Calgary Chamber of Commerce

Pathways to Potential Pathways to Potential A guide for Calgary’s vibrant, inclusive, and Pathways to Potential A guide for Calgary’s vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous future A guide for Calgary’s vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous future Calgary’s 2021 municipal election presents a transformative opportunity to determine Calgary’s future. Despite prosperous future several years of economic headwinds and the COVID-19 pandemic, we know our city and business community have Calgary’s 2021 municipal election presents a transformative opportunity to determine Calgary’s future. Despite several years of economic headwinds and the COVID-19 pandemic, we know our city and business community have tremendous potential and a path ahead to get there. tremendous potential and a path ahead to get there. At the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, we work alongside our members to advocate for stability and certainty for business, and to position Calgary as a beacon of potential where the world’s best and brightest choose to live, work and play. Calgary’s 2021 municipal election presents a transformative opportunity to determine Calgary’s future. Despite several years of economic headwinds and the COVID-19 pandemic, we know our city and business community have tremendous potential and a path ahead to get there.

At the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, we work alongside our members to advocate for stability and certainty for business, At the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, we work alongside our members to advocate for stability and certainty for business, and to position Calgary as a beacon of potential where the world’s best and brightest choose to live, work and play. and to position Calgary as a beacon of potential where the world’s best and brightest choose to live, work and play. Reaching our potential requires strong and thoughtful public policy backed by collaboration, innovation and determination. Five pathways include specific recommendations and shape a way forward: a guide for our next City Reaching our potential requires strong and thoughtful public policy backed by collaboration, innovation and Council to ensure we, as a city, achieve what is possible – a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Calgary. Reaching our potential requires strong and thoughtful public policy backed by collaboration, innovation and determination. Five pathways include specific recommendations and shape a way forward: a guide for our next City determination. Five pathways include specific recommendations and shape a way forward: a guide for our next City Council to ensure we, as a city, achieve what is possible – a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Calgary. Council to ensure we, as a city, achieve what is possible – a vibrant, inclusive, and prosperous Calgary. Pathways to Potential

Pathways to PotentialPathway 1: Attract, retain, and invest in talent Pathways to Potential Pathway 1: Attract, retain, and invest in talent

Pathway 1: Attract, retain, and invest in talent Pathway 2: Rebalance and stabilize property taxes Pathway 2: Rebalance and stabilize property taxes

Pathway 2: Rebalance and stabilize property taxes Pathway 3: Reimagine Calgary’s downtown Pathway 3: Reimagine Calgary’s downtown

Pathway 3: Reimagine Calgary’s downtown Pathway 4: Create an inclusive Calgary for everyone Pathway 4: Create an inclusive Calgary for everyone

Pathway 4: Create an inclusive Calgary for everyone Pathway 5: Make it easy to do business in Calgary Pathway 5: Make it easy to do business in Calgary

Pathway 5: Make it easy to do business in Calgary

2021 Calgary 2021 Calgary Municipal Election Platform Municipal Election Platform 2021 Calgary Municipal Election Platform

Pathway 1: Attract, retain, and invest in talent

• Promote and develop growing companies, including through accelerators and incubators. • Invest in community vibrancy. • Encourage and develop workplace best practices, including mental health initiatives. • Advocate for the development of Calgary’s talent pipeline through strong post-secondary institutions.

Pathway 2: Rebalance and stabilize property taxes

• Introduce fairness between the non-residential and residential property tax rates. • Accelerate and explore mechanisms for municipal revenue generation. • Increase transparency and accountability in the property tax assessment and dispute process. • Reduce costs and increase effectiveness of local government.

Pathway 3: Reimagine Calgary’s downtown

• Invest in capital and social infrastructure in our downtown. • Attract and retain post-secondaries in downtown. • Continue to invest in a well-developed public transit and transportation network. • Accelerate the conversion of vacant offices to mixed-use space.

Pathway 4: Create an inclusive Calgary for everyone

• Pursue policies and infrastructure that increase physical and social accessibility. • Invest in mental health supports. • Use the GBA+ framework to inform decision-making that facilitates equity. • Collaborate with government, public, and non-profits to invest in affordable housing.

Pathway 5: Make it easy to do business in Calgary

• Maintain the creative and agile approach adopted by the City during the pandemic. • Facilitate direct communication between businesses and the City, creating a more customer-centric model.

Join the conversation and ensure this October, your voice is heard.

• Visit: www.calgarychamber.com/pathwaystopotential • Follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn • Contact us: policy@calgarychamber.com

Small Business Week is Back!

Small business week pays tribute to you, the wearer-of-many-hats, the up-all-nighters, the notknowing-and-figuring-it-outers, the job creators and economic contributors. This year we are pleased to bring the Calgary business community back together in-person for Small Business Week! While 2020 was the year of virtual events, we cannot wait to gather face-toface once again in 2021 and beyond. Calgary’s strong entrepreneurial spirit forged a path through the COVID-19 pandemic and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate Calgary small businesses once again with an in-person awards gala, expo and much, much more.

GET INSPIRED

Listen to business owners tell their growth story and become inspired to grow your business.

GROW YOUR NETWORK

With hundreds of attendees, make new connections and potential new business leads. MEET WITH EXPERTS

Have in-depth conversations with business experts to help you overcome obstacles in your business.

EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

Evening with the Entrepreneurs •Wednesday, October 20, 2021 •National Music Centre

Small Business Week Expo •Thursday, October 21, 2021

•BMO Centre

Calgary Small Business Awards Gala •Friday, October 22, 2021

•Westin Hotel

To learn more about these events and more, please visit our website at calgarychamber.com.