A win for the members of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce

KELOWNA, BC (September 29, 2014) - At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting (AGM), held Sept. 27 to 29, 2014 in Charlottetown, P.E.I, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, at the request of its members, submitted a resolution, entitled Protecting western Canada's fresh waters from zebra and quagga mussels.


This resolution dealt with the issue of the rapid spread of invasive zebra and quagga mussels through fresh waters east of Saskatchewan which has had devastating impacts on hydroelectric power, marine shipping, fishing and tourism industries and recommended that
the federal government takes steps to:
1. Enact legislation that empowers the Canada Border Services Agency to detain, inspect and refuse admission to Canada to any vehicle contaminated with zebra or quagga mussels.
2. Facilitate cooperation among the states and provinces whose waters are not already contaminated by zebra and quagga mussels.
3. Support the establishment of a non-contamination perimeter about the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER).
4. Provide appropriate support to provinces engaged in combatting zebra and quagga mussels in their waters.

We are pleased to report that Protecting western Canada's fresh waters from zebra and quagga mussels is also of importance to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and its network of chambers of commerce and boards of trade across Canada. At the AGM, our resolution was approved by the Canadian Chamber's member chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 Canadian businesses. Our resolution is now a policy position of the Canadian Chamber and its members and will be pursued with the federal government over the coming months.



The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce is a member-driven organization dedicated to connecting, serving and empowering the Kelowna business community. The Chamber provides numerous services to attract businesses including educational seminars and major events, member benefits, government advocacy for small business support, and economic inclusion. News and information are available at www.kelownachamber.org


The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, representing 200,000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions. News and information are available at www.chamber.ca or follow the Canadian Chamber on Twitter @CdnChamberofCom or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CanadianChamberofCommerce.

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Contact:
Caroline Grover
CEO
Kelowna Chamber of Commerce
T 250.469.7356
C 250.470.3407
E caroline@kelownachamber.org