Chamber Blog Posts
#Winning in fight against invasive mussels
Mar 31, 2015The Province is expanding its fight against invasive mussels with a $1.3-million boost toward early detection and rapid response. Although these invasive species have never been detected in British Columbia, this program expansion increase...
Read MoreIs Canada Headed for Recession?
Mar 24, 2015Since the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates as “insurance” against the risk of a sharper downturn, many have been asking: How long will it take for the fall in oil prices to impact the broader economy and how severe will the slowd...
Read MorePhilanthropy + Entrepreneurship = "Dragon Emeritus" W. Brett Wilson
Mar 17, 2015"Yes, he'll do it". Those four words were music to our ears coming through the phone from W. Brett Wilson's publicist a few short weeks ago. Kelowna Chamber Staffer, Stephanie, had been diligently persuing him since she sat in ...
Read MoreWelcome A-Board!
Mar 10, 2015The Kelowna Chamber 2015/16 Term is just underway. There were 6 director's seats up for grabs, and after we had 11 candidates apply for the positions, we posted their answers to our questions online and went to a vote. The election remained open...
Read MoreCalling Professionals & Students
Mar 3, 2015Finding a job (or reliable employees) can be tough, let’s face it. The good news? It doesn’t have to be. With our program Launch Students into Business having already taken off several months ago, the New Year promises to connect ...
Read MoreIs this the end of the Commodity Supercycle?
Feb 26, 2015These are tough times for commodities. Oil is grabbing all the headlines, with prices plunging 50% since June of last year. But agriculture prices are also soft, especially corn, which is down 53%. Metal prices have been weak for a while, particu...
Read MoreChamber Myths De-bunked
Feb 20, 2015This week we recognized Chamber week by hosting an event each day of the week to provide you with the opportunity to network, dine and engage to learn what we do for the business community. Have you caught yourself wondering what a Ch...
Read MoreChamber of Commerce Week
Feb 13, 2015February 16, 2015, marks the beginning of Chamber of Commerce Week in Kelowna, as officially proclaimed by Mayor Colin Basran, as well as across BC. Chamber week is an opportunity for Chambers of Commerce throughout British Columbia to showcase ...
Read MoreThe Cream of the Crop... or the Young at the Top
Feb 12, 2015Kelowna’s Top Forty Under 40 has officially reached the mid-way mark! With 21 remarkable people across the valley having already been interviewed by the Daily Courier, the pressure is on. Haven’t submitted your nomination yet...
Read MoreInterest Rates: How Low for How Long?
Jan 27, 2015How many times have Canadians been warned that interest rates will increase eventually? What a surprise when the Bank of Canada lowered the rate to 0.75%, a move that no economist had predicted. The big question is what does it mean f...
Read MoreA look ahead at the global economy in 2015
Jan 15, 2015What an exciting year for business! The Canadian Chamber of Commerce just published its Crystal Ball – Outlook 2015 Report, and big changes are coming to the global economy. Canada performed well last year, but there are vulnerabilities jus...
Read MoreIs there a woman on this wall?
Jan 5, 2015What do we, as women, need in order to be successful leaders? Tara Cookson, our latest speaker for the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Inspire Series [a branch of the Women’s Leadership Network], points out that maybe what we need most, are...
Read MoreHow low can oil go?
Dec 15, 2014Oil prices have plummeted by 40% since June and the severity of the decline caught almost everyone by surprise. What suddenly changed about the oil market? How low can oil prices go? And what does it mean for Canada? For the past four years, oil pri...
Read MoreThe State of the Global Economy
Nov 25, 2014U.S. Economy is Booming The U.S. economy is firing on all cylinders as third quarter growth came in at 3.5% last week, following on the heels of spectacular 4.6% growth in the previous quarter. The U.S. economy added 214,000 jobs in O...
Read MoreBeing CEO of your life – a lesson from Carlos Fox
Nov 17, 2014It may seem like a pretty straightforward topic, but it’s something that we all seem to struggle with in one form or another: Work-life balance. Spending more time with our kids, regularly going to the gym, having “me time.” Thes...
Read MoreIs China Slowing Down or Charging Ahead?
Nov 12, 2014In recent weeks, we’ve seen many stories in the media about a major slowdown in China. As Canada’s second largest trading partner with $70 billion per year in bilateral trade, it could have a big impact here at home. Should we be ...
Read MoreThe Loonie's Decline... Is it here to stay?
Nov 6, 2014The loonie has fallen below 89 cents, a sharp decline for a currency that was stubbornly stuck around parity for almost three years. Is this a temporary tumble or is the loonie going south for a prolonged period of time? Here at the Canadian ...
Read MoreChanging a Community based on what we Buy
Oct 24, 2014Business is changing. Is this a bad thing? Heck no! There’s been a serious trend towards blended value return on investment and large social impact. We’re seeing collaboration from multiple sectors. We’re seeing sponsor dollars b...
Read MorePlaying "Matchmaker" to Young Professionals and their Futures
Oct 21, 2014Kelowna: arguably one of the most beautiful cities in BC. With rolling hills full of vineyards and bike paths, and an incredible entrepreneurial spirit - it’s no wonder that so many students and young professionals are choosing to call...
Read MoreWomen in Leadership – What does it mean to you? Who do you think of?
Oct 17, 2014It’s not about how “anything he can do, she can do better,” nor is it a battle of the sexes. It’s asking the question and taking the time to see what needs to change in order to enable more and more women to take the leap a...
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