Eight Local Businesses Announced as Finalists for the 2017 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction

The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that 8 local companies are among the 42 finalists named for the 2017 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction. Medicine Hat continues to be been well represented as several businesses have been selected as finalists and winners in various categories over the last few years. The 2017 Awards will be held on February 24, 2017 and will feature 11 categories designed to recognize the best practices in numerous aspects of business operations. The highest honor of the evening will be the presentation of the Premier's Award of Distinction which recognizes the highest level of business achievement and leadership. Read more....

Exciting One Year Position with the Chamber

If you are looking for an opportunity to work on your own, but would also like to enjoy the benefits of working in a team environment, then consider joining the Chamber as our Exhibitor Relations & Sales Representative.  The Chamber of Commerce trade show division is seeking an individual who is engaging, motivated, has a winning style and likes the excitement and challenge of sales. Read more..

Government Of Canada Takes Early Action to Improve the Temporary Foreign Workers Program

The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce, along with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce and Canadian Chamber of Commerce have been active advocates for changes to Foreign Workers Programs and their importance to Canada's labour strategy. There have been continuous requests to change how the programs are implemented and integrated in order to increase Canadian businesses' ability to compete domestically and globally. For this reason the recent news on December 13th by the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and the Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour was welcome news as initial improvements towards a more comprehensive policy. In order to prevent unnecessary hardship and instability for both workers and employers, the four-year cumulative duration rule will no longer apply to temporary foreign workers in Canada, effective immediately.  Read more.....

Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) Advocacy Newsletter

This edition of the ACC Advocacy Newsletter contains several highlights from this past fall. On November 30th nearly all provincial government departments were represented at the annual ACC Deputy Ministers' dinner and Chambers from across the province (including Medicine Hat) were able to connect on issues ranging from the Alberta Climate Leadership Plan and government labour initiatives to infrastructure and emergent issues such as the bovine tuberculosis outbreak in southern Alberta. Earlier that same day, delegates heard from Doug Griffiths when he spoke about the heart of community sustainability and positioning Alberta to benefit from the technological and market disruptions taking place around the world. Additionally the ACC has submitted recommendations regarding the 2017-18 Federal Budget and is also conducting the third phase of its Minimum Wage Survey of Alberta business, which is open for Alberta businesses to complete until December 20, 2016.  Read all this and more in the ACC's recent edition.

The 12 Scams of Christmas: BBB Presents the Most Popular Scams to Make Santa's Naughty List this Holiday Season

The spirit of Christmas usually brings out the joy of giving for most people, but for scammers the holidays are a time of taking. Buying gifts and donating to charities presents countless opportunities for scrooges and scammers to swindle consumers out of personal information and hard-earned money. Shoppers are encouraged to be mindful of scamming fraudsters, who unlike the Grinch, will not return your money or gifts. Read more...

Compliance Letter Campaign on GST Registrants

In December 2016, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will conduct a GST/HST compliance letter campaign pilot project. The CRA will send 250 letters in December followed by 250 in February, 2,500 in May, and 2,500 in August to GST/HST registrants. Those receiving a letter will be asked to review a previously-submitted GST/HST return with suspected errors and confirm whether the amounts they reported are correct or need to be changed.  Read more.....

Time to Think Grant

Open to eligible non-profit organizations, charitable organizations (including social enterprises operated by a charity or a non-profit organization) or collectives, Time to Think Grants will be given in the areas where ATB Financial can use its talents and expertise to support the work non-profits are doing in Alberta. Read more...

Business Beat: Let's Make the Most of Renewable Energy Opportunities in S.E. Alberta

Is Medicine Hat the next Fort McMurray for renewable energy?  You can almost hear the sigh of relief. Last week we learned that a major energy company plans to resume drilling in the region and that OPEC production cuts are expected. This is welcome news for the oil and gas sector and we can all hope that the worst impacts of depressed oil prices are behind us. It is hard not to celebrate. But, let's not turn away from opportunities to diversify our regional economy. One lesson we've all learned from the past couple years of painfully low international oil prices is that too many jobs, too much income, and too many families depend on oil and gas production. Low oil prices bring tremendous stress and pain to the entire region, but it doesn't have to be that way. Read more...

Are Canadian Businesses Leveraging Technology?

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the national voice for the whole business community, as a result, they need to periodically reach out to get a snapshot of how businesses are engaging on a specific issue in order to put forward the best policy advice to the federal government. They are asking for input on how your organization is using internet based technology to provide advice about the deployment of broadband, incentives to adopt new technology and cyber security. In order to respond to this questionnaire, you need to have a good understanding of how your organization uses technology, which applications your chamber uses and what policies you have in place. We ask that you forward this questionnaire to the person in your organization best placed to answer these questions. The aggregated results of this survey will be used in future Canadian Chamber reports, testimony to Parliamentary Committees and submissions to government. Read more...

Member News: Medicine Hat's Ali Mullin is Miss Rodeo Canada!

The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede   is pleased to announce that our 2015 Queen,  Ali Mullin has been crowned Miss Rodeo Canada at the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton, November 12, 2016. "Having Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Queen alumni represent the sport of Rodeo is encouraging for us", says Paul Blasetti, the Queen Committee chair. "Ali is a very magnificent young woman with a bright future, our committee enjoyed working with her for the 2015/2016 year." Ali is the 7th Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Royalty to continue on to Miss Rodeo Canada. Miss Rodeo Canada is a program which features a Horsemanship competition, Public Speaking competition, Personal Interview with judges, a Rodeo knowledge written exam, Fashion Show, overall personality, poise and maturity and a People's Choice award. As is the custom, Miss Rodeo Canada received her crown and sash in the dirt during the evening performance of the Canadian Finals Rodeo. Congratulations Ali and all the best!

New Member: Redcliff Historical and Museum Society

The  Redcliff Museum   was established in the spring of 1980 by a group of concerned people who felt the history of Redcliff and area should be preserved. The town of Redcliff provided the old Town Hall to the Museum Society and the museum was opened to the public in June of 1981. The collection consists of industrial exhibits, farming, ranching, school, commerce and domestic exhibits; audiotaped interviews of citizens, photos and manuscripts and past issues of "The Redcliff Review" (1910-1939) weekly newspaper included on microfilm; Redcliff School District records from 1911-1992; photographs and manuscripts of ranching and early industries.

5 Minutes for Business: Mr. Trump and the Economy: Making Bond Yields Great Again

In this edition of 5 Minutes for Business, Hendrik Brakel, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Senior Director, Economic, Financial & Tax Policy takes a close look at Mr.Trump's affect on the rising bond yields and why, as Canadians, we should be concerned. With Canadian rates closely following those of the U.S., what does this mean for 2017? Will we see a stronger export demand from an over-stimulated U.S. economy and a weaker loonie?   Read 5 Minutes for Business  to find out what lies ahead for the fate of Canadian business.

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