What a week! 
We shared our first virtual AGM together, welcomed a new Chair to the B.C. Chamber of Commerce, passed 62 new policies, and showed some grit for business.
 Feel free to share with your board and staff but please do not share this email outside of our internal network.
Big News
62 policies were ratified at our first ever virtual AGM. Read our press release here.
Aleece Laird’s inaugural speech as Chair was presented as an inspirational video – watch it here.
Mark your calendars
Postponed to June 11th @ 2pm – WorkSafeBC will be joining the B.C. Chamber on a province-wide webinar aimed at helping businesses navigate reopening safely.
Policy
CEBA Eligibility update– check it out.
Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy extended until Aug-29. Read the news release.
Supporting Business is Our Business
Pulse Check #3 is out, giving us fresh data to fuel our advocacy. Take a dive into our data.
We urged commercial landlords to apply for CECRA. Read our call to action in the Vancouver Sun.
In Case you Missed it
We helped draft a letter with the Coalition of B.C. Businesses asking Minister Bains to postpone the increase on minimum wage. View it here.
From your COVID-19 Task Force, a video to help leverage membership renewals or to remind members of your value. Want to see?

For more information, contact:
Matt McInnis
Director of Member Relations
BC Chamber of Commerce
C 604.366.4990
E mmcinnis@bcchmaber.org 

Quadra Island, BC – May 25, 2020 – Quadra Island has joined a pandemic economic response and recovery initiative called Island COMBACK. Created by a diverse cross-section of BC’s rural islanders, this grassroots gift certificate and donation program will assist our most vulnerable businesses and community groups during the pandemic and beyond. Rural islanders are interconnected, strong, and caring. Island COMEBACK’s goal is to help each island be better able to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
 
Island COMEBACK is an e-commerce site designed to promote and sell gift certificates for Quadra Island artisans, businesses and non-profits. It also serves as a donation platform allowing Quadra community groups and organizations to receive funds to see them through the pandemic. It calls upon our local community, and the world, to support the recovery of our rural island culture, and economy by purchasing a gift certificate or making a donation to local artisans, businesses and community organizations across all sectors.
 
Discovery Island Chamber of Commerce Secretary Mark Lasby says response locally has been positive, “Islanders take pride in our uniqueness and in reaching out to local organizations and businesses everyone sees the benefit of being part of a recovery program that has been created by islanders for islanders.”
 
Island artisans, businesses and organizations can sign up and register for free to generate immediate funds. Those who benefit, include small sector businesses, artisans, craft food and beverage makers, farmers, restaurants, and wellness providers, as well as community service organizations. Please visit islandcomeback.ca/register for more information and to register.
 
This response and recovery initiative has been developed and sponsored by the Rural Islands Economic Partnership (RIEP) along with our rural island partners. RIEP’s long-term mission is to build economic resiliency for BC’s rural islands and to “keep the island vibe alive.”
 
The rural islands of BC participating in Island COMEBACK include Quadra, Bowen, Cormorant, Cortes, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Malcolm, Mayne, Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, Pender, Texada, Thetis and the area of the Broughton Archipelago, as well as Indigenous communities with traditional or reserve lands on these islands. To learn more, please visit: islandcomeback.ca and to register visit: islandcomeback.ca/register.
 
Now is the time to come together, together we can make a comeback.

Media Contact:
Deirdre Rowland
C Me Communications – Salt Spring Island, 2005
media@cmepublicity.com
778-888-9974: Cell

Quadra Real Estate Team ( Bill and Sarah Bradshaw) have 2 boxes of the first issue of the Strathcona Collective Magazine. 
This is a "coffee table" style magazine that showcases the best that our local region has to offer.  
Strathcona Collective have asked Quadra Real Estate Team to pass along to any Quadra businesses that would wish to have a copy (or copies) for display, to please get in touch and pick the copies up from Quadra Real Estate Team. 
Here is a link to their website:   https://strathconacollective.ca/ 
This is a free publication and they are hoping to get these magazines out to as many local businesses as they can. 
Sarah Bradshaw can be contacted at sarahbradshaw@royallepage.ca

Here is an article from Small Business BC that is being distributed on behalf of Strathcona Regional District Emergency Management.

​
​What a week! 
Reopening is on everyone’s mind, our AGM is quickly approaching, and we spent some time writing to government. Check out this week’s review to make sure you are up to date on what is happening.
 Feel free to share with your board and staff but please do not share this email outside of our internal network.
Big News
WorkSafeBC released industry-specific guidance & resources for employers resuming operations as part of phase 2 of the B.C. government’s restart plan. See them here.
Mark your calendars
Wage Subsidy Explained May 19th! BDO joins us for an extended network call to educate chambers on how to apply for the wage subsidy. Don’t miss out – the invite is in your calendar.
WorkSafeBC will be joining the B.C. Chamber on a province-wide webinar aimed to help businesses navigate reopening safely. May 28th at 2pm– promotional materials coming.
Policy
Policy Crunch! The Proposed Policy Resolutions Manual is done– check it out.
Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy to be extended to August 29, 2020. Announcement here.
Dear Government
We cowrote a letter to the PM on extending EI/CERB to cover sick pay as we try to limit the spread of COVID-19 – Premier Horgan used the letter in his proposal to the PM and the Vancouver Sun wrote about it. See it all here.
We helped draft a letter with the Coalition of B.C. Businesses asking Minister Bains to postpone the increase on minimum wage. View it here.
Reopening
The provincial government announced reopening plans and we launched Pulse Check #3 to find out how business feels about it. Survey closes today at 5p.m – data to follow.
Over 300 members across B.C. joined us for a conversation about recovery with Minister Mungall of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. Watch it on YouTube.
Restaurants Canada’s Mark Von Schellwitz joined our network call to discuss best practices for restaurants looking to reopen. Resources for your members in the restaurant industry.
Hot off the press! B.C. Chamber was on the cover of the Vancouver Sun supporting the tourism industry as we ask residents to travel local in B.C. Read all about it. 
In Case you Missed it
B.C. Chamber Virtual AGM coming May 22nd - register before May 19th at 5pm. We look forward to seeing you there!
From your COVID-19 Task Force, a video for you to leverage for membership renewals or to remind members of your value. Want to see?
For more information, contact:
Matt McInnis
Director of Member Relations
BC Chamber of Commerce
C 604.366.4990
E mmcinnis@bcchmaber.org