Whitehorse Chamber E-Bulletin

Feb.6th 2015

Whitehorse Chamber E-Bulletin “The Voice Of Business”

Starts February 11th 2015 at 11am

In This Week’s Edition for Feb.6th 2015.....

1. Whitehorse Business To Business Conference 2. Whitehorse Economic Development Strategy Feedback 3. KPMG - Preparing For A Successful Business Transition 4. Yukon Tourism Training Fund 5. Indoor Community Garage Sale 6. 2015 BDC Young Entrepeneur Award 7. Screen Production Yukon Association Trade Show 8. ‘Ready, Willing and Able’ A Hidden Labour Pool - Breakfast Meeting 9. Office Of The Procurement Ombudsman - Missed Out On A Federal Contact?

10.City Of Whitehorse Update 11.Pathways To Wellness

Save The Date!

The Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce is planning a Business to Business Conference for March 25/26th at the Coast High Country Conven?on Centre that will be like no other. You will have one on one opportuni?es to speak to experts, key note speakers and have lots of take aways. This event will not only stay with you, but you will benefit from it – you can also win prizes – and even aJend a Business ALer Hours event!

The speakers and experts are business suppliers such as IT Solu?ons technicians, Insurance Brokers, the City of Whitehorse, Banks, the Procurement Support Centre, Advanced Educa?on,YG Departments and the WCB ( including the Northern Safety Network) and many others.

Everything at this conference will address subjects that directly affect your businesses.

Watch your e-­‐mails and the next bulle5n for more details and how to register.

January 21, 2015

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FEEDBACK WHITEHORSE – The City has released public engagement results for the Community Economic Development Strategy update.

During the public engagement, 816 citizens responded to an online survey and 44 organizations participated in stakeholder and government interviews and focus group sessions. The survey results and summary notes from these meetings are now available at www.whitehorse.ca/ceds.

The City recognizes the need to actively participate in and promote economic development efforts for the sustained and continued growth of our population and economy. The City is developing a Community Economic Development Strategy that will be built on active community involvement and strong partnerships.

A draft strategy will be released in February for public review and comment.

Visit www.whitehorse.ca/ceds to view the public engagement results and information on the Community Economic Development Strategy.

For more information, contact Jordan Stackhouse, Economic Development Coordinator at 336-2097 or jordan.stackhouse@whitehorse.ca.

Invitation Preparing for a Successful Business Transition Presented by KPMG and The Family Business Catalyst Are you at risk having a succession by event or crisis? Getting professional advice well in advance of a succession will help ensure you get the best possible results – preserving your family’s prosperity and harmony.

Cheryl Schmidt, CPA, CA, Tax Partner with KPMG, and Stefan Voswinkel, The Family Business Catalyst, will present on how to position your family and business for a managed transition and continued growth.

Topics will include: Options on how to get your family and business succession-ready

In an ever-changing business environment, KPMG is committed to helping you keep current on the significant accounting, auditing, and tax changes impacting private companies in Canada.

Lessons for both generations, including a Tool Kit for successors Insights on how to maximize the value of your business and the taxes you can save.

SEMINAR: Date

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Location Westmark Whitehorse Hotel and Conference Centre 201 Wood Street | Whitehorse, YT Time

7:30 am to 8:00 am – Registration & Breakfast 8:00 am to 9:30 am – Presentation & Discussion

RSVP

Contact Cheryl-Lynn Scobie at 250.503.5326 or cscobie@kpmg.ca to with our compliments by February 3rd.

We look forward to seeing you on February 17th.

Cheryl Schmidt, CPA, CA, Partner, KPMG LLP cjschmidt@kpmg.ca | 250.503.5309 Cheryl is a Partner in KPMG’s Vernon office with a practice specializing in owner managed business. A member of the Tax Practice, Cheryl focuses in personal, corporate, and estate tax planning. She also services a large body of medical professionals, dealing with their corporate and personal needs.

Stefan Voswinkel, President, The Family Business Catalyst stefan@voswinkel.ca | 867.456.7506 Stefan has the unique perspective of 25 years in entrepreneurship, large and small firms, government, and international business. This and his own family business background give him the passion to effectively help business families – building multi-generational success by developing and implementing strategies for the family and the business.

kpmg.ca/enterprise

© 2015 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity.

All rights reserved.

KPMG Enterprise is a registered trademark of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity and is used under license

by KPMG LLP, a Canadian Limited Liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms. 8130

! ! ! !

! !

Are!you!working!in!the!tourism!industry?! !

Apply!to!YTTF! !

Next!Intake!Deadline:!February!20th,!2015!

! !

If!your!courses!and!training!are!applicable,!you!could!receive!funding!for!up!to!

75%!of!the!eligible!costs!to!a!maximum!of!$3,000!!If!you!are!seeking!entryA level!skill!development,!seasonal/wilderness!training,!or!professional!skills! development!for!a!career!in!tourism,!you!could!be!eligible.!Businesses,! nonprofits,!and!organizations!wishing!to!provide!training!to!the!tourism! industry!may!receive!up!to!a!maximum!of!75%!of!the!cost!of!implementation!to! a!maximum!of!$5,000.! ! ! !

Remember!that!you!must!apply!to!the!fund!before!training!begins!and! application!approvals!will!occur!only!4!times!a!year.!! !

Contact!Gina!Bethell!at!668A3331!or!visit!www.tiayukon.com!! for!more!information!and!applications!

!

! !

!

!

New!Year,!new!growth!opportunities!! !!!Steer!your!business!to!success!by!entering!the!2015!BDC!Young!Entrepreneur!Award!for!a!chance!to! win!$100,000! ! !

INCLUDES!BROADCAST!SUMMARY! !

Montreal,!Quebec,!January!28,!2015—The$Business$Development$Bank$of$Canada$(BDC)$is$accepting$ applications$for$the$2015$edition$of$the$BDC$Young$Entrepreneur$Award.$$Canadian$business$owners$ aged$18$to$35$will$compete$for$a$grand$prize$of$$100,000$and$a$second$prize$of$$25,000$in$consulting$ services$from$BDC.$The$deadline$to$enter$the$contest$is$March$18,$2015,$at$noon,$Eastern$Daylight$Time.$$ !

What!gets!planned,!gets!done!!

Making$New$Year’s$resolutions$helps$young$entrepreneurs$reflect$on$the$lessons$of$the$past$year$and$ strategically$prioritize$the$actions$that$will$help$them$take$2015$by$storm.$$Decisions$such$as$addressing$a$ specific$business$turning$point$and$being$more$visible$in$one’s$target$market$are$usually$at$the$top$of$the$ resolution$list.$Yet,$by$the$end$of$January,$this$carefully$thoughtOout$list$is$likely$to$end$up$at$the$bottom$ of$a$drawer$as$the$daily$grind$takes$over.$ $ “Positioning$your$products$and$services$in$an$increasingly$sophisticated$market$is$key$to$raising$the$ profile$of$your$business$and$staying$ahead$of$the$competition,”$says$Michel$Bergeron,$Senior$Vice$ President,$Marketing$and$Public$Affairs$at$BDC.$“My$advice$to$young$entrepreneurs$is$to$constantly$ invest$in$their$business$to$be$able$to$increase$their$capacity$to$create$value$for$customers.$Entering$the$ 2015$BDC$Young$Entrepreneur$Award$contest$is$your$chance$to$get$noticed$at$the$national$level$and$to$ tap$into$markets$that$are$otherwise$inaccessible$or$very$difficult$to$enter.”$ !

It’s!easy!!

Submit$your$business$turning$point$idea$to$BDC$today.$Whether$it’s$making$an$investment,$hiring$more$ people,$tackling$a$new$market$or$engineering$a$strategy$shift,$take$advantage$of$this$opportunity$and$get$ cracking$on$those$resolutions.$$$ $ The$good$news?$It$has$never$been$easier$to$apply:$entrants$need$only$fill$in$the$contest$application$form$ and$submit$a$high$resolution$photo.$$For$the$first$time$in$2015,$only$the$provincial$finalists$will$be$asked$ to$produce$a$video.$$$ $ Learn$more$about$the$application$process,$eligibility$criteria$and$contest$rules$and$apply$online$at$ bdc.ca/yea.$$All$entries$must$describe$a$project$that$has$yet$to$be$implemented.$$$ $ In$doubt$about$the$turning$point?$Check$out$the$BDC$Young$Entrepreneur$Award$fact$sheet$and$discover$ five$lessons$past$BDC$Young$Entrepreneur$Award$winners$and$finalists$don’t$want$you$to$learn$the$hard$ way.$ $ For$contest$updates,$follow$BDC$on$Facebook,$Twitter$and$LinkedIn.$Visit!bdc.ca/awards!to$learn$other$ ways$in$which$BDC$recognizes$Canadian$entrepreneurs$

Fritz Mueller Visuals

SCREEN PRODUCTION YUKON ASSOCIATION

TRADE SHOW

Friday February 13 12-2 pm Old Firehall Light refreshments and beverages

CONNECT with Yukon screen-media professionals as they showcase their services, gear and expertise.

DISCOVER opportunities to work with the Yukon film industry.

Ready, Willing and Able A solu on linking you to a hidden labour pool you might be missing out on.

We invite you to join us to a end a breakfast presenta on to hear more about a new program designed to support Yukon businesses, non proďŹ t organiza ons and government departments in accessing a pool of stable, reliable and dedicated workers that you may not have considered.

People who have a disability represent one of the largest sources of untapped labour in today’s economy, and yet many people who have a disability remain either underemployed or unemployed. We are told that some Yukon employers and businesses are not aware of this pool of poten al workers. Those who are aware may be uncertain about how to recruit, train or accommodate workers with a disability, and some employers are interested but have concerns about issues of costs or whether people have the skills necessary to perform jobs that are available.

Ready, Willing and Able represents a new na onal funding program which is coordinated na onally by the Canadian Associa on for Community Living, and delivered locally by a network of 13 provincial and territorial Community Living Associa ons.

Join Minister of Educa on Elaine Taylor and speakers from other Yukon business leaders as they share their own experiences, and hear more about how RWA can support your sta ng needs by: iden fying job opportuni es within your organiza on that may be cost e ec vely and safely completed by a person with a disability providing funding and comple ng all the paperwork required to support a new employee with a disability who needs accommoda on such as job coaching, custom so ware or other technology, or specialized training for your exis ng sta providing the ongoing support needed to ensure a con nued successful rela onship between your business or organiza on and your new employee

When: 8:00 9:00 am Thursday, February 26th, 2015 Where: Westmark Hotel, Conference Room 1 RSVP by calling 667 4606 or email yaclwhse@northwestel.net

Employment Central Your Job Search Headquarters

!

!

Missed!out!on!a!federal!contract?! !

You!and!your!team!have!spent!hours!or!days!preparing!a!bid!for!a!federal!solicitation.!Your!company!has!invested!time! and!money!to!respond!to!the!requirements!listed!in!the!request!for!proposal!(RFP).!Then,!on!a!sunny!Monday!morning,! you!open!a!letter!from!the!department!you!submitted!your!bid!to!and!it!says!that!the!contract!has!been!awarded!to! another!company.!What!do!you!do?!!

If!you!are!like!most!suppliers,!you!want!to!know!where!your!bid!fell!short! and!why!the!contract!was!not!awarded!to!your!company.!You!want!to! understand!the!weaknesses!of!your!bid!so!you!can!avoid!repeating!the!same! mistakes!in!the!future.!!In!short,!you!want!a!“debriefing”.!So!you!call!the! number!provided!in!the!letter!but!are!told!the!department!has!no!further! information!to!provide!regarding!the!award!of!the!contract!and!considers! the!regret!letter!a!“debriefing.’’!

When a federal organization notifies a company they are not the recipient of a contract and only provides the name of the “winning” company and value of the contract, this should not be considered a debriefing.

Since!opening!its!doors!in!2008,!The!Office!of!the!Procurement!Ombudsman!(OPO)!has!heard!from!many!business!people! left!frustrated!by!not!knowing!why!their!bid!was!rejected.!In!these!instances,!one!of!OPO’s!priorities!is!to!let!business! people!know!their!rights!and!responsibilities.!!

As!a!business!person,!for!example,!you!should!know!that!you!are!obligated!to!honour!the!rules!of!the!bid!process!and! provide!information!in!good!faith!with!the!belief!that!it!is!complete!and!accurate.!You!should!also!know!that!the!Access%to% Information%Act!(the!Act)!gives!any!Canadian!the!right!to!request!access!to!any!government!record,!with!a!few!exceptions.!

One!of!those!exceptions!is!the!Act!does!not!grant!access!to!third!party!information,!such!as!the!details!of!a!competitor’s! bid,!without!their!consent.!!

Both!the!North!American!Free!Trade!Agreement!(NAFTA)!and!the!World!Trade!Organization!U!Agreement!on!Government!

Procurement!(WTOUAGP)!include!requirements!in!general!terms!to!disclose!information!to!unsuccessful!bidders.!!Federal! policy!(i.e.!Treasury!Board!Contracting!Policy)!also!states!that!debriefings!should!be!provided!to!unsuccessful!bidders.!!So! even!though!departments!and!agencies!may!not!be!obligated!to!provide!a!debriefing,!doing!so!is!both!a!good!business! practice!and!the!right!thing!to!do.!

Debriefings!should!take!place!after!a!contract!is!awarded.!Federal!organizations!should!notify!unsuccessful!bidders!as!soon! as!possible,!provide!the!name!of!the!“winning”!company!and!the!value!of!the!contract.!However,!for!a!debriefing!to!be!of! real%value!it!will!also!explain!the!factors!and!criteria!used!to!evaluate!the!bids!and!enable!the!unsuccessful!bidder!to! understand!where!their!bid!fell!short!or!why!it!did!not!result!in!a!contract.!This!information!can!be!provided!by!telephone,! in!writing,!or!faceUtoUface.!!

In!the!end,!debriefings!benefit!both!you!and!the!department.!!They!should!provide!you!with!an!understanding!of!how!to! better!prepare!future!bids.!Debriefings!can!also!help!the!department!improve!its!contracting!processes!by!enabling! suppliers!to!share!their!opinions!with!government!officials!about!what!works!and!doesn’t!work!in!the!contracting!process.!!

If!you!have!any!concerns!or!thoughts!to!share!on!debriefings!or!any!other!aspect!of!federal!procurement,!give!OPO!a!call! at!1U866U734U5169.!!OPO!can!answer!your!questions!and!inform!you!of!your!options.!OPO!is!here!to!help.!! !

For%more%information%on%OPO’s%services%and%activities,%visit%their%website%at%www.opo<boa.gc.ca%and%follow%them%on% Twitter%(@OPO_Canada%&%BOA_Canada).! ! !

February 6, 2015

International Winter Bike to Work/School Day Plan to cycle on Friday February 13 and register your ride with us online.

You could win a coffee shop card or a CGC day pass.

Next City Council Meeting The next Regular Council Meeting is February 9 at 5:30pm in City Hall Council Chambers. View whitehorse.ca/agendas for Council and whitehorse.ca/CASM for CASM meetings.

Riverdale Town Hall Meeting Residents of Riverdale and Long Lake are invited to meet City Council on Thursday, February 12 at 6:30pm at Christ the King Elementary School Gym. Visit whitehorse.ca/townhalls.

Indoor Community Garage Sale at the CGC Riding one way only?

Take Transit the other way! You can bring your bike on the bus.

Get more details at whitehorse.ca/cycle.

Join us and our Zero Waste partners on February 14 from 10am to 2pm and help reduce what goes into the landfill. See more details at whitehorse.ca/specialevents.

Valentine’s Date Night Invite your sweetheart for twilight at the Canada Games Centre from 6pm to 10pm on Saturday, February 14. Purchase your wrist band and bring your sweetheart for free! Get more info at whitehorse.ca/events.

Upcoming Grant Deadlines The next Environmental Grant deadline is February 16. The Community Cleanup and Recreation Grants deadlines are March 16. See more details for all City grants at whitehorse.ca/grants.

Parks and Public Open Space Bylaw Share your thoughts in our online survey by February 19 for a chance to win a $100 gift card for the Canada Games Centre.

Visit whitehorse.ca/bylawinput.

Options At Home Small changes can have a big impact. We can help you find balance at any stage in life. Learn more about Accessible Housing at whitehorse.ca/accessiblehousing and Secondary Suites at whitehorse.ca/suites.

whitehorse.ca

Pathways to Wellness e-Tips conversation • connection • commitment

Make every step count

Contact Info:

Both old and new technologies take activity out of daily living. Cars, elevators, and remote controls are just three examples -- there are many, many more.

Contact us at www.yukonwellness.ca/ contactus.php

Our Location 201 - #1 Hospital Road, Whitehorse, Yukon Mail: Pathways to Wellness, H-1 Health and Social Services Yukon Government Box 2703, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2C6 E-mail: yukonwellness@gov.yk.ca One of the easiest ways to put activity back into our lives is to walk more. The recommended number of steps per day is 10,000. And the good news is that every step counts -- the steps taken to put out the garbage count as much as the steps taken in a 30-minute walk.

It all adds up.

A pedometer is an inexpensive way to count steps. It attaches to your belt or waistband and counts every step. We know that reminders and tracking progress are key to maintaining behaviour change. Pedometers do both.

In addition, research shows that people who start using pedometers • Increase activity by over 2,000 steps per day (about 1 mile) • Achieve a healthier weight • Lower their blood pressure A pedometer, and a good pair of walking shoes can make all the difference.

For more information on the benefits of walking, visit the Pathways to Wellness website.

Jan: 867-667-3674