October e-Publication

October 2021

The purpose of the Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce's monthly newsletter is to keep members and the community informed of what the GPRC has been up to, provide updates on advocacy issues, and let you know of anything interesting happening in our region.

We have a Subsidy & Aid Relief page on our website, and we make every effort to keep it up to date.

Table of Contents

In-person Events Statement
Upcoming Events
We're Hiring!
Membership Renewal & New Tiers
Shop Local Project Funding Update
GPRC Committee Debriefs
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Congratulations to Zender Ford!
New Members
Feature Members - Fabco Plastics

1) In-person Events Statement

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce (GPRC) has followed the guidance of Alberta Health Services (AHS) to ensure a safe environment for our members, the community, directors, and staff. We are announcing our updated in-person events guidelines. Commencing November 1, 2021, the GPRC will be re-introducing in-person events.

As conditions continue to change, the Chamber will be re-evaluating and updating its event guidelines. For those that are not yet ready to join us in-person, we will continue to offer virtual or hybrid options for select events. Whether in-person or virtual, there is a seat at the table for our members.

Please review our full return to in-person events policy and the list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers by clicking here..

2) Upcoming Events

An event to get all Acheson businesses in a room together to encourage collaboration, entrepreneurship, and networking with the surrouding businesses in Parkland County, Spruce Grove, and Stony Plain.

$100 for GPRC Members

$125 for non-Members

** Register before November 11 and get the early bird price of $25 off!

Keynote Speaker: Graham Sherman

Graham Sherman is a business owner who knows the meaning of "pivoting" all too well after the past 19 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He worked with his competitors to find a way to benefit both of their businesses, he partnered with unlikely companies to make the best of the terrible situation, and most importantly, he found a way to be thriving on the other side of the major lockdowns and restrictions with all of his staff.

Graham Sherman and his business partner, Jeff Orr, are two “high level geeks” who met in Afghanistan in 2007. At that time they were working on contracts for the Canadian and US government and military, installing encrypted, tactical communication networks.

By day, they rolled around the war zone in armoured vehicles, geeking out in the world of satellite communications. By night, they aimed their obsessive, high level geekery at mastering coffee, competitive BBQ, controlling their respective homes back in Calgary with their iPhones….and finally, with mastering the craft of brewing artisan beer.

Now, only four years after the very first batched brewed in Graham’s backyard, Tool Shed Brewing Company has a new 15,000 square foot home in Calgary with beers being sold in over 1000 locations across Western Canada, and has been nominated as Canadian Entrepreneur of the year. The team were also named as co-winners of the “40 Under 40” recognition from Avenue magazine.

Graham's message isn't about his beer, but rather his story, his experiences, and how he finds ways to prevail.

$100 for GPRC Members

$125 for non-Members

** Register before November 11 and get the early bird price of $25 off!

The GPRC is committed to the health and safety of our members and guests. By attending one of the Chamber’s in-person events, you are agreeing to abide by the protocols, put in place to keep our event attendees safe and healthy.

We want to meet, celebrate, and learn from Wabamun businesses. The Hamlet has been through lots of changes and as the newly unified Chamber, we want to work with you to grow the community and make your region better than ever!

The Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce would like to take this opportunity to hear ideas from all businesses in Wabamun about what can be done to drive traffic into the townsite, and build more awareness about this amazing community

This event will be drop-in style, feel free to come when you can for as long as you like. GPRC staff members, the board of directors and ambassadors will be on hand to serve pancakes and brainstorm.

Regiser to attend

3) We're Hiring!

We're looking to fill 2 positions!!

1) Full-time Events Coordinator (Permanent): The Events Coordinator is essential for advancing and achieving the Greater Parkland Regional Chamber’s goals of inspiring and promoting businesses within our community.

2) Full-time Communications & Media Specialist (Term Position): This individual will support the development and implementation of organization-wide strategies designed to attract ever-growing numbers of members, advocates, and stakeholders to develop and support policies that will bring economic growth to our region.

For details and how to apply, visit: www.business.gprchamber.ca/jobs/
Closing date: November 8 at 5PM.
All resumes should be directed to BadaB Consulting Inc. at: badabconsultinginc@gmail.com

4) Membership Renewal & New Tiers

After feedback from many GPRC members, we are excited to introduce adjustments to our membership tiers. These changes were announced at our General Meeting on September 23^rd and reflect three key suggestions:

Reduction in the number of tiers – with 5 options available to members since the unification of the Chambers in early 2020, many members commented that the tiers were confusing, difficult to decide and easily mixed up. Members, ambassadors, board and staff were looking for something more streamlined and easier to understand.
Competitive pricing – the GPRC has offered a 25% discount on all membership fees since unification. Consultation with members revealed that an increase to regular price in 2022 would make membership too expensive for businesses as they work to emerge from the pandemic.
Names that resonate – the updated names of the tiers reflect a natural progression of investment in the GPRC. We are extremely proud of all of our members and value the support and trust our members have in us.

The most evident change in the tiers is the elimination of both the Foundation and Influencer membership levels. By moving toward a Pewter membership, Foundation level members will now receive increased visibility on the Chamber website by having an elevated listing. This includes being able to upload their logo, add a description, hours of operation, links to social media and/or their business website, and much more. The Influencer membership was significantly underutilized with only 5 members. Influencer members will be given the option to either move to Copper or Silver level memberships.

Regular pricing for membership is reflective of the discounted pricing for 2020 and 2021. Silver members now receive pull-up banner advertising at all GPRC events giving them an exclusive marketing opportunity as a upper tier member of the GPRC. There is a slight price increase for Not-For-Profit members who will now also have access to the elevated listing on the GPRC website. Not-For-Profit agencies can contact the GPRC office for further information on updated pricing.

The names of the tiers accurately reflect the progression of investment in the GPRC. These names are common in chambers throughout North America. They are easier to understand and remember for both members and staff.

New for 2022 is the Shining member tier. This tier is an option for new members of the GPRC for the first year of their membership. It gives members several samples of networking, marketing, and sponsorship opportunities to see which tier best suits their needs for their future membership. This includes digital sign advertising in either Stony Plain or Wabamun, banner advertising on the GPRC website, a New Member Spotlight in the GPRC monthly newsletter, a discount on a sponsorship opportunity, and a credit for select GPRC networking events.

In 2022, we’d like to offer the Shining membership to all current GPRC members who pay their 2022 invoice between December 1 and 22, 2021. In addition to this, the GPRC will be offering a draw for a number of incentives to those members who pay their 2022 membership prior to December 22, 2021. These include:

A credit for the cost of their membership which could be applied to GPRC events, sponsorships, or 2023 membership fees
An upgrade in membership
Digital sign advertising in Wabamun or Stony Plain
2 tickets to the Business Awards of Distinction

Members who participate in the 2022 Member2Member rewards program will receive an additional ticket into the draw. Thank you to our 2021 Member2Member participants:

Joffre’s Water
Sabre Publications
Keen Designs
BrokerLink Insurance
105.9 Shine FM/930AM The Light
Three B’s Flowers
Two Seasons Maintenance
Big Noise Media

You can sign-up to offer a Member2Member discount in the Member Information Centre by clicking here, and then choosing Member To Member Deals in the left column.

More details on the 2022 invoicing, incentives draw, and title sponsorship opportunities, to come in November. Stay tuned!!

Check out the full benefits breakdown

5) Shop Local Funding Update

You may remember that the GPRC received $152,100 in federal funding for Shop Local initiatives earlier this summer. As part of being transparent about the dollars, below is an update on how the money is being allocated and spent. As per the project parameters, all money will be spent by December 31, 2021.

Web Application: The RFP for this project was awarded to Panda Rose Consulting Studios and work has begun on developing the web app. Wire frames have been approved and now the software is being coded and developed.

ChamberMarket.ca: Grace, one of our students from this summer has stayed on to work on this project. We have been onboarding businesses everyday for ChamberMarket. If you're interested in checking it out, and signing your business up, go to: www.greaterparklandab.chambermarket.ca

Shop Local Saturday's: We have released the first 5 videos for this project!! So far we have featured:

The remaining 7 videos are coming, so keep your eyes on the GPRC's Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages, so you don't miss an episode!

Marketing Moments: This project is going to be changed up a bit. We're currently applying to changes the scope of this element as we found that it wasn't the best fit for our members.

Acheson Networking Event: Registration for this event is now open! We received some feedback and found that having the attendance narrowed down to only Acheson businesses eliminated some potentially great partnerships and collaborations from happening. So, we welcome any businesses who would like to make connections in the Acheson area to attend. You can register here: www.gprchamber.ca/steak-beer-networking

Wabamun Pancake Breakfast: This community building event is back on! Wabamun businesses, we hope to see you on Tuesday, November 23 for some pancakes and coffee! We want to meet, celebrate, and learn from Wabamun businesses. The Hamlet has been through lots of changes and as the newly unified Chamber, we want to work with you to grow the community and make your region better than ever! Register to attend by clicking here.

6) GPRC Committee Debriefs

Advocacy Committee

The Advocacy Committee has written 19 advocacy letters, submitted one policy to the ACC & CCC, and supported 7 significant advocacy issues to date. Additionally, a Labour and Skills Shortage round table is set for Wednesday, November 3.

The Advocacy Committee is Chaired by Board Member, Dan Duckering, with Vice Chair Melissa Johnson.

Kendra Wambold is the staff person assigned to the Advocacy Committee.

Indigenous Business Committee

The Indigenous Business Committee has continued to meet on a regular basis and I have been impressed and encouraged with the commitment and enthusiasm our of committee members. We now have representation from the Metis Nation, with Dean McKim of North Central Co-op and Rik Kaminsky of Solare Canada Inc.; along with Frank Florkewich, all come to the table with vast experience of working on and off reserve with our regional bands and nations and beyond. Richard Wong and Craig Giles of Sysco are committee members that understand the importance of these developing relationships and I am confident that as a committee working together we will create a framework for success and inclusion.

The Indigenous Business Committee is Chaired by GPRC Vice Chair, Paulla Adamitz.

Jodie MacPherson is the staff person assigned to the Indigenous Business Committee.

Membership & Retention Committee

The Membership & Retention Committee is pleased to announce that both the Steak, Beer & Networking Event, formerly the Acheson Networking Event, and the Wabamun Pancake Breakfast are back on.

The Membership & Retention Committee is Chaired by GPRC Chair Elect, Paul Befus.

Jodie MacPherson is the staff person assigned to the Membership & Retention Committee.

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee reviewed sections of the Board Policy Manual and updated information to be more relevant to the GPRC. We will continue with revisions in our upcoming committee meetings and ensure a proper method of reviewing sections of the document is provided for future Governance Committee members for years to come.

The Governance Committee had to post-pone the October meeting, and will reconvene in November.

The Governance Committee is Chaired by Board Member, Brieanne MacLeod.

Julie Roberts is the staff person assigned to the Governance Committee.

Finance Committee

GPRC CEO, Sarah Parry, and Treasurer, Landis Vanthuyne, meet regularly to maintain transparency with the Chamber's finances.

"Our financial focus this year has been based on comparisons from last year to evaluate trends and make sound decisions. COVID-19 restrictions have meant that we have had to restrict a number of in-person events affecting our members networking opportunities and our bottom-line. We have however been able to attract some additional funding resulting in an opportunity to develop a number of Shop Local initiatives.

Focus has also been on developing a set of financial reports that can be delivered to my fellow Directors each month capturing accurate, timely and presented in a way that does not require additional back-up reporting. As we move into the final quarter of the year, the Finance Committee is working on next years budget and discussing the alternatives for revenue generation so that we can provide opportunities for our members in a non traditional way.

Finally in closing I would like to thank you for your trust in us and your ongoing support."

Landis Vanthuyne, GPRC Treasurer, Owner All Trailer Repair.

The Financial Committee is Chaired by Treasurer, Landis Vanthuyne.

CEO, Sarah Parry is the staff person assigned to the Financial Committee. Sarah also sits on each committee mentioned above.

Emerging Leaders Committee

The principle of the Emerging Leaders Committee was approved by the Board in September and the Terms of Reference are with the Governance Committee for approval. We are excited to get this committee underway. Chaired by Kelly Rose and co-chaired by Richard Wong, both GPRC Board members, we have 12 established, young business leaders as part of the leadership team. A networking event is being planned for the New Year, once it is safe to have safe indoor gatherings again.

The Governance Committee is Chaired by Board Member, Kelly John Rose.

Sarah Parry is the staff person assigned to the Emerging Leaders Committee.

7) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

In 2021, one of our initiatives is to support workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) needs. With the stress of COVID-19 the GPRC recognized that business owners simply do not have the capacity to take on educational series right now.

With that in mind, we have created a video series and will release videos twice a month about Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in the workplace. These short videos will cover the topics which would have been touched on in the educational webinars.

The videos are released on a bi-weekly basis. October's videos are below.

Workplace Accessibility Legislations and Universal Design Approaches

Accessibility in the Workplace - Where to Start

8) Congratulations to Zender Ford!

Congratulations to Chad Zender, Zender Auto Group, Spruce Grove on being the recipient of the 2021 MDA - Dealer of Excellence Award! (non-metro)

When Chad Zender started working for Zender Ford as a teenager, his last name opened doors … to the wash bay. When home from university in the summers, Chad did other jobs in the dealership’s parts and service department. After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Victoria, Chad worked outside the auto industry before deciding to rejoin the family business in 2002. He started in fleet sales, working nights in the finance department, before moving into sales management while furthering his education at the National Auto Dealers Association Academy in Virginia, U.S.A. “With each new position I was able to gain a perspective and knowledge that gave me confidence when it was time to oversee it all. Even though I worked outside of the industry for a while, when I came back, I had a strong fundamental understanding of all sides of our business. That includes washing cars properly so that the customer is happy,” says Chad.