also worked with the City to pass the Community Noise Standards bylaw in October; the new bylaw is more amenable to the needs of local businesses.
“There was a business group that had brought to us a change in the noise bylaw that was specifically to do with snow removal,” explains Fleming. “The noise bylaw as it existed did not allow for snow removal in proper time for businesses to open. So, we worked with the City to make sure that was changed.”
Recently, the Chamber has also worked alongside the City to reduce municipal red tape to make it easier to do business in the city, assist with the recruitment of 25 more doctors to the community so that everyone has access to a family physician, extend the hours at the Wild Horse Border Crossing, and to make the Land and Properties Division more transparent.
Pushing the province
Not only does the chamber work closely with the municipal government to shape policies that will benefit the local business community, it also does so on a provincial and federal level. Every year, Lisa Kowalchuk and other members of the executive committee attend provincial and national conferences where they advocate on behalf of Medicine Hat’s businesses.
“The provincial conferences we attend are an opportunity for all chambers in the Alberta to come forward with local issues that affect their community but also impact businesses across the province and bring them forward to be vetted and voted on by a provincial delegation of chambers. Once those are voted on and approved, they become policies of the Alberta Chamber of Commerce and we gain the Alberta Chamber of Commerce support for advocating for those on a provincial level. The same process works on a federal level.”
The Alberta Chambers of Commerce has appointed the Medicine Hat & District Chamber to serve on the Property Assessment and Taxation Provincial Government Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Its role is to advise on issues related to assessment and taxation in the Municipal Government Act.
In addition to serving on this committee, the chamber has co-sponsored several policies at the provincial level. These include Creating a New Pharmaceutical Industry in Canada, Importance of Alberta's Membership in the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor Alliance, in Canada: Preserving and Strengthening the Scientific Research and Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program, Reclaimed Water Use, Alberta
Corporate Income Tax Rates, Farm Safety Legislation and Compensation Board Coverage for Farm and Ranch Workers.
“At a provincial level, the chamber continues to advocate on behalf of business for the impact that minimum wage increases will have on their bottom lines,” says Fleming. “That’s something that our chamber members are very adamant and passionate about. We’re also working pretty strong on the carbon tax levy.”
On January 25, 2017, the chamber released its list of recommendations to the Alberta government in regards to the carbon tax. The chamber recommends that the government inform the business community as to the timeline and goals of its Climate Leadership Plan and create avenues for market-driven solutions to achieving these goals. It requests that the government apply the levy only to the net amount of carbon impact, taking into consideration a company’s efforts to reduce their total carbon footprint. The chamber would like the government to offset the cost of the carbon tax levy on businesses through other tax reduction measures or energy-efficiency Alberta initiatives. They also want the government to take into consideration both the direct and indirect cost impacts of the levy. The Chamber’s overall aim is to ensure that businesses are able to remain competitive while the government seeks to meet its carbon emission reduction goals.
“There are a lot of things that our current government has promised to do and are moving forward with, despite it not being the best business situation for some of the decisions that they’re making,” says Fleming. “To say to them that we completely disagree with you is a waste of time. You have to take it from the stance of '"here are some things that we think you could tweak to make it a better environment for business.'”
On the national front
As a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Medicine Hat & District Chamber is part of the largest and most influential business network in the country. As such, the local chamber is able to work towards achieving a favourable economic climate countrywide, urging the adoption of policies that make it easier for its clients to do business. Some issues that it has worked with the national organization on are the foreign worker programs, the elimination of border re-inspections and associated fees on Canadian meat exports to the U.S., and how to strengthen Canada’s workforce through tax indexing.
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Lisa Kowalchuk with Andre Corbould, Deputy Minister of Environment and Parks
“There are policies that have been submitted by our chamber, vetted by the province, and submitted on to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce,” says Fleming. “So, there are Medicine Hat policies that are actually being advocated for federally right now.”
Advocacy is just one way in which the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce works to create opportunities for its members. Members also have access
to the Chamber Group Insurance Plan, member-to-member discounts, merchant services, business workshops, advertising discounts and networking events. In addition, the chamber puts on two large tradeshows annually – the Sunshine Home and Garden Show (March 3-5, 2017) and the Great West Home and Leisure Show (October 20-22, 2017) – and hosts the annual Business Awards Show every October.º❚
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