Chamber Blog Posts
Letter to Canada Water Agency re Rapid eDNA Detection to combat invasive mussels
Jan 16, 2026January 16, 2026 Canada Water Agency EcoAction Stream2: Freshwater Sustainability and Innovation Government of Canada To whom it may concern: On behalf of the Kelowna Chamber, we are writing to support the...
Read MoreLetter to Minister Christine Boyle re STRs January 13, 2026
Jan 13, 2026January 13, 2026 The Honourable Christine Boyle Minister of Housing Province of British Columbia Dear Minister Boyle, On behalf of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, we are writing to express the strong and urgent need for the province to ap...
Read MorePolicy Horizon - The Year Ahead
Jan 7, 2026Policy isn’t background noise — it’s a forward indicator of risk, opportunity, and competitive advantage We start the year with many of the same clouds overhead as in 2025: looming CUSMA renegotiations, tariff...
Read MoreKelowna Chamber Opposes Bill M216 – 2025 - The Professional Reliance Act
Nov 18, 2025The Hon. George Anderson MLA Nanaimo-Lantzville Via email: George.Anderson.MLA@leg.bc.ca Dear Mr. Anderson: Re: Bill M216-2025 We write in reference to your private member’s bill - the Professional Reliance ...
Read MoreLetter to City of Kelowna re Short Term Rentals
Oct 31, 2025Mayor and Council City of Kelowna Dear Mayor Dyas and Councillors: The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce writes today in support of taking a balanced approach through amending short term rental regulations in Kelowna which are being brought before...
Read MoreBC Chamber Calls for Urgency to address Crime, Violence and Public Disorder
Sep 22, 2025VANCOUVER, B.C., September 22, 2025 Today at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Conference, the BC Chamber of Commerce renewed...
Read MoreOur Statement on Possible Air Canada Flight Attendants Strike
Aug 13, 2025"Reliable air transportation is vital to Canadians and the Canadian economy. Every day, more than 130,000 people fly with Air Canada for personal, business and tourism reasons. Air travel also plays a critical role in internal and international ...
Read MoreOur Statement on China’s Provisional Anti-Dumping Duty on Canadian Canola
Aug 13, 2025"Last summer, when the U.S. placed tariffs on China due to the country’s non-market practices, Canada aligned with our largest trading partner — but now it’s Canada’s agri-food industry that’s taking the brunt of Ch...
Read MoreSummary of Tariff Actions by U.S. toward Canada and Canada Response to Aug 6, 2025
Aug 6, 2025https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/programs/international-trade-finance-policy/canadas-response-us-tariffs.html See this page at Finance Canada for summary to August 6, 2025 ...
Read MoreLong Weekend Lots of News
Aug 5, 2025The last week of July and the August 1 long weekend saw lots of business news. Partly driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s self-imposed August 1 Canada-U.S. tariff deadline, by Mark Carney’s weekend trip to B.C., and follow up to Bank ...
Read MoreU.S. Tariffs on Canadian Construction Impacting U.S. Home Costs
Jul 22, 2025Business Data Lab Report https://businessdatalab.ca/publications/building-trouble-how-u-s-tariffs-on-canadian-construction-materials-are-pricing-out-the-american-dream/ ...
Read MoreLetter of Support to World Trade Centers Association Licensing
Jul 17, 2025On behalf of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, I am pleased to offer our support for the concept of establishing a World Trade Centre in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, Canada. The Okanagan is one of the fastest-growing regions i...
Read MorePrime Minister Carney announces new measures to protect and strengthen Canada’s steel industry
Jul 16, 2025On July 16, 2025 the Government of Canada announced new measures to protect Canada’s steel industry. Part of this announcement includes investing $70 million in Labour Market Development Agreements to provide training and income supports for up...
Read MoreThe Canadian Chamber of Commerce commends the Government of Canada for eliminating Canada’s DST
Jun 25, 2025The Canadian Chamber of Commerce commends the Government of Canada for eliminating Canada’s Digital Services Tax (DST), while at the same time helping to secure the end of Section 899, the so-called U.S. “revenge tax.” Both measures...
Read MoreSecuring Canada - Canadian Chamber Speaks Out
Jun 9, 2025Canadian Chamber of Commerce Statement on “Securing Canada” Defence Spending Announcement Today, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Candace Laing joined Prime Minister Carney at the announcement of "Securing Can...
Read MoreStatement Regarding Pipeline Remarks from Minister Guilbeault
May 16, 2025Minister Guilbeault’s remarks on pipelines were damaging to business confidence, especially given the encouraging direction and recent comments by Prime Minister Carney that recognized the importance of our natural resources sector. As business...
Read MoreImpact of U.S. Tariffs on Kelowna
Apr 25, 2025While Kelowna ranks mid-to-low in terms of national vulnerability to U.S. tariffs, its strong economic ties with the United States mean that changes in trade policy continue to affect local exports and workforce sectors. To give you a clear and curre...
Read MoreCanada’s live music industry is an economic powerhouse
Apr 11, 2025The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA), in collaboration with consulting firm Nordicity, released Hear and Now –the first-ever Economic Impact Assessment of the live music industry in Canada. The research quantified the direct, indirect,...
Read MoreCanada's response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods
Apr 10, 2025The Government of Canada has a comprehensive plan to fight back against the unjustified U.S. tariffs imposed on Canadian goods while supporting Canada's interests, industries, and workers. Support for Businesses & Workers For more infor...
Read MoreThis month marks the official launch of www.MakeItInCanada.ca
Mar 27, 2025Kelowna, B.C. It is a movement to reignite Canadian manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, protect jobs, and empower local businesses. This free web- based matchmaking platform helps Canadian businesses, manufacturers, and suppliers con...
Read More