Shaping a strong, sustainable, diverse economy in the central Okanagan

Since 1906, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has played a key role in building, developing and promoting Kelowna and our surrounding region. When the private sector is strong, innovation and prosperity follow. An effectively functioning community requires good services, including transportation, government, and opportunity. The Kelowna Chamber works with its members to ensure equal opportunities for everyone, and that we are one of the best places in Canada to live, work, prosper and play.

 

Advocacy Example: The Chamber advocates for a reduction in the cost of doing business. Various specific policies are written in support of this (taxation review; cut red tape; simplify regulations). The Kelowna Chamber maintains an active, ongoing program of taking issues that are important to members, on to elected officials and ministries, at all three levels of government: municipal, provincial and federal.

Policy Example: The Chamber researches, writes, and takes to government a specific policy such as "Cancel the speculation tax unless it is applied equally across all jurisdictions, and monies collected flow back to the region in which they are collected". In any given year, the Kelowna Chamber has up to 25 active policies (adopted policies remain active for three years) on the books.

Adopted policies form the basis of Kelowna Chamber policy work. Annual policy development forums, Issue Roundtables and focused speaker events give our members numerous opportunities throughout the year to bring their concerns in front of our policy team and other members to ensure their voices are heard in government. 

Adopted policies can be accessed on both the BC Chamber's and the Canadian Chamber's policy webpages. Three years of BC policies can be found here or you can search by topic here. Three years of Canadian Chamber policies can be found here.  

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Policy Work: 2026

The Notes from the November 13, 2025 Policy Development Forum, attended by sixty members, can be found here. These notes form the basis of our new policies, provincial and national, for 2026. The language is formal, actionable, and aligned with senior government engagement. Information is separated into:

• Healthcare
• Crime & Homelessness
• Housing
• Small Housing BC Initiative
• Tariffs/Trade
• Tourism
• Energy
• Transportation
• Banking/Finance
• Labour/Immigration

Notes include Background; Goals; Expected Impact; Policy Recommendations; and Expected Outcomes.

 

Tariff News - June 2026

 

U.S. Tariff Changes on Metal-Based Products –

Effective June 8, 2026

What’s happening

The U.S. government has announced new tariff adjustments on aluminum, steel, and copper derivative products, taking effect June 8, 2026. These changes may impact Canadian exporters across multiple sectors. 

Key changes

• Lower tariffs on selected derivative products (many around ~15%)
• Reduced tariffs for:
  • Agricultural equipment
  • Residential HVAC systems
  • Industrial machinery
• Expanded product list now includes:
  • Aluminum lithographic plates
  • Steel racks
• “Made in U.S.” threshold lowered from 95% to 85%

What this means for Canadian businesses

Opportunities

• Lower export costs to the U.S. for some manufactured goods
• Potential to improve pricing or margins in U.S. markets
• Stronger positioning in:
  • Agri-tech & equipment
  • Manufacturing & fabrication
  • Industrial machinery

Important considerations

• Under CUSMA (USMCA):
  • A 25% tariff still applies to non-U.S. content in qualifying goods
• Increased competition:
  • Countries like the EU, UK, Japan, and others will receive preferential capped rates (10–15%)
• Product classifications and eligibility rules may shift

Sectors most likely impacted in BC / Okanagan

• Manufacturing & advanced manufacturing
• Agricultural equipment & agri-tech
• Construction-related metal products
• HVAC and building systems
• Industrial equipment suppliers

Recommended next steps for members

• Review HS codes and product classifications
• Assess U.S. vs non-U.S. content in your supply chain
• Model updated landed costs after June 8
• Monitor competitor pricing from other countries
• Consult your customs broker or trade advisor for product-specific guidance

Timing

• Effective: June 8, 2026
• Applies to goods entered or released for consumption on or after that date

Bottom line

This is a potential net benefit for Canadian exporters, but outcomes will vary depending on:

• Your product category
• Supply chain composition
• Competitive landscape

Also note breaking news on June 2, 2026 from Washington: the US should hit Canada and other countries with a new 10%+ tariff because they are not doing enough to enforce bans on forced labour. Prime Minister Carney has issued a countering statement.

 

 

 

 

New National Policies 2026

Policies will be debated at the Canadian Chamber AGM in Victoria later this year. Meanwhile drafts of the policies have been approved by the Kelowna Chamber Board, and are currently in review at the Canadian Chamber in Ottawa. We thank all our researchers and writers who contributed as the policies were being built in the spring of 2026.

What Price Safety? The Cost of Crime on Canadian Small Business

Crime is devastating small businesses in every province. Financial losses, safety concerns, and declining commercial vitality are widespread. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reports serious impacts in every province, with more than 50% of businesses in each province affected. In BC, 57% of small businesses report direct effects from crime and disorder; 19% fear closing within a year. Nationally, retail crime losses surpass $9 billion annually, double ten years ago. Violent incidents connected to retail theft increased 76% in recent years, according to the Retail Council of Canada. Read complete policy here. This policy was adopted by over 95% of the delegates at the BC Chamber annual policy conference in Fort St. John on June 2, 2026.

Powering Canada’s Future: The Urgent Need for Electricity Capacity Growth to Support Housing Construction and Data Centre Development

Canada faces a deepening electricity capacity crisis that blocks new housing construction and constrains data centre growth. Electricity demand is surging, driven by population growth, electrification of transportation and buildings, and rapidly expanding AI. Read complete draft here. 

OBAC

Okanagan Business Advocacy Council

In late 2025, the three-year-old two-Chamber collaboration - COBAT, Central Okanagan Business Advocacy Team - became a much stronger regional group, becoming OBAC, the Okanagan Business Advocacy Council. 

Signing a new MOU, member organizations now include:

• Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Westside Board of Trade
• Kelowna Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce

The policy advisory committees of all four business organizations, and especially their CEOs/Executive Directors, have come together to advocate common issues with governments up and down the valley, in Victoria, and in Ottawa. 

Research and policy writing will be a joint responsibility of group members, with coordination provided by Kelowna Chambers Policy & Government Relations Advisor. 

The group meets bi-monthly, and in 2026, has tabled two new policies with the BC Chamber for consideration at its June AGM: one on crime's effects on business and one addressing energy capacity constraints on municipal infrastructure and growth.

COBAT submitted one policy on Transportation to the BC Chamber in June 2025 which was adopted and now forms part of provincial policy for the next three years. 

 

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Our Policy Work

The Policy Advisory Committee at the Kelowna Chamber oversees all Chamber policy developments and advocacy initiatives, ensuring alignment with the Chamber's mission of working to achieve business strength in the Okanagan. The Committee serves at the direction of the Board of Directors and is supported by staff.

What we do:

Policy Development Forum for members

• Takes input from members on topics of importance to their business/organization

• Drafts policy resolutions which address member concerns for adoption by other chambers and discussion with government representatives. A full list of adopted policies linked to action recommendations for the past three years can be found below.

• Collaborates with other chambers to support their policy initiatives. 

Issue Roundtables & Stakeholder Sessions

Convened periodically to hear experts, get member input on topics of importance to business and organizations in the Okanagan and inform policy development. 

Letters to elected officials & meetings with elected officials and government staff

Every year, the Chamber sends numerous letters outlining our, and members' concerns across a broad range of issues. These letters generate responses, ranging from return messages, to setting up member events where the officials outline their position, to studies, and opportunities to work with government staff to review proposed changes. Generally on view on the Chamber Blog. 

We hold a seat on National Agriculture and Agri-Food Committee of the Canadian Chamber

This membership gives us a chance to input western Canada issues around food, food security, agricultural tariffs, export issues, and multiple federal regulations. Speakers from the CFIA, Trade & Tariff specialists, and trade ministers are a mainstay of committee agendas. Our own agricultural-related policies are noted by this committee.

Work with partners to initiate change

The Kelowna Chamber is willing to speak out on behalf of its members on issues of local, provincial and national importance. One example is our ongoing policy opposing the B.C. Spec Tax. We also have spoken out in opposition to Bill M216 (2025).

Invasive Mussels

The Kelowna Chamber has long been an advocate of 'clean, drain and dry' as one of the key initiatives to combat invasive mussels. We work closely with other provincial chambers on this issue, and the Okanagan Basin Water Board. Currently, we hold a seat on the Invasive Mussels Working Group Steering Committee which is doing long term planning on emergency response and regulations with the provincial government. We are working with the federal government as well, to help coordinate efforts across jurisdictions to prevent the incursion of quagga, zebra and golden mussels into BC fresh waters.

Economic Scorecard Project

The Economic Scorecard project was a venture between the Kelowna Chamber, the City of Kelowna, the Okanagan School of Business, and UBC Okanagan Faculty of Management. The Scorecard provides an evidence-based view of Kelowna's performance in comparison to 16 other North American and international cities. Data was drawn from 78 sources to generate scores and grades on 24 indicators: 12 social indicators and 12 economic indicators. To read the complete Scorecard, click here.

State of the Southern Interior Region

Submission to Parliamentary Committee Consultation re Bill M216 November 18, 2025

Policy Overview - Adopted Kelowna Chamber Policies

PROVINCIAL

2026

• Time to Fully Fund a Trades Training Program 

2025

• Why is it so hard to move people and goods through and within British Columbia?
• Time to Fully Fund a Trades Training Program

2024 

• A Balanced Approach to Implementing New Short-Term Rentals Legislation 
• Broadening Emergency Response to Include Emergency Economic Recovery 
• Natural Assets - Status Report on Giving a Dollar Value to Forests, Green Spaces and Wetlands to Grow Canadian Business
• Pressing the Re-Set Button on BC's Speculation Tax
• The Grapes of Wrath - Interprovincial Trade Barrier Reform Still an Issue
• Time for Government to Flex Its Mussels to Protect Our Fresh Waterways

2023

• Addressing The Costs Businesses Face Due To Crime & Consequences Of Illicit Drug Decriminalization
• Grow Labour Market Size Through Increased Employment Of Seniors
• Transport Canada Civil Aviation: Addressing The Need To Speed Up STCs & TSOs
• Providing Certainty for Business Through the Timely Administration of Justice
• Leveling the Playing Field for Liquor Distribution in B.C.
• Increasing Accountability & Transparency with the Spec Tax
• Enforcing Residential Rental Tenure Zoning 
• ​Enabling B.C.'s Cannabis Economy

2022

• Accelerating Transportation Infrastructure
• Share a Handshake: Move People & Cargo Across Borders
• Improving Primary Care with Physician Extenders
• When we Build It: Aviation Innovation Cluster

2021

• Giving a value to Natural Assets
• Digital Media Policy
• Interprovincial Trade

2020

• Increase Focus on BC Government-Funded Training Programs for Fruit Growers to Increase Productivity, Get People Back to Work
• Implementation of BC’s Energy STEP Code – A More Collaborative and Incentive-Based Approach
• Natural Assets: Giving a Dollar Value to Forests, Green Spaces and Wetlands on Government Finance Reports
• Agricultural Land Commission Regulation Reform: Creating Principles-Based Farmland Use Policy
• BC Digital Media Industry: A Continuing Growth Engine for BC & Canada
• Interprovincial Trade Barrier Reform: Beer, Wine & Distillery Industries Still an Unresolved Issue
• Pressing the Pause Button on BC’s Speculation Tax
• Property Transfer Tax Reform – Addressing BC’s Housing Affordability Challenge
• Urban Mayors Caucus Blueprint for BC’s Urban Future: A Business Perspective 

2019

• Support a Prosperous, Sustainable and Innovative Tree Fruit Sector in BC
• Crush & Credit: Put Control of Recyclables Management into the hands of the Private Sector
• Stop & Rewind: End the Speculation Tax Now
• Getting More Rental Housing onto the Market – Now
• Accelerating Transportation Infrastructure to Serve One of the Fastest Growing Regional Economies in Canada
• When we Build it, they will Come: Why an Aerospace Innovation Cluster Creates New Business for BC & Canada
• Share a Handshake: Move People & Cargo Across Borders and Reduce Redundant Paperwork
• Improving Primary Care & Saving Healthcare Dollars with Physician Extenders-Physician Assistants

2018 

• Growth Engine BC Digital Media Industry
• Inter-provincial Trade Barrier Reform 
• Agricultural Land Commission Regulation Reform
• Engaging Business & Community on Electoral Reform
• Anti-Canadian Tariff: Pressing the Pause Button on BC's Speculation Tax
• Property Transfer Tax Reform - Addressing BC Housing Affordability Challenge

2017 

• Moving Forward with the Strong Business Case for a South Okanagan Similkameen National Park
• Competitive Tax Environment for Credit Unions
• Safe Communities and Strong Economies - Mental Health and Addictions in B.C.

 

NATIONAL

The Kelowna Chamber is a member of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, whose membersship includes chambers and boards of trade from all the provinces and territories, and is based in Ottawa. Our Policy Advisory Committee creates two policies of national importance annually and presents them to the body of delegates in a fall policy conference, to be adopted only by a super-majority. Adopted policies are then taken to government by the Canadian Chamber representatives by sector interest.  

2025 Adopted

• Address Food Sovereignty in Canada through Support of Young Farmers
• Growing Canada's Aerospace Sector Through Strategic Investment, Regional Expansion, and Defence Procurement

2024 

• Interprovincial Trade Barriers Need to Fall More Quickly to Realize $200 Billion in GDP Growth for Canada this Decade

2023

• Grow Labour Market Size through Increased Employment of Seniors
• Transport Canada Civil Aviation: Addressing the Need to Speed up STCs & TSOs

2022

• Natural Assets: Giving A Dollar Value To Forests, Green Spaces And  Wetlands On Government Finance Reports And Creating A New Normal
• Fostering Aerospace Innovation Clusters To Create New Business For Canada
• Share A Handshake: A Renewed Vision For The Future Of Canada-us Border Cooperation
• Accelerating Transportation Infrastructure To Serve One Of The Fastest Growing Regional Economies In Canada

2019

• Fostering Aerospace Innovation Clusters in Canada 
• Support of Federal Excise Tax Review for Alcohol & Eliminate the Automatic Escalator
• Share a Handshake: Beyond Preclearance
• Accelerating Transportation Infrastructure
• Getting More Rental Housing on the Market Now

2018

• Growth Engine - Digital Media 
• Interprovincial Trade Barriers an Impediment to Business

2017 

• Protecting Western Canada’s Fresh Waters from Zebra and Quagga Mussels
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce Policy Resolution Manual - 2018 (2018 Resolution Manual)

 

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