November 2016 Inside this issue: Advocacy in Action Member Spotlight Events Review Anniversaries Trends Enjoy Local
CHAMBER at a glance
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a publication of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Encourage Investment in Our City
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ver the last couple of months I have been following with great interest the public discussions between the City of Winnipeg and a variety of developers regarding the implementation of Impact Fees. From the announcement of working meetings between stakeholders and the City on a very transparent process to review the potential of the fees to: the decision to present a motion to the executive committee, to a postponement until January, to the decision to pass a motion at council sooner than indicated in October. This leads me to ponder what is being considered in our fair City and what we can learn from the recent happenings in Winnipeg. We know Brandon has been considering options for determining the costs of development and infrastructure in order to better understand the balance between development, future tax streams, infrastructure investment and maintenance, and business development or private investment. But where do we start
so that the process has an opportunity to be transparent and fair. A process that will ultimately encourage developers to invest in our City now and in the future while building communities that can sustain themselves with reasonable property taxes. In fact, we also believe appropriate development cost charges can actually be attractive to developers and investors as they clearly understand what their development fees will be up front, allowing them to make informed decisions. Their confidence in investing, buoyed by knowing that an ongoing revenue source from development charges, helps ensure regular City investments in “learn from infrastructure the recent that in turn fuels happenings economic Winnipeg� growth. From a developers perspective, I know that they want to do the right things for the community but not at the risk of taking away the
Terry Burgess, Chamber President
opportunity for a reasonable return for their investment. I know they will be more understanding when they can see not only how the costs are determined but where the funds collected will go, not just into the general revenues of the City but rather to specific investments to support the development. The developers are obviously nervous about the potential in implementation of the charges or fees and that in itself, can lead them to invest in other municipalities or activities. So the city should be open about its plans and invite candid (Continued on page 6)
GM REPORT
Advocacy in Action
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very year, Chambers from across the country gather at the Canadian Chambers of Commerce (CCC) AGM Conference to network, attend educational sessions and set policy that will become part of the Canadian Chamber’s advocacy agenda. At this year’s conference in Regina, myself and President Terry Burgess were pleased to represent Brandon as part of the Manitoba contingent. I also had the additional privilege of attending the Chamber Executives of Canada (CCCE) Conference with other Chamber Professionals the few days prior. It is always a stimulating week connecting with Chamber peers to learn and share. In so many ways, our challenges and opportunities are universal, with communities across the country, and specifically with Chambers across the nation, talking about many of the same concerns and issues. It is said that there is strength in numbers and indeed, it is
what gives the collective voice of the across the Chamber network the strength to speak country, on so many important matters. that direct and Through the policy resolution process, influence issues are identified, recommendations the are developed and ultimately local advocacy Chambers debate and decide the work of the entire Chamber network, policies that will become part of the be it national, provincial or local. In Canadian Chamber Policy Agenda. addition to national chamber work, Those positions are then shared and through the Manitoba Chambers discussed with the appropriate federal network, issues provincial in scope are contacts. This year, we debated over 70 brought to the provincial government policies covering topics ranging from and locally, we work with our municipal taxation, trade and industry to government to address local challenges. healthcare and natural resources. These national issues impact all businesses, It is clear from the many discussions including members right here, so we with Chambers from all over, that there were pleased to add the Brandon voice is tremendous work being done to to the discussion. advance business issues at all levels. We seek to learn from others’ success, It is notable that the majority of these as well as share our own, ultimately policies are grassroots driven, developing even better solutions to developed from issues identified at the break down the barriers to business local level. In fact, it is the concerns of prosperity. We embrace our role as members like you, in communities advocate and proudly continue our work as the ‘voice of business’. For it is through the power of the network, and our contributions to it, that makes the voice of the Chamber meaningful and impactful locally, provincially and nationally.
Carolynn Cancade General Manager Contact Carolynn by phone at 204-571-5342 or by email at gm@brandonchamber.ca
Our advocacy work over the last year is outlined in our Annual Report which is available on our website . Learn more about the Canadian and Manitoba Chamber policies on their websites.
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www.brandonchamber.ca
MEMBERSHIP ZONE
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS A Familiar Face 931 5th Street Brandon, M.B. R7A 3L8 204-724-3577 info@afamiliarface.ca AFamiliarFace.ca
NextPlay 355 23rd Street Brandon, M.B. R7B 1V6 204-922-2654 brianstaples@nextplay.ca nextplay.ca
The Women's Resource Centre 731 Princess Ave Brandon, M.B. R7A 0P4 204-726-8632
CIBC Wood Gundy Suite 1000, One Lombard Place Winnipeg, M.B. R3B 3N9 204-946-9898 Josh.blatt@cibc.ca
Overhead Door of Brandon Ltd. Bldg. #7 Patricia Avenue East (Off 17th Street East) Brandon, M.B. R7A 5Y4 204-725-0540 generalaccounting.ohd@inetlink.ca overheaddoorwinnipeg.ca
Toymasters 704-18th Street Brandon, M.B. R7A 5B5 204-725-6693 bornfridaythe13th@hotmail.com
Jody Shwaluk 422 Brentwood Trailer Park Brandon, M.B. R7B 4B9 204-573-4653 shwalukj@hotmail.com Kruger Henderson Immigration Services 1530 Victoria Avenue Brandon, M.B. R7A 1B8 204-721-2071 Lois@krugerhenderson.com
People First HR Services - Consulting 1800-360 Main Street Winnipeg, M.B. R3C 3Z3 204-938-4023 lbilton@peoplefirsthr.com peoplefirsthr.com/hr-consulting
director@thewomenscentrebrandon.com
thewomenscentrebrandon.com
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 2110 - One Lombard Place Winnipeg, M.B. R3B 0X3 204-949-3981 nmiddleton@wso.mb.ca
member
SPOT LIGHT The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Wheat City Retreat to our membership!
How long have you been in business? May 2016 Do you have a motto? Business or play, stay your way!
Can you provide a description of your business? Wheat City Retreat is a 2200 square foot executive condominium, with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and fully furnished for nightly, weekly or even monthly stays. The condo is fully equipped with board table and workstation, 4 TV’s (2 with smart capabilities), and comfortably sleeps 6. The kitchen and dining area serves as a perfect entertaining venue. What are your business goals? To provide accommodation options for businesses and families requiring more space and features than found in a standard hotel room – affordable luxury!
November 2016
What are your business hours? Flexible check in and check out times with 24/7 on call service. Staff are not on site so your stay is private and comfortable.
456 McDiarmid Ave 204-573-7593 reservations@wheatcityretreat.com www.wheatcityretreat.ca
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EVENTS
Business Opportunities with CFB Shilo Luncheon September 22nd The first Luncheon of the season sold out almost a week before the event! Attendees learned how the military gets their shopping done, including helpful resources and contacts to make the process less intimidating, and were given the opportunity to explore opportunities right on the base by signing up for information sessions. We were also treated to a unique military-style meal, complete with a ceremonial cake cutting. Special thanks to the 26th Field Regiment for hosting us, and for CFB Shilo who helped raise over $700 for the United Way! Thank you to Booth Sponsors: Brandon First Shilo Military Family Resource Centre Inc. Thank you to our Luncheon Sponsors:
Annual General Meeting September 29, 2016
Small Business Week Luncheon October 17, 2016
Similar to a Business After 5, members enjoyed food, drink and mingling at ECHO Restaurant and Wine Bar. The event included the President’s message, report from the GM, and financials from the 20152016 Chamber year. Sponsored by:
Chad Wallin shared his small business story with a sold out crow of over 350! He talked of the glamour of working his way from the dishes to being the youngest GM in a large franchise! He shared resources he found helpful when he moved to the community, his multiple entrepreneurial ventures, challenges faced along the way, as well as how he set a Guinness Book world record. The Minister of Growth Entrepreneurship and Trade also presented two Century Business Awards, and we celebrated members with milestone anniversaries.
2016 Westman Human Resources Conference October 5, 2016
More than 120 Westman managers, employees and HR professionals attended Thank you to Booth Sponsors: the second annual HR Conference. ESCAPE The Final Countdown Featuring sessions on Onboarding, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Employee Performance Programs, Strategies for Difficult Conversations, Thank you to our Luncheon Sponsor: Common Law Mistakes and two keynote speakers on the topic of Workplace Culture. Organizing Partners: Economic Development Brandon Entrepreneurship Manitoba Brandon Chamber of Commerce Presenting Sponsor:
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Chamber 101 October 20, 2016 Members learned more about the benefits of membership, and how to make the most of their Chamber investment.
www.brandonchamber.ca
ANNIVERSARIES
Celebrating Business!
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he Chamber is pleased to recognize member businesses and organizations of all sizes who are celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2016. Don’t miss any future recognition; contact us to be sure your company is on the list!
In today’s business climate, it’s important to make the most of any opportunity that can draw positive attention to your business. A milestone not only offers a good reason to promote, it conveys to customers and prospects that your company is doing well.
Business After 5: Brandon Business Interiors October 20, 2016 Guests were invited to celebrate the small business’ 25th anniversary at their office on Pacific Ave. and were treated to three door prizes, food and drink, and casual conversation. The second-generation family business provides more than just office furniture, and deals with various westman industries, as well as other secondgeneration run suppliers and Manitobamade manufacturers.
Friday Coffee @ the Chamber Attended by employees, business owners, not-for-profit organizations, and people in public office. You never know who is going to be at the next one. We’ve featured two special guests since starting the season in September: Brandon First to talk about the Canada Cup, and small business operators for Small Business Week. We look forward to seeing new and old guests at 9:00 am on Fridays at the Chamber office! Sponsor:
November 2016
Christies Office Plus Meighen, Haddad & Co. YMCA of Brandon McKenzie Seeds Quintex Services Workers Compensation Board Investors Group Brandon Flight Centre Maple Leaf Aviation Western Manitoba Regional Library J&G Homes Brandon Signs Assiniboine Community College Brandon Clinic Medical Corporation Brandon Wheat Kings Pfizer Canada Cardinal Signs Career Connections Lyons Transmission Centre Manitoba Public Insurance Jenkins Carpet Warehouse Shoppers Mall Brandon Bearing Winburn Orthodontics Rainbow Eavestroughing Crane Steel Structures Custom Auto & Truck Accessories Hometown Auto Glass Trend Collection & Bailiff Services Sunlife Financial Brandon Business Interiors Staples World of Water West-Can Human Resource Solutions Crocus Dental Centre Corporation K.K. Penner & Sons (Westman) Minute Muffler & Brake Steppin' Time Dance Studio Super 8 Apex Management Fountain Tire Blinds by Anita
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Even the smallest touch can be a memorable one while encouraging anyone and everyone to feel part of the celebration. Make customers who supported you through the years and who continue to patronize your business aware of your celebration by hosting a party, tour, or a special offer. Include employees in promotional attire as ambassadors to convey their pride. Gather and show off photos of your first day in business, first office, first employees, news clippings, key products or services you’ve introduced. Sponsor a local or industry event, or connect with a charity you care about and relate a donation to your anniversary.
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President’s Message (Cont’d from page 1) discussion from as many of the stakeholders as possible. By working together and learning from what others have done, we can encourage investment in our City and ensure the development and maintenance needs of our community. The uncertainty of the implementation of Impact Fees could further impact how investors look at Brandon. This combined with the challenges we have in navigating red tape when trying to setup business in Brandon may further discourage development. From a Chamber perspective, this means we need to work hard for our members and potential new members in advocating for change in making development easier in Brandon. We will continue to follow-up on the recommendations from our Red Tape policy and work with stakeholders in developing new policies on Impact Fees. We also need to be a leader in encouraging other types of economic growth in our city which may include First Nations Urban Development Areas, attraction of new manufacturers or agri-businesses. We know Brandon is viewed positively for economic growth as indicated by the conference board of Canada and a good place to invest in real estate by the Western Investor...so the time is now to ensure our house is in order to attract investment and continue to help our residents and community prosper!
Terry Burgess, President Terry can be reached at president@brandonchamber.ca
You can log into the Member Information Centre and update our company information?
Opportunities are available to members of all sizes and budgets Luncheon Display Sponsorship: $300* includes tickets Showcase your products/services, greet 200+ people LUNCHEON
Luncheon Table Sponsorship: $500 includes tickets Get in the hands of 200+ people with your promo material *non-profit pricing available
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www.brandonchamber.ca
WORKPLACE TRENDS
HR Trends Report
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R professionals from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia were invited to participate in the Western Canada HR Trends Survey. This survey has resulted in the production of the Western Canada HR Trends Report and the Manitoba HR Trends Report. These reports are tools for informed decisions with reliable information on what is occurring in Manitoba's workplaces. Good labour market information and industry benchmarks can help make better talent management decisions.
HR professionals are that they can hire the right people to fill open positions; it also incorporates views on growth in the number of positions. Overall, 31% of organizations expect to see positive employment changes from Jul-Dec 2016 as opposed to 12% that expect any sort of decrease. More than half (54%) of organizations expect no change at all. Small organizations seem to either expect significant growth or not very much at all. Large organizations are less likely to expect to lose staff than they were six months ago.
Staff Loss: Manitoba’s job market is looking healthy with 57% of Highlights from the Manitoba HR respondents expecting the biggest reasons to lose staff over the next six Trends Report: months to be resignation for personal Hiring Confidence: Manitoba’s Hiring reasons or resignation for a better Confidence Index was created to measure how Manitoba employers feel opportunity (up from 35%). A big part about hiring over the next six months. of this growth is that “resignation for personal reasons” more than doubled, The Index emphasizes how confident
while retirement dropped from being the most common reason to the third most common. Significantly only 10% expect the biggest reason to be terminated without cause, down from 17% six months ago. Impacting Trends: Respondents were also asked to identify trends impacting their work in HR including government policies. The most popular and significant were:
Alberta's economy hurting Manitoba Immigration and the impact on labour markets Minimum wage hike Provincial government hiring freeze For the full report with graphs, visit hrmam.org and click on Latest News under Resources. Contact HRMAM at 204-943-2836 or hrmam@hrmam.org
Friday Coffee @ the Chamber casual networking and treats provided by
earlier time! 9:00 - 10:00 am
November 2016
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Chamber at a Glance is published six times per year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce 1043 Rosser Avenue | Brandon, MB R7A 0L5 Phone: (204) 571-5340 | Fax: (204) 571-5347
info@brandonchamber.ca www.brandonchamber.ca
EDITING & DESIGN Allison Reville
PRINTING
Support Local this Holiday Season As consumers, we have the power to shape our city. Every time we open our wallets to a business, we are saying, “I like what you do! Keep doing it!” When we shop local, we are saying YES to a strong, vibrant local economy, that translates into a unique and interesting city. We invite you to: THINK locally, SPEND locally & ENJOY locally and support the businesses that support the area where you live, work and play.
Leech Printing Ltd.
2016-2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terry Burgess—President RBC Royal Bank
Local merchants are more likely to be focused on customer service, quality and warranties. Local purchases support public services through sales taxes – these dollars fix our roads, maintain our recreational facilities, fund our police departments, and much more. Local businesses create local jobs, increase local prosperity and reduce unemployment.
Tami Rae Clements—Vice President NetSet Communications & I-Netlink Wireless Jeff Hood —Secretary/Treasurer MNP LLP
Jordan Ludwig —Past President Brandon Business Interiors
Frank Arndt myITsource/MTS Connect - Corral Centre
Greg Crisanti Tim Hortons
Tayona Jonas Sunrise Credit Union
Karen MacDonald Assiniboine Community College
Steve McMillan VBJ Developments
Cathy Snelgrove Siere
Trent Sholdice Meighen Haddad LLP
Jason Thorpe Thorpe Construction Ltd.
Jordan Trotter C & C Rentals
Rosa Villamizar Behlen Industries LP
CHAMBER STAFF Carolynn Cancade General Manager
Allison Reville Events & Communications Coordinator
Twyla Adamchuk Membership & Marketing Coordinator
Tanya Lysack Office Administration Coordinator
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Who we are: The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, non-profit organization that represents Brandon business from the grassroots level.
Our Mission: To encourage growth in the Brandon community by fostering a progressive business environment favorable to enhancing existing and attracting new business.
www.brandonchamber.ca