On Your Behalf

As Burnaby’s premier member-based business association, we at the Burnaby Board of Trade are constantly working to represent the interests of our membership throughout this community, as well as at the provincial and federal levels.

In order to effectively communicate with you about some of the work we are doing, I would like to share just a few of the advocacy and community service efforts my staff and I have been involved with in recent months on behalf of you and all of our members.

In support of the film and television sector, the BBOT has submitted a letter to the Minister of Finance urging the provincial government to not reduce or restrict the tax credit system which is an integral part of the mix that makes BC and Burnaby such an attractive place for shooting film, television and commercials. Click here to read the letter.
With the help of our Environmental Sustainability Committee, the BBOT provided input into the creation of the Province’s Climate Leadership Plan. We called for support to be given to the clean energy sector, for strategic investments in transportation infrastructure and public transit, for the government to lead by example in reducing carbon in its supply chain, and for consultation with the business community to be a mandatory part of any future actions. Read our submission here.
As a way of reducing administrative burden and cost, the BBOT presented in person to Burnaby City Council asking that the Inter-Municipal Business License program, which the BBOT successfully advocated for previously, be expanded to allow businesses in eligible industries to get one license that will allow them to do business across the entire region. Read more here.
The Burnaby Board of Trade has called for realignment of Family Day in BC. For companies which conduct business in other parts of Canada or in the United States, the misalignment of holidays between BC and other provinces and the United States creates a barrier to commerce and trade. Therefore, the BBOT is calling on the provincial government to change the date and align the holiday with those in other jurisdictions. More here.

The BBOT recently welcomed Premier Christy Clark who spoke to a sold-out room about women’s leadership and helped the BBOT launch our new Women’s Initiative. Stay tuned for more details as this new offering develops and let us know if you are interested to participate.
I’m proud to announce that the BBOT has just relaunched its Member to Member Discount Program with 50 exclusive discounts. If you would like to post a deal, support a fellow member, or just find a great deal, click here.
Until April 30th, the First Data is offering BBOT members exclusive discounted rates on merchant services, including credit card processing, with no contract and no obligation. To find out how you can benefit, contact whitney@bbot.ca or call (604) 412-0100.
I’m delighted to announce that the Burnaby Board of Trade is now a member of the BC Chamber of Commerce. We’re very excited to play an active role in developing key strategic planning initiatives and to ensure our voice is heard on issues of importance to you, our members, as well as other local stakeholders. We strongly believe in the importance of collaboration with other chambers in our region and across the province, and the BC Chamber represents the best opportunity for us to connect with and strengthen the chamber network for the benefit of businesses everywhere.

Registration is now open for the 2016-17 session of the BBOT’s Access Student Career Development Program. Access is helping us grow the next generation of business leaders in Burnaby through mentorship, networking, skills development, and leadership. If you know a soon-to-be young professional currently enrolled in post-secondary education, have them check out ww.accessprogram.ca.

If you have thoughts on any of the work we are doing, I would be interested to hear your feedback. Please email me at paul@bbot.ca.

Sincerely,

Paul Holden
President & CEO
Burnaby Board of Trade