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Chamber's News
With N.L.'s borders open again, tourism industry wants federal help rolling out the welcome mat PostTuesday, July 13, 2021A group of businesspeople, restaurant owners and tourism operators in St. John's are calling on the federal government to encourage domestic travel again, after more than a year of travel bans and restrictions. AnnMarie Boudreau, CEO of the St. John's Board of Trade, said that businesses in the tourism industry have taken steps to modify operations and protect visitor safety. Read moreTuesday, July 13, 2021Business leaders from across Halifax and Nova Scotia are asking the federal government to keep emergency support programs going in Atlantic Canada. The letter, written by the Nova Scotia Business and Labour Economic Coalition, highlights the importance of the wage subsidy and rent subsidy programs for struggling businesses hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read moreTuesday, July 6, 2021The New Brunswick government is making COVID-19 rapid testing kits available to owners of small and medium-sized businesses in the province. Four chambers of commerce — Saint John region, Edmundston region, Moncton and Fredericton — have launched a joint program to distribute the tests in their communities. Read moreTuesday, June 22, 2021With New Brunswick moving to Phase 2 on the province’s “Path to Green” last week and vaccination progress being made throughout much of the world, it’s time to refocus on some of our pre-pandemic priorities – the most important of which is growing our population. The province has many issues to be addressed, but improving our demographic situation at least partially addresses many of them. Read moreFriday, June 18, 2021As the province moves closer to fully reopening after 15 months of living in the pandemic, the CEOs from Chambers of Commerce across the province are encouraged by what the change means for businesses. Read moreTuesday, June 15, 2021Ron Furlong, executive director of the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce, said his organization’s members have been patiently waiting to reopen to New Brunswick customers. The chamber understands the process used and the need to protect the population, but Furlong said it also recognizes the need to reopen as virus numbers come down and stay down. Read moreMonday, June 14, 2021Chamber of Commerce concerned about competitive disadvantage with provinces that reopen sooner. The Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce hopes a speedier vaccination rollout will lead to an earlier reopening of the P.E.I. border. Currently, P.E.I. is not fully reopening to all of Canada until Sept. 12, more than two months after New Brunswick. Read moreMonday, May 31, 2021The Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce (AVCC) and the MLA for Kings North are calling on the province to level the playing field for small businesses. A small business owner in Kentville who opened on May 25 and was fined $11,622 by police for doing so says he did it as a form of protest. Read moreFriday, May 28, 2021Opportunities New Brunswick says it is enhancing and extending the province’s Small Business Recovery Grant until the green level of recovery this August. But the CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce says that isn’t enough. Read moreThursday, May 27, 2021It’s a common suggestion that businesses are singularly focused on seeing a reduction in their corporate taxes but calls for comprehensive tax reform – at the federal and now provincial levels – are given greater weight by many, in the look to the post-pandemic future. There was a taste of the idea in the responses to the annual Atlantic Chamber of Commerce member polling, meant to help the Chamber establish policies and its priorities for the coming year. Read more
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Business Truth & Reconciliation
The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce is taking proactive steps to promote reconciliation and respect for Indigenous rights within the corporate sector. In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action 92, the Chamber urges its members to embrace the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a guiding framework. This entails a commitment to meaningful consultation, fostering respectful relationships, and obtaining the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous peoples before embarking on economic projects. Moreover, the Chamber advocates for equitable access to employment, training, and educational opportunities for Indigenous communities, ensuring they reap sustainable benefits from economic development initiatives.
Recognizing the importance of education, the Chamber encourages businesses to provide comprehensive training for management and staff on the history of Indigenous peoples, including the legacy of residential schools, Indigenous rights, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. Emphasizing intercultural competency, conflict resolution, and anti-racism, these efforts aim to foster a more inclusive and harmonious corporate environment rooted in mutual understanding and respect.
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