Snap Provincial Election Called, BC Voters Head to Polls in October |
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After weeks of speculation, Premier John Horgan confirmed yesterday that BC voters will be heading to the polls October 24 in a snap election. The Kelowna Chamber was not completely surprised at the election call as it had been speculated. As a non-partisan association, the Chamber is planning to host a All-Candidates Forum in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more information and in the meantime, if you have an issue the next provincial government should address please let us know. We look forward to engaging our members and the business community on the topics that are most important to you.
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BC Unveils $2-Billion Economic Recovery Plan; $400 Million for Local Governments |
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Late last week, Premier John Horgan and Carole James, Minister of Finance, released Stronger BC for Everyone: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan. The plan outlines the latest steps the Government of British Columbia is taking to help people, businesses and communities recover and come out of COVID-19 stronger and better prepared.
There were a number of wins for the Chamber in this plan.
The Kelowna Chamber also put together an economic recovery submission, with several Okanagan-specific recommendations, particularly around transportation.
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Last Chance to Register: The Changing Media Landscape with Local Media Experts
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Over the past several months, social disruption and unprecedented measures have led to an increase in media consumption throughout our daily lives. As such, more people and businesses than ever before are turning to media providers for trusted and timely information. As a business, how do you ensure your message is heard when the media is dominated by the COVID-19 crisis?
Join us next Thursday, September 24 at 12:00 Noon as we dive into a conversation with a panel of local media experts: reporters, journalists, and communications consultants, to explore how media has changed in the age of increased consumption, and discuss the critical challenges organizations are facing communicating during a crisis.
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Sold Out Kelowna Chamber Golf Tournament a Smashing Success!
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Last week, the Kelowna Chamber hosted their 35th Annual Golf Tournament at the Harvest Golf Club to a sold out 144 golfers. The Chamber would like to thank all of our wonderful corporate sponsors, charities, and volunteers who joined us for the event, greeting guests, and creating a memorable experience for everyone! We look forward to seeing you all next year for another fabulous event. |
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Extension to Off-Site Sales at Liquor and Food Primaries and Temporary Patios |
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The Province is extending temporary measures to support the restaurant and hospitality sector. The extensions allow for expanded service areas, such as patios, and for the sale and delivery of unopened liquor products with the purchase of a meal by food- and-liquor-primary licensees. Both of the extensions came after consultation with the Business and Technical Advisory Panel, a group of liquor and hospitality industry representatives, as well as following the input of several local governments, licensees and members of the public.
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United Way & Partners Invest $170K in Children & Youth Well-Being |
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Families in need will receive infant car seats as well as baby care packages that include essential items like diapers, wipes and formula thanks to an expansion of the United Way's Child Safety Initiative, made possible by their partners and donors, including the Government of Canada's Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF).
In addition, several local charities will receive grants to support children and youth wellness programs. The additional funding and care packages mean children, youth and families will receive even more vital support this year.
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Get Ready for Culture Days to Celebrate the Arts |
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Culture Days is a national celebration of arts and culture. Held annually at the end of September, millions of people attend thousands of participatory arts and culture events across the country. New this year, Culture Days will be taking place over a full month from September 25 to October 25. This will help provide more promotion and support to the arts and culture sector during these challenging times.
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BLOG: Building a more Positive Workplace Culture in 90 days |
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Building a positive workplace culture results in happier employees, which in turn, increases your production rates. Basically, a happy workplace is good for everyone. The question is, how can you create a positive, supporting workplace culture quickly. Check out these tips to get started.
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ITI Financial: Caring About Your Needs, Helping you Reach Your Financial Goals |
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New Chamber member ITI Financial enables business owners and individuals to gain financial freedom through building creative solutions for any investment, tax or insurance need. The company provides a wide range of financial solutions and a team of professionals that work to set up a financial plan suited especially for you. This week we spoke to Financial Security Advisor Rhona Stanislaus about her experience both as a client, and as an Advisor with the company.
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What is something you wish you knew when you first began?
I wish I knew that being underserved from a financial advisory perspective was not unique to northern and remote areas. I spent 22 years in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and as a long-time northerner I became accustomed to being underserved in many areas. As I work across Western Canada, I’ve discovered every region including the Kelowna and Okanagan Valley are not immune to this issue.
Before joining the ITI Financial team, I was a client. I immediately recognized a superior level of knowledge and expertise as well as a more relational approach. This experience, combined with a personal loss that redefined my world, put me on a path to relocate to the Okanagan. Clients I work with throughout BC, AB and the NT often experience the same challenges around accessing quality financial, tax strategy and wealth management advice. It can be difficult for clients to identify the specific financial advice they require or are lacking, if they don’t know what they are missing.
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What is something people might not know about your company?
Many people are unaware that there is no direct cost to meet with me. I am compensated through some of the solutions implemented, and so clients will never receive an invoice from me like they would from their other professionals. This gives me plenty of time to get to know clients, their needs and goals without the client having to worry about cost. My preference is to collaborate with our client’s other professionals where applicable so that we can work collectively to help the client in achieving their goals.
Many advisory firms focus on paper investments first (i.e. RRSPs, Stocks, Tax Free Savings Accounts, etc.). The focus at ITI Financial is unique, we believe ‘you’ are your greatest asset and so we prioritize mitigating risk by protecting client’s income (business and personal), and implement strategies to reduce tax, not just defer it. Tax is most people’s greatest expense. If we can work with clients to implement tax planning strategies, we can then redirect tax savings elsewhere in their planning. Our services and solutions include, but are not limited to, business strategies, retirement and estate planning, portfolio management, risk management, tax planning, etc.
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What are you looking forward to in the future?
Originally from BC, my family relocated from Yellowknife to Kelowna in 2018 and have appreciated such a friendly and welcoming community. I am excited to explore and rediscover all the great things the Okanagan and the province have to offer. I look forward to continuing to expand my professional network and working with more clients across a variety of innovative sectors. While we’ve all had to pivot toward more virtual interactions, I love meeting new people and look forward to connecting more in person again!
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KELOWNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | kelownachamber.org |
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