Your Weekly Tune Up
“The Remembered Corner” - Telus Series Interview
Thank you to Isabela Josey for providing the Chamber the opportunity to be a guest on her TELUS STORYHIVE series, “The Remembered Corner”. This series features various businesses, leaders and organizations in our community to profile what we love about this corner of the province and to remind us of the many things we have to celebrate. Whether you are a new resident or have been here for years, this series will provide you with perhaps a new perspective through the lens of one of our future leaders and a brilliant and passionate young mind about our remembered corner.
The second season of their series will air in early 2024 and will be available for free on TELUS Optik TV and on the STORYHIVE YouTube channel.
Endowment Building Toolkit Released
In 2022, The Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta received grant funding from the Government of Alberta’s Civil Society Fund for The Endowment Building for Sustainability Project. The goal for this project was to design and pilot an endowment building toolkit to assist non-profits and charities in establishing their own endowment fund by partnering with their closest geographical Community Foundation to ensure long-term, unrestricted funding.
Read more and download the toolkit here.
Cutting red tape for employers who protect temporary foreign workers
With growing labour and skills shortages across the country, many Canadian employers are struggling to fill jobs that are essential to their operations. The Government of Canada recognizes these challenges and wants to help employers hire the workers they need, while also reducing the administrative burden of such a task and ensuring temporary foreign workers are protected from abuse.
Read more here.
Advocacy in Action
Labour Force Survey July 2023: Unemployment Rate Has a Modest Uptick with Little Change in Job Growth
“With July’s labour force data, Canada’s unemployment rate has now been rising for the third consecutive month, reaching 5.5%. While the lackluster report was well below market expectations, with a net of -6.4K as compared to the expected +20-25K job gains, it holds steady the picture of a loosening job market. The most noteworthy component of the report is the rebound in average hourly wages, raising 5.0% year-over-year. As the only jobs report ahead of the next policy decision in early September, it is unlikely that this will be enough to raise concerns. This is especially true considering the anticipated boost in the pool of workers due to high levels of immigration. This influx, combined with slowing demand, may ease the pace of growth in the job market.”
- Marwa Abdou, Senior Research Director, CCC
Canada’s West Coast Ports Strike is Over. Is it Time to Consider Change?
Last Friday, Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan along with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA), announced the ratification of a deal by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union at ports on the west coast.
The long-awaited ratification brings ends to more than a month of disruption including almost two weeks of strike action, but supply chains could take a while to recover as the container backlog along with other cargo will take weeks to clear.
It’s now time for the government to consider providing new tools that can be used in the face of labour disputes in sectors that are critical to Canada’s supply chain.
CEBA Loan Repayment: Government Needs to Reconsider Its Deadline
Close to 300 associations and chambers of commerce and boards of trade collaborated on our recent letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, urging the government to extend the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) repayment deadline.
Next Level Events
Medicine Hat Ribfest
Medicine Hat Ribfest is an annual 3-day community fundraising event. It brings together food vendors, live music and family-friendly activities. This year we will have 4 AWESOME NATIONAL AWARD WINNING RIB VENDORS along with a variety of other food trucks on site offering delicious food. This should be the BIGGEST RIBFEST Medicine Hat has ever seen!
Check out their website here!
Have questions? Call (403) 487-4860 or email event@mhribfest.com
Grand Opening for Nexus Orthotics and MT Nest Cafe & Market
We will see you this Friday, August 18th at 11:00-4:00 to celebrate the grand opening of both Nexus Orthotics and MT Nest Café! There will be giveaway draws, face painting, specials, food and drinks to sample. Plus come check out MT Nest's new patio!
More information about the event here!
Enriching Your Business
Fueling the Business Community
New Members!
We would like to welcome SerVantage Services and Creative Freedom Art Hub Inc. to the Chamber Family!
We continually look forward to helping our members during their business journey and wish each the best in all future endeavors. We are extremely happy to have such amazing members, and are very glad that we can serve a part in that journey! Keep your eye out for more new member posts moving forward!
Small Business Week: Feedback Due August 31st
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is planning their Small Business Week for October 15-21 and want to hear from you, our members, to seek what small businesses to highlight. Fill out this form before August 31st with what advice, tips and tricks, and inspiration you would give out as a business owner/ entrepreneur. Questions? You can reach out to jhagen@chamber.ca
Fill Up On Funding
Grants & Funding Programs : General
- Indigenous Employment Training
- Jobs and Growth Fund in Western Canada
- Wage subsidies and assistance programs
- WCB Training on the Job Program
- Workforce Strategies Grant
- Workplace Training Program
Grants and Funding Programs - Industry Specific
- Addressing the Agriculture Labour Task Force Grant Program
- AFPA's Food Futures Program
- Child Care Space Creation Grant
- Construction New Talent Grant Program
- Driving Back to Work Grant
- ECO Canada : Training & Wage Subsidies for Environmental Jobs
- Trucking HR Canada : Career Expressway
Grants & Funding Programs : Youth and Apprenticeships
- Apprenticeship Service
- Canadian Apprenticeship Service
- CAREERS : Youth Internship Program (YIP)
- Empowering Futures for Apprentices
- FIRST Jobs Pilot Program
- Rupertsland Institute Apprenticeship Service Program
- Student Work Placement Program
- Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Funding Programs
Other Events
August 16th | Startup Women: Women in Packaged Food & Beverage | Register
August 19th & 20th | Alberta Open Farms | More Information
September 13th | EDA Attracting Remote Workers - Why and How Webinar | More Information
September 16th | Women in Business: 2nd Annual WIB Expo | Register
September 27th | Startup Women: How I Raised My First 100K - And I What Did Next | Register
October 26th | 2023 CANIE Awards" Innovation & Entrepreneurs Foundation | Apply Now
Useful Links
Find more updates on our social media
