December Chamber at a Glance

(L

MLA Brandon East Len Isleifson, Chamber President Tanya LaBuick, Secretary Treasurer Lois Ruston, & General Manager Connor Ketchen attending the Speech from the Throne

AMessagefrom Your

President

Hello and happy holidays to all of you.

There is a steady inflow of asks from our local media for opinions as Chamber president My approach is to query others for their input so I can provide a more informed opinion I was recently interviewed by Q Country about whether the shopping levels have returned to pre pandemic levels, so I asked some of our members and big box stores for their input The absolute answer was that the shopping is actually better than pre pandemic times, which is a very good sign for our economy, and our community. That is an interesting outcome considering the inflation we are experiencing; it is also interesting that online shopping is seeing a decline this season.

In other Chamber news, Lois Ruston our Secretary/Treasurer and Chair of our Business Development Committee, facilitated a round table discussion with local business representatives and Honourable Reg Helwer, Minister of Labour, Consumer Protections & Government Services. The committee identified the rising minimum wage in Manitoba as a key business issue. Overall, the conversation was good, and frank, that provided sharing of information, and obstacles facing businesses regarding the three stage increase in Manitoba’s minimum wage

Our Government Relations Committee, chaired by Jaime Pugh, Chamber Vice President, hosted Mathew Gustafson, Superintendent & Chief Executive Officer, and Denis Labossiere, Secretary Treasurer, from the Brandon School Division for an informal, but pointed, discussion about academic metrics, the culture of school today, and the post pandemic realignment of students with in person learning environments.

I attended the first meeting of the Economic Advisory Council on Competitiveness (EACC) the week of November 21st, 2022. I was the only representative outside of Winnipeg. Ironically, a woman I worked with at the 1999 Pan American Games is also on the committee. We have not seen each other since September of that year, 23 years ago.

Jamie Dumont, has crafted an amazing career as a Consultant of Diversity, Accessibility, Inclusion, Indigenous Engagement, and Strategy Development

And it was good to have an ally The first meeting was filled with introductions and some open conversation about how to develop recommendations that can be implemented, so in that, have structure and clear direction I threw out various ideas, which garnered some support, and some silence I have not been informed as to when the next meeting is but will continue to gather information and ideas to present. Ultimately, we, Brandon, need to create and Economic Development plan that is not solely orchestrated by the City of Brandon. I am hearing this more and more, that we need to have our own Economic Development Plan that includes private and public voices. This will better equip us to lobby government for funding to upgrade and enhance our community as our plan dictates. Connor Ketchen, Chamber GM, and I have had many conversations about how to make this a reality, so please stay tuned, there will be more to come on this topic.

Personally, I am looking forward to some downtime over the Christmas season, doing more fat tire biking with my pup, Cash, and reading Christine Sinclair’s memoir, Playing the Long Game I have had the privilege of meeting Christine a few times, while I worked on the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada, and have seen her play, multiple times She is an incredible leader both on and off the field and a Canadian icon, not to forget, and international sensation and the world record holder for career goals in both men ’ s and women ’ s soccer.

Until next time, I wish you all an easy few weeks, a very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous and kick ass 2023.

Tanya LaBuick, President Brandon Chamber of Commerce

AChamber NovemberRecap

Happy December everyone! I'm not sure about you, but November seemed to fly by. The Brandon Chamber of Commerce started the month with another successful First Friday Coffee, which brought in another great group. Thanks again to Tim Horton's for always making sure our guests have coffee and donuts to start their Friday!

The Business After 5 really kicked off the holiday festivities, held on November 10th. The Green Spot, the Bloom Box, and the Secret Garden Cafe by Chez Angela all worked together to bring a beautiful, fun, and delicious event. There was a scavenger hunt, fantastic drinks and snacks, and guests were given an opportunity to partake in a silent auction The silent auction proceeds were going to the YWCA Women's Shelter, and the winner got one of Bloom Box's famous Grinch Trees! Thank you to all 3 businesses for creating such a fun event

Connor Ketchen (GM), Tanya LaBuick(President), and Lois Ruston (Secretary Treasurer) were invited to attend the Speech from the Throne, which they attended a few days after the Business After 5. The Brandon Chamber was honored to be able to hear first hand what the current Government's top priorities are for the upcoming year.

Our last event of the month was the November Luncheon, where we held an Economic Panel. This panel asked a variety of questions regarding the current economy, and how they are handling particular challenges, such as labour shortage, minimum wage increases, etc. We want to thank James Chambers (Chez Angela), Enver Naidoo (Westman Immigrant Services), & Mark Frison (ACC) for taking part in this panel. It was great to hear from the retail/restaurant industry, non profit, and education sectors. All panelists brought great thoughts and unique insights.

We look forward to a slower December, where we can prepare to kick off 2023 strong, and to take the time to celebrate 2022 with our team and our members

Happy Holidays!

Jessica Saler Member Relations & Marketing Coordinator

Thankyoutoour NovemberLuncheon sponsor!

Photo (L-R): Connor Ketchen, James Chambers, Tnaya LaBuick, Enver Naidoo, Mark Frison

Premier Heather Stefanson meets with our local MLAs, the Brandon Chamber GM, and our Executive Board of Directors