Three key issues were championed at the provincial level by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce, and all three have now been endorsed by their B.C.-wide peers.
The PGCC was a strong voice at the annual general meeting of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, held this year in Victoria.
Local representatives spoke up most loudly on a trio of social and economic recommendations that will now, thanks to provincial endorsement, be amplified to all levels of government.
The three issues were:
Strong disagreement with the federal government's proposal to privatize airports and shipping ports.
Encouragement to modify the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) so the federal initiative better meets the specific labour needs of B.C. without hurting the labour needs of other provinces.
A push for the provincial government to better empower the Civil Resolutions Tribunal and improve the Civil Resolutions Tribunal Act so the justice system works better for small business and other civil litigants.
Sometimes the best way to help local Chamber members is to help the entire socioeconomic system and that's what Prince George has successfully done at this year's AGM, said local chamber president Corey Naphtali.
"The P.G. chamber very proudly represented its members and was instrumental," in the three big-picture resolutions getting full support, said Naphtali.
The theme of this year's B.C. Chamber of Commerce AGM was The People Who Power BC, and the event drew close to 200 representatives from 60 province-wide Chambers.
Together, 64 resolutions were passed, all of which now form the basis for the group's official advocacy this coming year. Prince George's branch was the sponsor or co-sponsor of the three aforementioned resolutions.
"Leveraging the strength of the BC Chamber network is critical in ensuring our community's advocacy needs are getting the attention they deserve," Naphtali said.
Naphtali believes this is an important moment in time for the Chamber.
He wants to turn around the dip in membership numbers that occurred in 2016, and remind the city's business community what the organization does to boost business and influence the conditions for the local economy.
"The Chamber hosts over 40 events a year which provide the perfect venue for professionals to get to know each other, face-to-face, and to do business," he said, adding that innovation is going to be his theme as president.
"We want to make sure businesses in Prince George stay on the cutting edge, no matter their industry or size."
The next step in that mission happens on Tuesday at The HubSpace (1299 Third Ave.), with a three-hour workshop (starting at 8 a.m.) on how to network and build connections.
Three guest speakers (Bill Quinn, Matt Hutcheon, Camille MacDonald) will offer perspectives on different ways of spreading your business net.
On Wednesday, The HubSpace is again the site for a workshop in how to use digital technology to help your business. This session is from 10-11:30 a.m. featuring six guest speakers in bite-sized presentations about modern communication platforms and how they can work for you in Prince George.
For more information, visit the Prince George Chamber of Commerce website and click on the Events heading.
