Vacation was enjoyable ...

It has been over a month since I attended to this blog. My vacation to points south was very relaxing and enjoyable however the weather was not much different than here, in fact the desert between Vegas and Yuma had more snow that we have.  San Diego is one of my favorite spots next to Lloydminster and the weather lived up to my expectations. One thing about a road trip to another country, it makes you appreciate what we have here in Lloydminster Canada ... the very best place in the world to live. Our steady economy, great people, caring polititions, and an abundance of jobs makes us blessed indeed.

Speaking of caring people ... our Chamber has felt priveleged to participate with the Musgrave family for the past seven years in honoring the Emergency Services Workers .. the RCMP, Britannia Wilton Fire Department, Rescue Squad and Ambulance Workers as well as the Lloydminster Fire Department. These individuals put themselves out there on a daily basis to help to protect our community. The Musgrave family was also recognized this year by Synergy Credit Union for all that they, as a company, do for this community. We are pleased to have them as a Corporate member of our Chamber.

The Chamber is winding down for the year with the final board meeting of the year next week. The Chamber board, and in particilar our president, Kevin Lundell, has put in many hours this past year representing the Chamber and the interests of our Chamber members. Being a Chamber board member is an important job and these folks take their job seriously and share their time and talents without reservation. I personally would like to thank them for all of their support and encouragement over the year.

We also have an incrediable staff at the Chamber office. Their daily commitment to our members and our community is appreciated. Without their patience, skills, wisdom and knowledge our Chamber would not be able to function as one of the best in the country. They are a great team to be proud of. 

Our over 560 members is what makes this community rock. Your community support is what makes it possible for Lloydminster to have the sports, culture, recreation and social supports that we have. The standard of living in our community is directly related to the growing, innovative & dyanamic business community that we are pleased to represent. When we pair that up with a forward thinking, skilled and progressive City council and city administration, we can't lose.

I look forward to the new heights that our community and our Chamber will reach in 2012. I wish you all a relaxing, safe and blessed Christmas.

Till next year .....
Pat

I was pleased to attend the Alberta Chamber Executives meeting, the Alberta Chamber Board of Director's Meeting and the Deputy Minister's Dinner in Edmonton last week. The new Chief Deputy Mininster, Peter Watson (above) addressed the over 300 Chamber members in attendance. It was interesting to meet the new Deputy Ministers, some of them very new to their posts, and hear about the agenda of this new government of Premier Redford. I had an opportunity to speak briefly with Mr. Watson towards the goal of coordinating between our Lloydminster Leaders Group and the  Deputy Ministers in Alberta, similar to the one held last in late September in Regina.

I'm off shortly to the Servus Credit Union sponsored Chamber Connect where their President & CEO will inform the Chamber members in attendance about the economic forcast.

Next week will be a busy week for our Chamber and our community. The Lloydminster Christmas Trade Show and Craft and Antique show will be held at the Lloydminster Exhibition Grounds from Nov. 18 - 20. This is a huge revenue generator for our Chamber and our community. Be sure to come out and visit the show. If you have a bit of time to volutneer, we will welcome that as well.

Till next time.
pat

The chimes toll again ...

A good crowd came out to help celebrate the sound of the chimes ringing again on the old post office downtown. This heritage building is one of a very few that we have left in Lloydminster and thanks to Larry & Robert Olynyk of Furniture Clinic, the City of Lloydminster, Mark Elliott from Enhanced Engineering and Braden Stolz and James Anderson from Bi-Systems Electric & Control for all the work they did to source parts, re-build the mechanisms and get it running. In the recognized style of Larry Olynyk, the chimes started with a bang and a colorful flair when Mayor Jeff Mulligan and former Mayor, Pat Gulak pushed the button.
Thanks to Ernie's Coffee House for making the special cake and for hosting the coffee time after the outdoor program.

Tonight I will be off to the Saskatchewan election All Candidates Forum at Lakeland College at 7:00 pm. This is a regular event coordinated by the Chamber when ever there is an election, either municipal, provincial or federal. It is a great opportunity to meet the candidates, hear what they have to say and ask some questions. Attending will be Meggan Hougham of the Green Party, Wayne Byers NDP candiate and Tim McMillan with the Saskatchewan Party.  It's open to the public with doors opening at 6:30.

We are busy at the office getting ready for the Christmas Trade Show on Nov. 18, 19,. 20 at the Lloyd Ex Alberta Building and Prairie Room. This three day event, held in conjunction with the Christmas Craft Fair has over 12,000 people through the gate over the three days. The spin off is huge  to the Lloydminster economy with hotels nights, restaruant visits, shopping and other consumer purchases in addition to the economic benefit to the vendors in the two shows. Hope to see you there.

Till next time ...... Pat

Mayor Jeff & former Mayor
Pat Gulak cut the cake

 

Getting a way ahead of myself..

Please by advised that the All Candidates Forum for the Saskatchewan election will be held on Oct. 27th at 7:00 pm at Lakeland College cafeteria instead of the next month as reported in my Thursday blog.
See you there
Pat

Business excellence celebrated ..

President Kevin Lundell & the Chamber of Commerce celebrated buisness excellence in Lloydminster with the Business Week Gala Awards on Wednesday night. Congratulations to Ken Kay on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. It is individuals like Ken who contribute so much to our community that make Lloydminster the best place to work, live and do business.  Congratulations as well to Lloydminster Animal hospital for receiving the Business of the Year award and to all of the recipients and nominees. The new format and location for the Gala appears to have been well received. Lakeland College provided some excellent appetizers and a huge thanks to Dale Beaudry and his staff from ATB for their excellent wine and service. Lloydminster Co-op very generously provided the appetizers for the intermission and Murray MacDonnell and his jazz band had great reviews. Thanks to the Vic Juba Theatre staff for their cooperation and to Ruth Knipsel for her beautiful piano contribution. Angela Rugama's singing of O Canada made us all proud to be Canadian. Glamour and Glitz as usual provided a special touch with their decorating talents. Karin Winter and Rob Anderson were a great team for the big screen presentation and vice president, Leana Ross and the  presenters did a fine job of handing out the awards. Thanks to all of you for making this a special night for Chamber members.

Once again Lloydminster has been recognized nationally, this time by CFIB, as one of the top two entrepreneurial cities in Canada for the 3rd time in 3 years. Businesses like the ones honored at the Business Awards gala are an example of why Lloydminster is repeatedly recognized as the one of the best locations to start a business. Many of our honored individuals and businesses have provided a fertile ground for business success, support and mentorship.

The work of the primary health care working groups is winding down and it has been an interesting and fruitful endeavor. Lloydminster will see some changes in the way health care is delivered in our community. It will be a longer term process but one that will benefit our residents and our health care professionals.  

I hope that I will see many of you out for the Saskatchewan election forum on Thursday, Nov. 27th at 7:00 pm at Lakeland College cafeteria. This is your opportunity to hear from the candidates prior to the election.

Till next time........

Pat

Small Business Week is here ....

Chamber president Kevin Lundell makes
presentation to Lloydminster Rotary club

Small Business Week will be celebrated in Lloydminster Oct. 17 - 21. Today, president Kevin Lundell gave an update on what the Chamber has been doing over the past year to the Lloydminster Rotary Club. It was interesting to see how many past presidents of the Chamber are also Rotary members. Rotarian, Hnatiuk started off his introduction of Kevin with the words something like .. "If you want something done, ask a busy person" and that is certainly an apt statement when you look at those in attendance at the Rotary luncheon today. Each person there has contributed in a significant way to helping to make Lloydminster the best place to live, work and do business. We have alot to celebrate in our community and Business Week is a great time to it.

Last week I attended the Saskatchewan Chamber Executive Leaders meeting in Humboldt. We were treated to some inspiring speakers and great networking with counterparts from across Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan  has had some exciting announcements and wins in the past week ... from the 2013 Memorial Cup in Saskatoon to the Grey Cup in Regina as well as the 2012 Briar and Tournament of Hearts in Saskatoon and Humboldt respectively. These are just a few events that I can think of off the top of my head and these kinds of events are possible due to dedicated volunteerism and a strong  business environment.  The Lloydminster business community has consistantly been an economic contributor for the province of Saskatchewan and has made possible in our community the many events that we have been so successful at hosting.

Congratulations to one of our contract staff, Vickie Lamb, on being awarded the Sask High School Athletics Assoc. Official of the Year for 2011. Vickie has devoted countless hours to officiating herself and mentoring and supporting other officials.

I hope to see you at the Business Week awards gala on Wednesday night at the Vic Juba Theatre.

Until next time......
Pat

Community leadership ....

 A few years ago the Chamber initiated a regular meeting of community leaders towards the goal of learning more about what each group did in our community, what their particular responsiblities were to making Lloydminster the best place to live, work and do business, and to disucss the unique challenges that are encountered on a daily basis when delivering services in our border city. This group has been able to consider solutions to issues and offer support to each other. By being in the know about the needs of each leader group, we are better  able to speak as one voice when meeting with government.  On Tuesday of this week, The Chamber of Commerce coordinated and led a Community Leaders trip to Regina to meet with Deputy Ministers. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss ways that we might work together to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities that are presented in the Lloydminster region. Attending the meeting from Lloydminster were representatives from Health, Education, Advanced Education, Highways & Infrastructure, Municipal Affairs and Business. Deputy Minister's attending included Doug Moen, Deputy to the Premier and his colleagues from Municipal Affairs, Advanced Education & Employment, Ministery of Heatlh, Finance, Enterprise Saskatchewan and Highways & Infrastructure. The deputy ministers did indeed hear that one voice, helping them to appreciate the very unique and interesting challenges and opportunities that make Lloydminster such a vibrant, innovative and diverse place to live and work. Following the meeting with the deputy ministers our Lloydminster MLA, the Honorable Tim McMillan and some of his colleagues joined us for a reception along with members from Tourism Saskatchewan, Regina Chamber of Commerce, Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and the Regina business community.

Our president, Kevin Lundell and myself have been involved in the Primary Health Care working groups and I have found it exciting to work on the model of health care that we hope will become part of our community in the near future. Some very knowledgable and experienced individuals contribute from their perspective and area of expertise, how health care needs to function in Lloydminster. This mix and blend of experience should ensure that the model meets the needs of everyone in our region.

Buisness Week is fast approaching and I hope that I will see many of you out at the Business Week events.
The luncheon with the Rotary Club on Monday, Oct. 17th will kick off the week with Tuesday Oct. 18th for the two sessions for Counterfiet Money and Credit Card Fraud workshop. Oct. 19th will feature the Awards Gala held for the first time at the Vic Juba Theatre and Thursday Oct. 20th is the day for the Men's Show and Conference which the Chamber is co-sponsoring for the first time. Should be an exciting week and I invite you to check out the details on the Chamber website at http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/ .

Till next time ...
Pat

Wonderful fall colors are beginning

Wow! What glorious fall days we have and the autumn colors have just begun. Our local farmers are busy with harvest and if the wet weather and frost holds off we should have some great crops.

The Chamber, along with Lloydminster Economic Development Corporation, Community Futures Lloydminster Region and Rotoract welcomed Lakeland College students to our Lloydminster campus today with a hamburger lunch cooked up by Century 21 and friends. It was pretty clear that our campus enrollment has swelled. There was hardly a spot to park in the parking lot. Great to see so many future business people in one spot.

The Chamber Connect will be held at the Vic Juba Theatre tonight with some great door prizes, excellent food and good company. Hope you will be there. The Chamber committees have begun to meet again for the new year. The Political Action Committee (PAC) met this week and Dabir Naqvi will head up a committee to continue the dialogue on the Premiers Council on the Economy report which was released this spring. If you are interested in working on this committee, please give me a call and I can connect you with Dabir.

I am looking forward to attending the Pioneer Lodge Grand opening next week. They have done some major renovations and upgrades to make it into a first class seniors residence. If you are interested in learning more about what funding and grants are available for small business, be sure to attend the seminar sponsored by the Incubator Committee on Sept 21st. More information available at http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/newsletters/documents/incubator_sept21_event1.pdf 
Don't forget about the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast on Sat. Sept 17th. Tickets available at Tunes or Verses. The guest speaker sounds very interesting.

The Lloydminster Chamber has arranged a meeting between the Community Leaders Group and some key deputy ministers in Regina at the end of the month. Representatives from health, education, post secondary education, civic government and business will have an opportunity for some dialogue with government about some of the challenges and opportunities in Lloydminster. 

Be sure to check us out on Twitter and Facebook.

Till next time ....
Pat

Is everyone in the spirit of the Chucks?

Michelle Lake did a great job of painting the front door at the Community Services Centre where the Chamber office is located. Carley and Kathy also decorated the front foyer in a western theme. Stop by and have a look. Although the Chamber isn't entered to win any prizes, our president, Kevin Lundell, will be one of the judges when the NewCap crew hit the streets on Thursday afternoon to inspect all of the artwork and decorating that businesses have had some fun with. Thanks to all of the businesses who participated in decorating their businesses to welcome the hundreds of drivers, families and fans to town for the CPCA finals.

This fall the Chamber will be considering how we can keep the conversation going following the visit from the Premiers Council on the Economy in Alberta. There are copies of the executive summary available at the office and we would be interested in hearing from you if you might be interested in looking at the recommendations of the Premiers Council members. A copy of the full report can also be found on the government website.

The Chamber has two committees that assist the Board of Directors in their work.  The Political Action committee is responsible for community scans to determine what the most pressing issues are facing businesses in Lloydminster and then bringing those issues to the table for discussion and possible action in the form of a formal policy resolution. The issues  might be municipal, provincial or national in nature. Our Chamber has been quite successful when our voice is joined with other Chambers across the provinces and the nation in having governments listen to our suggestions and recommendatons.

The second committee is the Membership Relations committee. This committee reviews the various programs, activities and events of the Chamber, recommends suggestions for change or ugrade and introduces ideas for new events. Both of these committees meet monthly at noon hour and in addition to doing important work for the Chamber and the business community, they have lots of fun. It is a great way to get to know your fellow business person, and a way to have a voice with your local Chamber. If you have lived in Lloydminster for one year and if you are interested in becoming involved in either of these committees, please give me a call at the Chamber office and we can begin the approval process.

Another way that you can be involved with your Chamber on an ad hoc basis is as an event volunteer. The annual trade show is fast approaching in November and volunteers are always needed to assist with this event. Again, call the Chamber office if you would like to participate in this interesting and fun volunteer opportunity.

The City of Lloydminster, the owner of the  Community Services Centre, has approved some upgrades to the Centre. The board room has been redecorated, the windows are being sealed and painted and air conditioning installed. These are welcome upgrades and the tennants and user groups of this building are most appreciative.  There are 10 permanent tenants in the building as well as dozens of casual user groups who use the board room or one of the meeting rooms on a regular basis. The Chamber manages the rental of the meeting rooms under a contract with the City of Lloydminster.

Perhaps I will see you at the Chucks this week or at the Nine & Dine next week.

I hope you are checking us out on Twitter and Facebook.
Until next time..........                                                                                                             
Pat

How do you welcome tourists to our City?

Last week Kathy and I attended a meeting at Lloydminster Economic Development Corporation. They hosted a noon hour luncheon with speaker Jim Marshel from Travel Alberta. Jim oulined some of the changes to the Destination Marketing Regions and provided some thought provoking ideas for marketing our City and region. The Chamber's involvement with Travel Alberta goes back 12 years when we began managing the Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre under a contract with Alberta Tourism. The goal was at that time and still is to inform tourists about the City and our region while at the same time marketing Alberta. We have had a couple of "secret shops" at our VIC and the feedback has been excellent. We are very proud of our staff at the VIC and the excellent job they do serving our visitors.

This next week we will have an opportunity to serve tourists in a big way as we welcome the drivers, families and fans of the CPCA. The Chamber will be getting into the spirit of the "chucks" by decorating our office. We encourage our members to also decorate by painting your windows, decorating the interior  of your business, or just dressing up western style for the week. The Lloyd Ex has some great events happening to add to the excitement so be sure to check out their website.

Be sure to check us out on Twitter. We have been tweeting for the last few days and we have a new facebook page as well. We hope that this will help us to reach more businesses in our community. Be sure to watch for special events and networking opportunities.

The City has been busy looking after some of the areas that our members tell us are issues or concerns. Highway 17 south has been receiving some upgrades and highway 16 west of 52 Ave. has also been recieving some repairs. Although this may be annoying, it is necessary for all of us to be patient, as the window of opportunity to get this work done is short and all the rain this year has made finishing up on projects like these difficult.

Streetscapes is pleased to see the new sidewalks depicting our border downtown being finished. Some of us may be indifferent to our border, but folks from out of town get quite excited to walk down the border and have a foot in two provinces at one time. It is one of our biggest tourist attractions and we need to promote it as much as we can.

Hope everyone is having a safe and relaxing summer.

Till next time ....
Pat

Wild weather seems to be a regular occurance.....

Some of our business members received damage to their buildings and property during the high winds and crazy weather last week. We can be thankful there weren't serious injuries to humans or animals. The SPCA will need our community support even more now that they have lost the building that would have potentially been their new residence.

We have a member satisfaction survey out to members right now. Please take a minute to fill in this 5 questions survey and return to us. It is important that we hear from you about the priority issues for the upcoming year. At any time that you have a suggestion about how the Chamber can serve the business community better, we want to hear from you.

Kevin & I have attended our first Primary Health Care working group joint meeting. The vision and objectives were discussed and over the next few weeks it will be important for us to hear from our members about what the business community believes to be the important considerations. Surveys may be the tool used to collect that information.

The first ever Chamber Nine & Dine will be held on August 24th at Rolling Greens Fairway. This will be a nine hole texas scramble event beginning with registration at 5:00 and shot gun start at 5:30 followed by appetizers and refreshments. This event co-sponsored by the Chamber and Rolling Greens is a great deal. $35.00 for golf, half a cart, and food and refreshments with an early bird registration opportunity to win a set of golf clubs with bag provided by Sport Chek. Early bird deadline in August 12th. Call the Chamber office 780-875-9013 or check it out on the Chamber website at http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/  . Mulligan draws, 50/50 and men's and ladies prizes.

You won't want to miss the Chamber Business Week Awards Gala this year. It will be held at the Vic Juba theatre. Watch for details in the Chamber newsletter. Many local businesses have been nominated for awards in eight categories. Every nominated business will be eligable to compete for the Business of the Year award.  In addition to the usual business week events, the Chamber will be partnering with other local organizations to present the 2nd annual Men's Conference during business week. Watch for details.

The Chamber and Streetscapes encourages all businesses to get in the spirit of the CPCA finals by decorating your buisness in the western theme. Local artist, Michele Lake, is available for hire to paint your windows and the Lloyd Ex has said they have a few hay bales available for decorating purposes. Let's welcome the drivers, their families and the spectators to town. These types of events contribute to a healthy economy.

Till next time ........
Pat

45 Chamber Executive Directors in town ...

  This past week I was pleased to host forty-five of my colleagues -  Chamber Executives from Alberta and Saskatchewan for the annual professional development summit. This is a great opportunity to share ideas, best practices and learn together from exceptional speakers. This year's speakers were our very own Lloydminster professionals, Robin Acton and Jeff Mulligan. Both speakers focused on leadership and what it takes to be a leader in todays world. Participants came from as far north as Le Crete & Grand Prairie to Airdre and Regina in the south to Nipiwin in the east. The conference was held at the West Harvest Inn where Marlene & her staff provided outstanding service. The Lloydminster sponsored fun night was held at the Barr Colony Heritage Cultural Centre where conference participants had an  opportunity to visit the exhibits and enjoy food & refreshments supplied by Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance agent, Tim Dyck.

Although I was unable to attend the parade due to my duties at the conference, I understand that it was entertaining and colorful with lots of SMILES! Corine and Carley along with our summer students, Kirsten and Eryn worked hard on our float and appreciated the help of volunteers to hand out the bubble wands.
The "fair" is such a great event for our community bringing hundreds and thousands of dollars to our economy. We appreciate all the hard work of the Lloydminster Exhibition Association who put on this first class event year after year.

Another very colorful event that I attended this past week-end was the Onion Lake Pow Wow. The talents of the dancers and singers at this event is outstanding. The clothing worn for the dancing events is beautiful and I would encourage anyone who hasn't had an opportunity to attend to mark it on your calendar for next year. In addition to the entertainment, there is great food and interesting and lovely crafts.

If you have been downtown you may have seen the Streetscapes summer students in their bright blue t-shirts working hard to keep our downtown free of litter. The students work for 7 weeks over the summer emptying the garbage cans, cleaning the bulletin boards, weeding the flower beds and picking up garbage from the street. I hope that everyone will remember to use the garbage cans and not throw litter on the street.

I am looking forward to working on the Primary Health Care working group over the summer. I will work on the Alberta group and president Kevin will work with the Saskatchewan group. If you haven't had a look at the consultant recommendations yet, please do so on the Prairie North Health Region  website.

I am pleased to report that Karin Winter will be re-joining our staff on July 25th after her leave. We look forward to having Karin back.

Till next time ......
Pat

It's great to see the sun ...

As I look out my window I see dirt piles and heavy equipment. Not the prettiest of sights, but it is the look of progress. The construction of the new RCMP facility has begun. This will provide much needed space for the expanding police force that is necessary to serve our rapidly growing community. Now if the rain will hold off for a bit the construction workers will have time to move forward on a number of projects that are on the go.

I enjoyed an 8 day vacation to Manitoba the beginning of June. The water, water everywhere scenerio of southern Saskatchewan and most of Manitoba was incredible to see. The work that has gone into diking and sandbagging to help prevent catastrophic damage and the innovative ways to get heavy oil tankers out to pump tanks off at well sights was also very interesting. Looked like the wild west movie town wooden sidewalks ... only bigger.

If you weren't able to come downtown on June 11th for the 2nd Annual Streetscapes Co. Downtown Streetfest, you missed a great time. The main stage was active with dancers, bands, singers, & fashion shows, while the streets held great food and lots of fun and things to see and do for all ages. The art market was held inside the Atrium Centre and presented works from many local artists. Thanks to all of the downtown volunteers who worked very hard to make sure this day was a great success. The rain also cooperated until about 3:00 pm.

The Lloydminster Chamber was pleased to host four members of the Premier's Council on Economic Strategy on Wednesday. The information shared was very interesting and can be found through a link on the Chamber website at http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/ .

The Chamber met with City Council and City senior administrators  today. This annual meeting is valuable to both the City and the Chamber in that it provides an opportunity to ensure that the leaders in the community understand the agenda's of each other and can offer discussion and assistance when necessary. There are a couple of joint nitiatives that may be pursued over the next while. It is important to make sure that we are speaking with one voice when we meet with politicians and goverment leaders.

Our members were given an invitation to participate with the Political Action Committee to let our MLA's hear about the issues and concerns that business people have concerning the health care issues in our City. Several businesses took the opportunity to tell their stories and share their concerns. We hope that receiving this information will be helpful to our MLA's as they take forward our concerns to government. The Chamber has been invited to participate on the Primary Health Care working groups in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. In this way, the voice of the business community will be heard.

The Charity Golf Tournament yesterday just couldn't have had better weather. I know there was a lot of anxious people after the many inches of rain that came down on the week-end. Our community came out again with their generosity to support the Health Foundation and several other non-profit organizations in the community.

Alberta Venture magazine rated Lloydminster again as one of the best places to start a business. It seems that we just continue to be in that top ranking for our business success and the place to be. What is it that makes us such a great place for business? Well, I think that we have had some very successful and community minded individuals who have blazed the trail over the years, we are determined and innovative, we are generous and welcoming and we are supportive. Who wouldn't want to try their hand at a business in Lloydminster? The Chamber welcomed over 55 new members last year bringing our numbers to over 540 members. A strong Chamber, a City Hall and Economic Deveopment Corp that are open to business and a generous community, first class facilities and every amenity that a regional centre can offer, make Lloydminster the ideal place to locate a business.

Till next time.....Pat

Golfing season is in full swing ...

The Chamber golf tournament has been full for awhile now. Hope you got your team in and will be joining us on Tuesday for one of the first, and certainly one of the best golf tournaments of the season. Once again, Tim Dyck, our Chamber Group Insurance agent,  is the title sponsor and joining us for the day is the Regional Marketing supervisor for the Chambers Group Insurance from Calgary, Ken Willoughby and his assistant, Garret from Edmonton. We will have some of the same fun games - Marshmellow shot across the mush line, Chip to the Cooler sponsored by MNP and the 'closest to the MLA' sponsored by Tim McMillan. Put that together with some great hole sponsors, outstanding prizes, breakfast sponsored by Cliff Rose for Clothes and JDG Construction, Champagne orange juice starter compliments of Peg & Gary over at Chatter's Hair Salon, the Mulligan draw sponsored by Mayor Mulligan & AHHA Moments and a delicious steak barbecue ... WOW.. what a great day. Proceeds from the special games and the fairway barbecue will once again be donated to the Drug Strategy Committee.

The Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre is open and Jenna, Chelsey, Jordyn and Julie look forward to meeting everyone at the June mixer or stop on out and say hi and get your travel information for your vacation in Alberta this year. With the price of gas, it might be a good idea to check out some of the great things to do and see right here in our home province. They can help you to choose some events and sites right here in our region.

You should all have received your special Chamber e-newsletter with the request that you take a few minutes and set up your letter concerning health care issues in Lloydminster and send it off to your MLA with a copy to the Chamber office. There is a place in the letter for you to tell your story about any concerns you have encountered with your health care needs in Lloydminster. This in an opportunity for our MLA's to hear real stories from real people and your chance to let your voice be heard. This will assist them when they go to bat for our community. If you haven't received your newsletter, go to the Chamber website http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/ and link up from there.

We are very pleased to be hosting the Alberta Premiers Council on the Economy in Lloydminster on June 22. If you would like to attend, please call the Chamber office at 780-875-9013.

The Alberta Chamber Executives conference will also be held in Lloydminster in July. We will host about 40 Chamber executive directors from both provinces for three days of professional development. We will also be doing all we can to inform them about our community so that they can take that information home with them and spread the word that Lloydminster is indeed a great place to visit.

I will be away on vacation from June 1 to the 12 so I will catch up with the blog when I get back.

Till next time....
Pat

On the road again .....

It has been a while since I have written in this blog. Every year in May my car gets a good workout. I attended the Saskatchewan Chamber AGM & policy session in Regina  the first week of May and the Alberta Chamber Conference & policy session in St. Albert May 12 - 14. In between I took the Travel Alberta Visitor Information Centre staff on a familiarization tour of areas in the region.

At the Provincial policy sessions I presented the Lloydminster Chamber resolution on "providing support for quailty, regulated pre-kindergarten programs to faciliate a timely return to the workforce for parents". This resolution was adopted by both provincial chambers and will now move forward to the provincial governments. Visit the Alberta Chamber website to view the adopted policy resolutions.

The All Candidates Forum for the federal election was well attended. We had seven of the nine candidates out to answer questions from our community and members.  I attended the grand re-opening of the Golf and Curling Centre. The dedications to Peter Cushner and Anne Townsend were moving and so well deserved. 

We enjoyed having a practicum student from the Lakeland College Events Coordinator course working with us for six weeks. Eleana assisted us with many tasks and we hope that her experience with us was helpful and fun.

The Downtown Clean-up breakfast was well attended and Streetscapes is grateful to all of the industrious workers from several businesses in the downtown who were out with their brooms, garbage bags and weeding gloves, helping to make our downtown a bit cleaner. A delicious breakfast was enjoyed at the Central Suite hotel.

The United Way and Midwest Communications business mixer was held on May 11th. About $116,000. was handed out to the United Way member agencies.

As a board member of the Lloydminster Economic Development Corporation I attended a planning session on May 17th. This was an opportunity for this new organization to set some goals for the next few months.  That same day, prior to the Chamber board meeting, the board toured the Lloydminster hospital. Thanks to Tricia and Georgina for helping us to understand the complexities of operating a health care centre in our border city.

We have had contact concerning our sister chamber in Slave Lake. Annie is fine, her office and her home has been spared but devastation is far reaching. The Lloydminster chamber has offered some of our facilities for use by any businesses from Slave Lake who may be staying with relatives in Lloydminster. A spare desk and computer can be used if necessary. Other assistance is being considered by the board in cooperation with the Alberta Chambers of Commerce.

Remember the deadline for Business Awards nominations is coming up. Get your nominations in before June 15th and if you know a student who is considering further education in an agricultural field, alert them to the JA McLean and Dunstan scholarships administered by the Chamber.

Till next time ....
Pat

Is spring here yet .... ?

It looks like we might get spring yet.  I hope that all of our businesses are taking a survey of their property and planning a clean up day. Let's try to make our city as clean as we can. I know, we have lots of big agricultural and oil industry trucks and service units travelling around town which speaks well for our economy, but tends to track in a lot of mud. I have seen the City street cleaners out so that is a good sign of spring, and they are doing their part to clean up the streets. Let's all help.

Staff Corine and Kathy along with Randy Aston and his Golf Tournament committee have been busy putting the plans in place for the golf tournament on May 31st. Do you have your entry in yet? Better hurry, it has been known to sell out. There will be a few new twists and surprises this year along with some of the old favorites.

I was pleased to attend an information meeting at the Immigration Gateway office in April. This location serves newcomers to our community and has been busy with new programs and services. It is located at the corner of 48th street and 51st Ave.

As a member of the board of the Economic Development Corportation, I attended the board meeting this past month. LEDCorp is in their new digs across from ESSO on highway 17 north. If you get a minute stop in and say hi to Ward and Katlyn.

On April 20th I attended the Alberta Chambers of Commerce board of directors meeting and Political Action Day in Edmonton. The new format included presentations from all four opposition leaders as well as dinner with the MLA's. The premier was unable to attend this year as he was at the western premiers conference in Vancouver.

I enjoyed a delicious lunch today at the Sask Tourism Ready to Work program along with several of my colleagues. This program is winding down for the spring and will start up again in the fall. I'll be off to Lakeland College in a few minutes for the All Candidates Forum for the federal election. We will hear from 8 candidates tonight.

Don't forget about the Admin Professional Day on April 27th. Your secretary could win the afternoon off with $500.00 in downtown gift cards to be spent that day. Better yet, you could have Kurt Price from Lloyd FM and his sidekick, Heather Klages manning your phones. That could be interesting.

Don't forget about the Golf & Curling Centre grand re-opening on tomorrow beginning at 3:00 pm. I have had a tour of the facility and the new renovations have it looking great.
Make sure you get out and vote on May 2nd. It is your right, your privelege as well as your obligation to the best country in the world, Canada.

Till next time .....
Pat

Chamber President put to the test.....

Our Chamber president, Kevin Lundell, has been a busy guy this past week. Reading to students at Father Gorman school along with myself and several other community members, to participating in a spelling bee at Lloydmall on Friday as part of Adult Learning Week with yours truly as a judge, made for a fun and entertaining time. Congratulations to Lakeland College president, Glenn Charlesworth for coming out as the winner of the spelling bee, with reference librarian, Michelle Duczek a close second. Our president did well enough. It was a tricky word that knocked him out in the 4th round.

I hear Chamber member, Wayde Blythe, has become a movie star. Watch for him in the third edition of Sure Shot III Moving on Up. Apparently this type of work isn't as easy or as glamerous as you might think!

Today at noon, President Kevin spoke at Rotary covering some of the upcoming events and plans for the Chamber over the next year. Rotary and the Chamber work together quite often to promote speakers to the business community.

Congratulations to board member, Stephanie Dobson and husband Nicholas on the birth of their son, Mathew. Mathew has already attended a Rotary meeting and is expected to show up at the Chamber meetings over the next week or two.

The Sask Tourism & Lakeland College "Ready to Work" program lunches are ongoing this month. There are still a couple of spots available to attend and enjoy a fabulous lunch prepared and  served as part of the practicum for students of this program. Give me a call if you might like to attend.

The Mega Mixer for the Chamber is being held this week on Wed. at the Wayside Inn. Be sure to stop in at 5:00 for some great food, interesting exhibits and lots of helpful networking. If you are a new business, this is the place to be to get to know the business community and promote your business. It is also a good place to keep up to date on the upcoming Chamber events and of course the chance to win door prizes is a great draw. Hope to see you there.

Till next time ....
Pat

Business Education Month Wrap up event was another huge success. There were trade tables, a fashion show and a fabulous speaker, not to mention the excellent meal that is a well known trade mark of the Lloyd Ex.  The sponsor for the event, Community Futures and CanSask along with the Kick-off Sponsors Synergy Credit Union, Servus Credit Union and Alberta Employment & Immigration make it possible to stage a first rate Business Ed Month each year. The partnerhip of Community Futures; Lloydminster Learning Council; Lloydminster Contruction Assoc.; Lakeland College; Streetscapes Co. and the Chamber makes for a varied and interesting mix of ideas and skills and has worked well for 11 years.   Picture at the right: Lloydminster's First Lady, Kathy Mulligan, Guest Speaker, Pat Katz, Sponsor, Community Futures, Barb Williard. Back row: Pat Tenney, Chamber of Commerce; Kara Johnston, Lakeland College; Dorothy Carsen, Construction Assoc.; Darlene  MacDonald, Learning Council

I was pleased to attend the ATCO luncheon on Tuesday where they unveiled their plans for their new operations centre in Lloydminster. This is good news for our community as we move along in our growth. ATCO Electric has been a huge supporter of our community and they show confidence and further support by investing in and locating this new operations centre here.

We have been busy with interviews to staff our Travel Alberta Centre this summer. The Centre opens May 20th and our Industry Open House will be held there in July.

Did anyone go down to "star in the movies" today. The "Sure Shot 3 Moving On Up:  The G.M.'s
Office" that is. This crew will be filming at the Civic Centre today. I will be pleased to attend the sponsors open house at the end of the week. 

Our fealess president, Kevin Lundell will be participating in the Adult Learning promotion "spelling bee" at the Lloydmall on Friday at noon . I hear he is up against our Mayor, Jeff and perhaps the Lakeland College pres, Glenn Charlesworth among others. This should be fun. I will participate as a judge. I will have the advantage of having the list of the words with the correct spelling. Good luck Kevin.

On April 7th, Kevin and I will be participating in the Rotoract Reading Circle at Father Gorman School. These are two of the great events planned for International Adult Learners week.

On April 11th, Kevin and I will attend the Lloydminster Rotary Club meeting where Kevin will be the guest speaker. It is an opportunity for the Chamber to outline some of the plans for the year and answer any questions from Rotarians, many who are Chamber members.

Streetscapes is busy planning for the Downtown Festival which will be held on June 11th. A very successful meeting was held this morning, and several business leaders in the downtown stepped up to take a coordinating role. This cooperation and sharing of tasks makes it possible to stage another great event this year, bringing hundreds of people to the downtown core.

Till next time....

Pat



Is Spring Here?

As I look out my window today and see the snow melting, the sun shining and the little bunny rabbit hopping around enjoying the warm weather I reflect about how I really do like our four seasons. Perhaps winter could be a bit shorter but my vacation to southern climes for a couple of weeks helped to make the winter shorter.

Our board met for a day of planning on March 22nd and a new vision statement and future focus will be revealed over the next few weeks. It has been five years since our last planning session and our environment has changed somewhat and our goals have been achieved. It was time to set a new direction.

Business Education month wrapped up on Wednesday night with the Women In Business event. Speaker, Pat Katz reminded us that if we are to be healthy, productive individuals it is necessary to pause every so often and rest and renew. The fashon show, trade show booths and the fun and fellowship enjoyed by the women who participated made the work of this event very worthwhile.

Our president, Kevin Lundell was in attendance at the Lakeland College scholarship night on March 9th and enjoyed dinner and conversation with Laura Burgess and Taylor Weighill, the recipients of the Chamber of Commerce business scholarships.

Our Chamber vice president, Leana Ross attended the Heavy Crude Oil bonspiel and brought greetings on behalf of the Chamber. Congratulations to Doug Gilby, this years Oilman of the Year.

During Business Education month the Chamber held two workshops on Labour Standards. One for Alberta and one for Saskatchewan. My colleagues look at me strange when I tell them that we in Lloydminster work twice as hard as the rest of Canada because we have to do two of everything.

Speaking of doubling up,  we will be holding an all Candidates forum for the federal election .. again for candidates from both sides of the border. This forum is set for Tuesday, April 26th. We are still working out the details but mark you calendar for this opportunity to questions the candidates who will be running in the election on May 2nd.

Streetscapes Co. held their AGM on March 23rd at the Royal Canadian Legion. Welcome to new board members Corry Bates and Dabir Naqvi. Streetscapes is currently in the planning phase for the Downtown Street Fest on June 11th.

Sask Tourism Education Council, in conjuction with Lakeland College and Service Canada,  is holding their spring session of the Ready to Work program. Part of the program includes a practicum where the students, under the direction of a Red Seal Chef, prepare and serve lunches to the community. If you are interested in participating in these lunches, please give me a call. There are limited tickets and they are allotted on a first come first serve basis.

Sure Shot III filming will begin in Lloydminster next week. It will interesting to observe how this "hockey movie" starring some of our local folks will turn out. The Chamber along with several of our members and the City of Lloydminster have supported this initiative. Seeing our Chamber board sign in the movie will be exciting.

Till next time....
Pat

I hear it's warm down south .. well warmer than here!

Well, I'm off to warner climes for a few days. My first visit to San Diego and then on to Yuma. I am told that it has been cold in the desert this year. After Lloydminster in February, I'm sure I will find it quite balmy.

I enjoyed the presentation given at the Business Education Month kick-off luncheon last Wednesday. Kordell Norton talked about what it takes to be a great leader. We certainly have leaders of that caliber in our community, many of them at the luncheon. Our business leaders have a can do attitude that has allowed them to be very successful and provide for and support our community like no other.

Our board has had its first board meeting with our new board members. How fortunate we are to have exceptional individuals in our community who are willing to give their time and talents to organizations like the Chamber. If you have an idea about how the Chamber can serve our business community better, please comment on this blog or speak with one of our board members.

We will be looking to our members to help us determine what type of marketing education and information would be most valuable to help you to get your business out there in front of the consumer. A survey will soon be available and we ask that you fill it out and get it back to us so that we can provide the seminars that will be most helpful.

Our local Chamber will be hosting the Alberta & Saskatchewan Chamber Executives conference this year in July. This three day conference for Executive Directors from across both provinces will feature local speakers, events and activities. If you are interested in getting involved as a sponsor, let me know.

Congratulations to Diamond 7 Meats , Robert and Helen Lundquist & Aaron Lundquist, on being chosen to conduct a pilot project for the federal government. This project will consider better ways to move meat products between jurisdictions and especially across provincial borders. Robert has worked with our Chamber to put forward policy resolutions to get the provincial and federal governments to consider this legislation.

The Gold Star Service With A Smile program is off to a good start with three more nominations this month. If you have had a great customer service experience, be sure to recognize that individual or business with a Service With A Smile nomination.

Well I'm off to enjoy the sunshine of California and Arizona.
Till next time.
Pat

The gavel is passed

For over 100 years the Chamber tradition has been to pass the gavel to a new president each year. What a great opportunity I have, as Executive Director, to work with and learn from a variety of community leaders, with different leadership styles, personalities and ideas. I enjoyed working with Wendy Plandowski in her role as president in 2010. Her wonderful sense of humor and her ability to speak to most topics with poise and confidence was a real asset to the Chamber. Our new president, Kevin Lundell, is no stranger to the Chamber. Kevin capably handled the duties of Political Action committee chair in 2010. I look forward with confidence to Kevin's leadership over the next year.

From time to time we say farewell to board members who have served the Chamber well. Florence Blois and Rhonda Perepelkin, although on the board for a short time, offered insight and perspective from their specific areas of expertise. Peggy Bosch, our 2009 president, has retired after being on the board for six years. Peggy's positive attitude and focus will be missed, but she will remain on the Membership Relations committee, so we will still have access to her and knowledge and ideas. Aaron Buckingham, our 2007 president, retired after 10 years of service. Aaron has been very influencial in bringing that young persons perspective to the board. His hard work and passion for this community is appreciated. We wish all of our retired board members the very best as they go on to do other things in the community.

As we say farewell, we also say welcome to three new board members. Michael Holden, Angela Rooks and Darren King will join the board and I look forward to getting to know them better and working with them this next year.  The board members were sworn in by Judge Kim Young at the AGM on February 16th.

Elaine Lawrence, Executive Assistant - Finance, was also recognized for her 10 years of service as a staff member at the AGM.  Elaine joined the Chamber staff in 2001 and has been such an asset to the Chamber. Elaine will receive a day off work during golf season and some passes for the Lloydminster Golf Course as an appreciation for her commitment and loyalty to the Chamber.

I was pleased to speak to the Lakeland College Events Planning class last week sharing some of my experience and knowledge about events planning, as well as providing information about the importance of the Chamber of Commerce in the community. We will be pleased to welcome a practicum student from that class for a six week experience with our staff.

I will be doing an interview with Kurt Price on the morning show this week (Thurs) to talk about the upcoming Business Ed Month kick-off luncheon on March 2nd. I have heard the speaker, Kordell Norton, a couple of times, and I always take away some new ideas about leadership, marketing and events.

Till next week
Pat

Launch of the Gold Star Service With A Smile program

Due to feedback from the community, the Chamber has once again launched the customer service recognition program. This new program is a combination of the former very popular Service With A Smile program and the Gold Star Service Excellence program. Nominations can be for a business or an individual. Chamber members are encouraged to print off a poster from the Chamber website as well as some nomination forms and have them available in their business so that if customers receive a great service experience, they can easily make a nomination. The Meridian Booster and NewCap Broadcasting are once again the promotional sponsors and there are several new program sponsors. Check them out on our website at http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/. Congratulations to Trans Canada Automatic Truck Wash and to Chelsey Fast - Canada Safeway for being the first two recipients of the Gold Star Service With A Smile award.

As a follow up to the Lloydminster Chamber's policy resolution on Labour Force Enhancement & Quality Pre-kindergarten Progams, a member of the Chamber board will work on the Early Learning Coalition this next year. This will enable the Chamber to get a better understanding about what is available in our community and where the gaps are. Qaulity child care or the lack of it, has a real impact on a buisness's  ability to attract qualified and skilled labour.

I was excited to be appointed to the new Lloydminster Economic Development Corporation. I attended the first meeting last week and am looking forward to working with this board and providing economic development services in a different way than in the past.

The Chamber is a member of the Drug Strategy committee bringing the business perspective to the table.Although I was unable to attend, I have heard some really positive feedback about the Susy Vanderlip "Legacy of Hope" theatrical presentation last week. I had an opportunity to meet with Susie on Wed. and found her enthusiasm and passion for her topic of helping kids make good choices and giving adults some tools to communicate, inspiring and exciting.

The Chamber's workshop on Income Tax for Small Business and T-4's was well attended. Unfortunately the session on T-4's didn't happen so to make up to our members we will be holding another session on T-4's on February 18th at 8:30 am. Call the Chamber office to register if you haven't received a call.

Preparations are in full swing for the Chamber AGM on Wednesday night. This is an opportunity to learn about what the Chamber has accomplished this past year and what is being considered for 2011. You also won't want to miss the swearing in of the new board, black tie bingo and the great prizes.

till next time
Pat

Busy Week at the Chamber

On Monday, Jan 24th the Chamber partnered with the Lloydminster Rotary Club to being to town Celine Favreau , Project Manager with Saskatchewan Economic Development Assoc. who spoke on the Employee Investment Program. There are pamphlets and contact information available at the Chamber of Commerce office.

On Tuesday, I attended the federal budget consultations with MP Leon Benoit and other community leaders. Later that day, our President Wendy Plandowski hosted a meeting with Tiaingio International and Chamber members to learn more about the Chamber Business Trip to China in May. Information is available at the Chamber office and I encourage you to consider this great opportunity to visit China, learn about the culture and about what business opportunities might be available for you.

The Chamber is an active member of the Drug Strategy committee and I attended the monthly meeting on Wednesday. This committee is bringing to town, Susie Vanderlip, who presents a one woman show on how to improve communication between teens and parents. She has an amazing message about how to protect children. This event is being held on Feb. 10th beginning at 7:00 pm at the Legacy Centre. Call the Chamber office to register.

In preparation for the Annual meetings of both the Chamber and Streetscapes, we have been busy preparing documents for the meeting as well as the auditor. There will be a couple of proposed bylaw changes presented at the Chamber AGM this year on Feb. 16th.

I attended the Synergy Credit Union members meeting on Jan. 26th. What a great turn out to debate the amalgamation proposal. We heard some good arguments from both the yes and no perspective and ultimately the members made their voice heard. We are so lucky to live in this great country where anyone can speak up, have their say and have their wishes counted in a democratic way. The outcome was not to everyone's liking of course, but I would like to commend the Synergy Credit Union board and staff for all their hard work on behalf of their members.

Following the members policy development roundtable on January 19th, five policy resolutions will be presented for debate on Feb. 1st. Topics will include: Creating a Safer Community, Improvements to the Lloydminster Airport, Labour Force Enhancement & Pre-Kindergarten programs, Access to Primary Health Care, and Fair & Equitable Funding for Health Care Services in Lloydminster. If you have an interest in expressing your opinion on any of these topics, call the Chamber office and register for this event.

Till next time
Pat

City of Lloydminter e4 plan consultations moving forward

Economic Development Stakeholders Workshop - Chamber Particpates in the Strategic Planning Session

Jan 19, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chamber Participates

Kevin Lundell, Chamber Vice President & Executive Director, Pat Tenney, at work at the Economic Development E4 Strategic Planning Session on January 18, 2011.

E4 Lloydminster is a collaborative planning process introduced by Mayor & council that will create three planning documents for the City of Lloydminster. The 4 e’s embody the City’s desired goals of the entire project – engage, energize, execute & evolve. An interactive and engaging workshop was facilitated by planning consultants Armin A Preiksaitis & Associates Ltd.

The Chamber Political Action committee hosted a meeting of members on January 19th to consider the policy resolutions  that will go forward to the member's debate on Feb.1st . Eighteen members discussed issues concerning health care, airport improvements, quality child care, and safer community.

The Chamber staff is pleased to welcome our new marketing coordinator, Carley Shkopich. Carley has been a member of the Lloydminster community all her life and brings some excellent knowledge and skills to the team.

Till next time,
Pat

Chamber & Synergy Credit Union Business Mixer

Les Messmer CEO of Synergy Credit Union addresses the large crowd at the first business mixer of the new year.  Les informed the group about the work so far of the committee looking at the potential merger of the Synergy Credit Union, Conexus Credit Union and Innovation Credit Union. Les invited all Synergy Credit Union members to attend a public meeting on January 26th at 6:00 pm at the Stockade Convention Centre to learn more about the potential merger and to ask questions.

Some great prizes were up for grabs with Michael Hall winning the Dave Heibert framed print. In addition, president Wendy brought the members up to date on some of the events and projects currently on the go at the Chamber of Commerce.

For more information on Chamber Business mixers go to http://www.lloydminsterchamber.com/

Pat

Mt. Joy will be smiling with all this snow

Thanks to our City staff for getting our streets cleaned and passable after our large dump of snow. We encourage our business members, especially those in the downtown, to clear their sidewalks to make walking easier.

There is a number of events happening in the next few weeks.
Jan. 19th - Lloydminster Economic Development Corporation will sponosr the EARN breakfast with s
                      speaker from Sask Tourism Education Council.
Jan. 24th - Celine Favreau will be speaking at the Rotary luncheon on Employee Investment Program
Jan. 25th - Leon Benoit will be holding pre-budget consultations at the Best Western at 11:30
Jan. 25th - Chamber will host an imformation meeting concerning the next business trip to China
Feb. 4th -  Chamber will sponsor a Income Tax & T-4 workshop for business members
Feb. 10th -Drug Strategy committee will host Susie Vanderlip as she speaks to teachers and parents
                 about helping kids make good choices.
Feb. 16th - Chamber of Commerce AGM. Usually an intersting and fun event
Mar. 2nd    Business Education Month kick-off event featuring Kordell Norton speaking on leadership
Mar. 15th   Chamber will host a Labour Standards workshop on Alberta laws
Mar. 22nd  Chamber will host a Labour Standards workshop on Sask laws.
Mar. 30th   Business Education Month wrap up event for women featuring Pat Katz speaking on work
                  and life balance. Fashion Show & Trade Show as well.

These are just a few of the events that the Chamber is involved with. For information on any of the above, call the Chamber office at 780-875-9013

Policy Development is happening right now. If you have an issue that you think the Chamber should address, either locally, provincially or nationally be sure to let us know. Currently we are considering resolutions on Airport support and upgrades, quality child care and supports for schools dealing with special issues.

Well I'm off to the business mixer at the Synergy Credit Union. Hope I'll see some of you there.
Stay warm
Pat

We're Ready for the New Year

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and are ready for another exciting year to come.  Last year was a great year of growth and change for our community. The Chamber grew as well by over 50 new members as well as the introduction of some new programs and services.

Upcoming this month will be several important meetings and events. The Political Action Committee will meet on Tuesday. This hard working group of individuals, led by Vice President Kevin Lundell, are presently preparing policy resolutions for the upcoming year. The Policy Development Roundtable will be held on Wednesday, January 19th at 11:30 am at the Chamber office and is open to Chamber members. Just call the Chamber office to register and come out for lunch and have input into the policy direction for 2011.

Lakeland College Soiree on Friday, January 7th will celebrate 20 years of Learning at the Lloydminster campus. Congratulations Lakeland College. We are proud to have you as Corporate members and value the contribution you make to the Lloydminster community.

An adhoc Chamber committee led by board member Stephanie Dobson is in the process of reviewing the Business Awards processes and criteria. This committee will continue their work over the next few weeks to ensure that the awards continiue to be relevant and current with our community.

A meeting concerning the next Business Trip to China will be held on January 25th. Last year, Chamber president Wendy Plandowski along with members of the Lloydminster, Leduc, Cold Lake and Lethbridge Chambers spend ten days in Shanghai and Beijing learning more about the culture and the business oppourtunities that are available in China.  If you would like to get more information, please call the Chamber office and register for the meeting at the end of the month.

Also on January 25th, our Alberta MP Leon Benoit will be giving our community and members an opportunity to have input into the federal budget. This consultation will be held at lunch time at the Best Western Wayside Inn. Call the Chamber office for more details.

The Lloydminster Chamber and the Lloydminster Rotary Club will host a noon hour speaker at the regular Rotary meeting on Monday, January 24th. This speaker will explore how companies can get their employees more involved in the company through employee investment programs. Call the Chamber office to register.

The Chamber Board of Directors will be holding a strategic planning session in March, soon after the election of the new board.  This planning session will set the course for the next few years. A member survey will be part of this plan, so watch the Chamber newsletter for your opportunity to give feedback and suggestions.

We will be working with the Saskatchewan Chamber over the next year to try and get some clarification in a variety of existing pieces of employment legistlation. In order for employees and employers to resolve conflicts it will be necessary to streamline and bring clarity to the process.

We are looking forward to the development of the new economic development model for our community. The Chamber will have a seat on this board and we are excited about the possibilities that this new structure will have for our community.

If you have a comment about the Chamber, please set up a google account and let us know your thoughts and ideas.

Pat