit of the Board of Trade membership. The committee continues to engage in advocating for social issues, identifying priorities, and promoting dialogue between the BBOT, its members, governments and community agencies. Currently, work is being done in a number of areas, including Healthy Workplaces and New Canadian Workplace Integration. The committee has been looking at a number of new topics to focus on, such as implementing a system to encourage socially sustainable business practices and increasing quality child care.
Environmental Sustainability
The Environmental Sustainability Committee identifies and prioritizes environmental issues of importance and works to address them on behalf of the Burnaby Board of Trade members. Current areas of focus include promoting a green economy, and developing resources for improving environmental sustainability in the workplace. The committee is proud that over 150 businesses have now taken the “Pledge for a Sustainable Community”, an initiative that sprouted from the committee three years ago. Currently they are discussing ways to get involved with the newly passed City of Burnaby Environmental Sustainability Strategy.
Women’s Business Success Network
The Burnaby Board of Trade’s “Women’s Business Success Network” (WBSN) is a group of both men and women interested in supporting women at all levels of business, whether a sole entrepreneur, a small business owner, a business professional or an established executive. The WBSN will foster important discussions, facilitate meaningful connections, and advance advocacy positions in the support of women in business. The WBSN Events Working Group is building on the success of its Women’s Leadership Panel held on September 13th and is currently planning future WBSN events. The next major WBSN event will be held in March to coincide with International Women’s Day. The WBSN Policy Working Group has been busy reviewing various public policy areas where changes could be made to help women in business succeed. Currently, the WBSN Policy Working Group has focused on Pay Equity and Women’s Representation on Boards as its top two priorities. The WBSN Policy Working Group is hoping to release an aspirational policy on encouraging more women to be placed on corporate and government boards of directors soon, and will then focus on ways to address the wage gap faced by women in the workforce.
Government Relations
The Government Relations Committee identifies important issues and represents the views of the business community on matters relevant to the BBOT membership, as well as providing a forum for members to engage with elected representatives, government officials and third parties. The GRC regularly meets with representatives from all levels of government to identify, research and discuss salient issues in the business community, such as transportation and employment & training. The Government Relations Committee is currently developing a thoughtful position on density and development, outlining the case for focusing growth in Burnaby’s four town centres. The Government Relations Committee will also shortly be surveying Burnaby Board of Trade members to get their input on the minimum wage in BC and recent proposals for increases to it. The BBOT insists that stability and predictability is key to any minimum wage increases being successful and for mitigating unintended negative consequences. The BBOT, with the help of the Government Relations Committee, will also be articulating the concern with the inflationary pressures a jump in the minimum wage puts on all other wage levels within a business. Following the publication of the BBOT’s Business Sentiment Report this summer which flagged high housing costs as a business issue, the Government Relations Committee will continue to monitor the issue and calls upon all three levels of government to cooperate on addressing housing affordability and the high cost of real estate within their own jurisdictions. The committee continues to monitor the outcome of the approval process for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project following its thoughtful review of the proposed project. ¾