Fuelling Our Business Community |
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We are currently looking for energetic, enthusiastic, and progressive Board members who have a desire to sustain and grow a strong business environment in our community.
We encourage individuals who are interested in becoming involved in the Chamber of Commerce to volunteer by sitting on a committee or task force as a way to gain experience and become familiar with our organization and our mandate prior to becoming a Board of Director.
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If you are interested in putting your name forward you’ll need to be a
- member in good standing for a minimum of two years,
- free of any conflict of interest
- willing and able to attend board meetings.
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"A new report prepared for the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce surveyed 502 businesses in the community from Sept. 2020 to December 2020. The report found that 55.18 per cent of businesses experienced a drop in revenue, compared to 26. 10 per cent that reported similar revenue levels. 18 . 3 per cent of businesses, according to the report experienced an increase in revenue.
“It’s been a tough go for a lot of people, “ said Marcus Campbell, president of the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce, who noted the report will help the chamber on further advocacy efforts.
Even businesses deemed essential have noticed some negative impacts." - Chat News
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The $2M MHBIG was part of an $8.2M COVID relief package approved by City Council on May 4, 2020 to support businesses in coping with and recovering from the economic impacts of the pandemic. Local partners, Community Futures Entre-Corp are responsible for facilitating the fund on behalf of the City.
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The application portal for the third Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG) is open! SMERG offers financial assistance to Alberta businesses, cooperatives and non-profit organizations with fewer than 500 employees that have faced restrictions or closures due to COVID-related public health orders, and have experienced revenue losses of at least 30 per cent. Hotels, taxis and ride-sharing services are also now eligible for this payment. Eligible organizations will receive a payment of up to $10,000. Application intake for the program is open until May 31. More information.
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Additional public resources for Bill 71 are now live and the web page for the COVID-19 Vaccination Leave has been updated to provide more information. More information.
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Businesses and service providers that want to access free rapid tests from the Government of Alberta will no longer be required to have a health-care provider oversee their screening program. Alberta will be working with Alberta Chambers of Commerce to develop a program specifically for chamber members. Details will be available soon. Read more.
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Starting May 1st, Alberta’s government will launch a new Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit paid directly to tenants for up to 2 years for eligible Albertans who are below the local income thresholds and are currently employed or have been employed in the last 24 months and are not receiving social assistance. The Rent Assistance Benefit, formerly the Direct to Tenant Rent Supplement, reopened on April 1. This long-term benefit provides stable support for Albertans with the lowest income across the province. Read more.
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Starting May 10, updated public health measures will come into effect for continuing care facilities in Alberta. These protocols will increase the number of designated family/support persons for each resident, expand the number of people who can attend outdoor social visits and allow limited indoor social gatherings. Read more.
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- Creating 215,000 new training and work opportunities for young Canadians, so they can gain valuable skills and experience in the workforce
- Waiving interest on student loans for an additional year, which would help about 1.5 million Canadians who are repaying student loans
- Providing more flexibility for the repayment of federal student loans, so no one has to make a payment they cannot afford
- Doubling the Canada Student Grants for two more years to help over 580,000 students cover the cost of their tuition, school supplies, and living expenses
- Expanding access to supports, grants, and repayment assistance for students with disabilities.
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The Alberta 2030: Building Skills for Jobs strategy sets the road map for a re-envisioned post-secondary system focusing on high-quality education and the skills and training needed for Alberta’s future. The strategy establishes six goals:
- Improve access and student experience
- Develop skills for jobs
- Support innovation and commercialization
- Strengthen internationalization
- Improve sustainability and affordability
- Strengthen system governance
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This series of free online tutorials can be used as a starting point for learning about mental health. Find them here.
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Want to know what else happened that you need to know?
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Want your employees to learn new skills, be more well-rounded, less stressed, and mentally healthier? Get them library cards!
A library card gives you access to the Library's full collection of books, audiobooks, movies, music, etc. for both education and entertainment purposes. It also gives you access to online resources like Gale Courses, instructor-led online learning classes for personal and professional development. With over 350 different courses to choose from, your employees can learn new skills like QuickBooks, Excel, Adobe Creative Suite, Sigma Six, and so much more. Other online resources include a homework help tool, language learning resource, access to Consumer Reports and Ancestry, and thousands of magazines and newspapers (including the Medicine Hat News) that you can download for free.
Supporting your employees by sponsoring their library cards is a cost-effective way to make a big impact on their mental health and wellbeing - it costs just $5/employee.
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Have you been thinking about how to grow your exposure? Are you wanting to find new ways to connect to your customers or to gain new ones?
Your chamber membership can help you! Through our network and relationships, we have cultivated exclusive advertising deals and opportunities. See our Benefits page to see how we can help you Spring into Growth!
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CMHA-ASER is excited to announce the ‘Hey Google, Keep In Touch’ program. This is a challenging time for people living in isolation at long-term care facilities; the ‘Hey Google, Keep In Touch’ program will help to alleviate some of the negative mental health effects being experienced by providing connection to those who are most vulnerable. More Information
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Make an impact on our local business heroes and become a part of the Chamber's 2021 Business Awards sponsorship team!
The opportunities include event sponsorship, award sponsorship, and a customized sponsorship level. All levels have been adjusted to give businesses the most out of their sponsorship dollars along with the ability to customize their participation in this year's event. Review the full sponsorship agreement.
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We urgently called on the federal Minister of Labour to use all tools at her disposal to ensure that Canada’s second-largest port remains open, including immediately introducing back-to-work legislation. Read the statement. As a result, Minister Tassi announced she will be tabling back to work legislation to resume operations at the Port: ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/43-2/house/sitting-88A/order-notice/page-8
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Budget 2021 includes a number of announcements to support business, economic growth and job creation, as well as others that will be relevant for Canadian business. The Canadian Chamber was active in the lead-up to the budget advocating on behalf of our members. Check out the policy wins for businesses.
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Here is your opportunity to weigh in on these issues: |
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Guardians of the Grasslands is a short documentary produced by Story Brokers Media House in partnership with Canadian Beef, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. This film explores the vital role cattle play in preserving our endangered native temperate grasslands and was shot on location at the Waldron Ranch Grazing Co-op in southern Alberta. Register Now.
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Please join the Chamber of Commerce and the Hon. Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation for a virtual presentation of Alberta's Economic Recovery Plan. The Hon. Doug Schweitzer will present on this subject followed by a Q & A period open to attendees. Visit the Government of Alberta's website for more information on Alberta's Recovery Plan.
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The Town of Redcliff and the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce are partnering together to bring updates to the Redcliff business community and provide an opportunity for a roundtable town hall-style event. This will provide both the Town and the Chamber to provides updates on achievements and work-in-progress for businesses within the Town, as well as to have a roundtable opportunity for our businesses to ask questions and bring up potential opportunities to further work together with the businesses in the Town of Redcliff. Register Now.
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Last Week's Results: Were you pleased with the recent federal budget announcement?
Yes - 25% No - 75%
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Have you applied for the spring 2021 Alberta SME relaunch grant:
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Find more updates on our social media |
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