Chamber Point Chamber Point

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1 Chamber Point Chamber Point is issued monthly by Vanderhoof Chamber of Commerce ~ Nicole Armstrong, Editor 2353 Burrard Avenue ~ admin@vanderhoofchamber.com ~ A Winter Scene by Cheryl Armstrong December 2011

2 ~2~ December 2011 Chamber Point December Coming Events For more events and event details go to Click on Community Events Calendar Tell us about upcoming events, and we ll put them on the calendar. 2nd, 7 p.m. - Midnight 9th, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. 13th, 7p.m. 25th 27th - January 2nd Parade of Lights & Midnight Madness Chamber of Commerce Christmas Open House 2353 Burrard Ave. Chamber of Commerce Community Carol Sing Northside Church - Admission donation for Neighbourlink Please bring own mug for cider! Christmas Day Chamber Closed Happy Holidays

3 Chamber Point December 2011 ~3~ Executive Directors Report On September 29 - October 1, 2011, I attended the BC Chamber Executives AGM in Smithers. It was a small delegation of attendees as many lower mainland chambers did not come. The speakers were very informative and there was a lot of time to network with fellow chambers. Our Chamber AGM had 42 members in attendance. Christy Smith from Mt. Milligan had a good update as to the status of the mine. No one put their name forward for the position of Vice- President; therefore, it has been declared vacant. The RDBN hosted the business forum in Vanderhoof on October 13 and 14, Directors Allan Bieganski, Kevin Moutray, Henry Klassen, and Wayne Finstad were in attendance along with the Executive Director. Learning steps businesses in our region have went through to be successful and what future plans are for some of them was very interesting. Our community has a lot to be proud of and the future looks very promising for sustaining a healthy economy and further development. On October 20, 2011, I attended the Integris Credit Union open house. It was a great opportunity to have a tour of the new facility and discuss the opportunities that the Chamber will have to host special events in the new board room. Pumpkin Walk 2011 was another success. Final numbers are still coming in but we received over $10, in donations. (In-kind, candy, firewood, straw bales, and money) The wind was a problem with both the pumpkin lighting and the fireworks. For next years event we are looking at purchasing LED lights to place in the pumpkins to eliminate the extensive work and frustration that goes into this area. We also had a security issue that we will better deal with next year with the assistance of NVSS. Erin Siemens Executive Director

4 ~~ December 2011 Chamber Point Voting Numbers With so much change happening Vanderhoof, it was easy to forget about a lot of things. Unfortunately one of those things was the Municipal Election. Only 21% of the registered voters of this District came out on November 19, to vote for the people who will represent them for the next three years. By voting, you allow your voice to be heard. Your opinion can matter! Remember what we gain from a society ran through democracy instead of tyranny or dictatorship. We recently honoured Remembrance Day; do you remember what the men and women serving our country fought for? They fought for the freedom we enjoy on a daily basis. Freedom by definition is the capacity to exercise choice, the possession of civil rights, and political independence. So few of us seem to utilize these freedoms that cost our country so much to obtain and maintain. John Ensign once said I believe that voting is the first act of building a community as well as building a country. If a community falls then so will the country. We must show more interest in what is happening to us and around us. The youth of this community, province, and country need to be involved in politics. We are more interested in becoming of age then the ability and privilege to vote. Sit down with the youth of today and discuss the political world with them. They are the voters of tomorrow and they need your help to understand how our government works. It is tradition that the Chamber of Commerce holds an All Candidates Forum for all elections. This is a great chance to come and see who is running and hear their views on issues that matter to you. This year we saw only 50 people come to evaluate the candidates for the municipal election. So please remember, next time there is an election, be it municipal, provincial, or federal, come out and listen to the information your candidates supply. Cast your vote. Let your voice be heard.

5 Chamber Point December 2011 ~5~ Creating an Age-friendly Business in BC This is the final part of our Age-Friendly Businesses in BC segment. To take the assessment please click on the assessment link below or visit / com and click on the Chamber Point button under Membership. Take Assessment Here If you have any ideas or suggestions on how Vanderhoof can become a more agefriendly community, please your thoughts to admin@vanderhoofchamber.com. Chamber Plan Your Chamber Plan Representatives Affinity Benefit Consultants Neil Van Caeseele CFP CLU RHU Darlene Marsden EPC RHU Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan Our packages can include: Dental Care Extended Health Care Group Term Life Insurance Critical Illness Travel Medical Emergency Coverage Disability Coverage Accidental Death & Dismemberment Best Doctors Services Business Overhead Expense Insurance Employee Assistance Services Group RRSP Cost-Plus... and MORE!

6 ~~ December 2011 Chamber Point