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Insight · Influence · Connection · Exposure · Access
JANUARY 2015
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS
Thank you to all entries of the Parade of Lights! Breakfast with the Mayor and Reeve
“The Weyburn & District
Chamber of Commerce
represents the interests
of its Members by
advocating for a
healthy community,
both economically
and socially.”
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS
JANUARY 2015
Business Leadership Dedicated to Economic Vitality and Quality of Life
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAMBER
Happy New Year from the Chamber! I hope everyone is feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after the holidays.
I am looking forward to a busy year as your Chamber manager as we begin the 75 th year for the
Weyburn Chamber of Commerce. Although my role as manager started in November, I have been part of
the Chamber work for the past couple of years and had the opportunity to reflect on the good work that
was done in 2014.
Chamber Year in Review - Looking back at 2014 from the Chamber office there were some ups and
downs but overall the high points were the clear winners.
In 2014, the Chamber held many events, including the highlight: the biennial Weybex awards, with two of
our winners going on to become finalists at the provincial ABEX awards - PAR Contracting and Streamline
Oilfield Services. We had the most successful Chamber golf tournament to date and two grand parades
that mother nature couldn’t hold back even though she tried. The 2nd Annual Chamber Retail Expo &
Sale was held in September and we will continue to build and improve on that event for our retail
members.
The Chamber was busy in 2014 with our grand openings service. And although we said goodbye to some
longtime members, we welcomed many more enthusiastic new comers. Watching the evolution of the
Weyburn Inland Terminal to Parish & Heimbecker and the ever-changing climate that is the retail in
Weyburn, reminded us that the business landscape always has been and always will be one of change in
this province.
For our policy committee, we were challenged by the changes to made to the TFWP Program by the
federal government last spring. The Chamber worked hard lobbying on behalf of local business to our MLA
and federal Employment Minister Jason Kenney. Although in our opinion the program remains broken, we
were pleased to see the province was able to respond with the expansion of the SINP program late last
year. Our most recent success was in working with the City of Weyburn on making changes to the
development levy bylaw in response to feedback from our business members. Full credit to the City staff
and council for hearing and responding to the call from business.
Looking ahead, the Chamber will celebrate its 75th year in 2015. We’ll continue to serve our member
businesses as they direct. We have a full slate of events and activities planned so watch your inbox for
our monthly newsletter and information. We will keep an eye on the effects of the drop in the oil price
as our members make adjustments to manage through a potential slow point. We are excited to be able
to soon share plans of the Southeast Industry Education Council - a group of partners working to
strengthen connections between education and the business community.
All the best for success and prosperity in 2015.
Sincerely,
Rochelle Wendt, General Manager
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Please feel free to contact us at:
11-3rd Street NE Weyburn, SK S4H 0W1 Phone: 306 - 842 - 4738 Fax: 306 - 842 - 0520
[email protected] www.weyburnchamber.com
Proudly Serving our Members Since 1940
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2015
Insight Register on saskcareers.ca Today to Connect With Your Future Employees
Chambers across the province are teaming up with saskcareers.ca to provide a
tool for employers to connect with students. The purpose of the website is
to educate students and career seekers on the possibilities that are available
in the province as they are mapping out their future education and career
plans.
The partnership project is spearheaded by the Saskatoon Industry Education
Council with the support of the province of Saskatchewan. They formally
launched the program at a press conference on December 11th. “There is no
cost to businesses, and they get a lot in return”, said Janet Uchacz-Hart,
Executive Director of the Saskatoon Industry Education Council. “The fact that
they can attract the attention of young people has the
potential to deliver workers today and into the future.
The more people know about a business the more likely
it is that they will consider working there. The
connection is that simple.”
Chambers across the province are supporting the project
by letting their members know that this valuable resource
is available to them. Steve McLellan, CEO of the
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce commented on the
value of the program, “Saskcareers.ca is an amazing
service for young people who are at any stage in their
life, from grade nine up through their 30s. It provides
complete and industry-validated information on hundreds
of career choices. It offers information on educational
institutions where young people can map out their
educational plan to get them the career they want. And
the part we are working on now is the ability to find
information on local businesses who hire people in
specific skills with specific educational levels and also
information on those who will offer co-op programs, tours
and just basic information on the career options a
student may look for.”
We encourage our members to register on the Sask
Careers website to develop a comprehensive list of
interested businesses. From that point, Sask Careers will
engage the school divisions to get students onto the site,
and ensure they have all the best resources available in
their education and employment journey. ◘
We still need to hear from you!
Tell us what you think!
The Weyburn Chamber of Commerce
Member Survey is now online.
Please take the time to visit
www.weyburnchamber.com, and
follow the link to the survey.
Just remember - only one survey per member!
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2015
Influence City Amends Development Levy By-Law
Full Credit to Weyburn City Council in responding to the call from
the business community.
In 2014, one of the policy initiatives of the Chamber was to
engage in a review of the development levy bylaw of the City of
Weyburn. This was in response to feedback from member
businesses on challenges they were facing with their expansion and
redevelopment initiatives after the implementation of the levy in
2013. The Chamber held a public information session to gain a
deeper understanding of the importance of the levy as well as to
flush out some of the potential concerns.
A development levy is an important tool that municipalities can
put in place to fund the direct costs of growth and development.
The levy is based on information gathered from a thorough
consultation and study process to identify infrastructure and other
potential costs associated with current and future growth
projections. While it is important for municipalities to have
strategies in place to finance the costs associated with growth, the
intention of the levy is to be a pro-growth policy.
With input from our policy committee and member businesses, the
Chamber, along with Weyburn Regional Economic Development,
made recommendations to the city council for changes to the
bylaw allowing for an exemption for certain expansion and
redevelopment projects. At the December open council meeting,
city councilors voted 4-3 in favor of the changes. ◘
Breaking ground at the new Browns Socialhouse location.
Government increases cap for SK Immigrant Nominee Program
In the Weyburn Region, employers have had to access multiple resources for
bringing in new employees. Recruitment of foreign workers has been one
important tool that local businesses have used in their efforts to fulfill their
labour needs. Last year, the drastic overhaul to the TFWP by the federal
government left a lot of employers without an important resource. It was
important for the federal government to recognize the difficult spot that SK
business had been left. So we are pleased to see that the federal government
has increased the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) nominee
cap by 775 spaces.
The additional nominations are going to be made available through what is
being call the express entry category. The criteria for these nomination spaces
is yet to be announced but we do know that one of the benefits of the new
category will be a mechanism for faster processing of permanent residence
applications.
With the additional 775 spots, the total available nominations for 2015 is now
5500. The Government of SK reports that with spouses and children accounted
for that could result in approximately 14000 new residents in Saskatchewan.
Overall, this is a move in the right direction, and we hope to see more
increases in the future. ◘
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2015
Connection Outlook 2015!
Breakfast with the Mayor & the Reeve! Our first Chamber Breakfast of 2015 welcomes Mayor Debra Button and Reeve Carmen Sterling to share what's new at the City and RM and give a look ahead into 2015. Enjoy a hearty breakfast with the Chamber at our Breakfast Series Events. These informational breakfasts are meant to keep our members informed on topics of interest to business. Breakfasts are open to all members and are always free as a benefit of membership. Simply register online so we know how much bacon to cook!
Thursday, January 29th, 7:30 am - 8:30 am At the Royal Canadian Legion Please register online at www.weyburnchamber.com For more information contact the Chamber office at 306.842.4738.
With Special Guests: Mayor Debra Button and Reeve Carmen Sterling
Last year’s Breakfast!
Sponsored by:
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2015
Welcome new Chamber Members ….
Prairie Pita - Weyburn
Mr. Bikram and Mrs. Jaspreet are excited to be new
owners of Prairie Pita and to join the Weyburn Chamber
of Commerce.
At Prairie Pita, we have a variety of healthy food options,
like our best selling pita bread with donair meat,
prepared with fresh ingredients that are high in fiber, less
in fats and are baked to perfection. New menu items and
the grand opening are on their way!
You are always welcome to Prairie Pita.
Bikram Sandhu
306-842-7482
Dreis Insurance and Investment
Solutions Ltd.
Dreis Insurance & Investment Solutions Ltd. provides
financial planning, investment options, retirement
savings, life insurance, health insurance, group
benefits and annuities. Their goals is to protect you
and your family from risk and to provide you with
money for life.
Sharon Dreis
306-842-0444
www.sumlife.ca/sharondreis
We welcome Sharon Dreis as our new
Chamber Group Health Plan representative!
We’re doing something new!
Watch your mailbox for the 2015 Connection & Exposure Catalogue highlighting partnerships, sponsorship and advertising opportunities with the Chamber.
Exposure
CHAMBER CONNECTIONS JANUARY 2015
You depend on your employees every day. The
bottom line: healthy employees mean a healthy
business.
With health issues and concerns come questions—
but often the answers are hard to find. Employees
can struggle with finding health guidance and health
care for many reasons:
• the Canadian health care system is complex and
confusing
• available support programs are often disjointed
finding the time to make an appointment or wait
to speak with a health care professional can be
difficult
my-benefits health® is a solution that
eliminates barriers and helps people take charge of
their health, and is available to all individuals
covered under the Chambers Plan.
The my-health link at www.my-benefits.ca provides you and your employees
easy access to reliable health tools and resources, helping employees choose
the best course of action to address personal and family health concerns.
The goal is (1) to provide timely help to employees to prevent illness or
injury from affecting their ability to work and (2) to help them return to
work faster.
Manage Your Health Understanding health concerns and health care options
can be difficult; my-benefits health gives employees detailed information on
medical conditions and care options and connects them to public services
and support. Employees can explore resources on senior, child, and teen
care and locate patient assistance programs.
Looking for a Family Doctor or Specialist? When health issues arise, quick
action is vital. my-benefits health assists employees to not only locate
physicians, facilities, and support services quickly, but also check procedure
wait times and pick up tips on how to reduce them. In addition, our health
information specialists are on call and ready to answer health questions -
real support from knowledgeable health care professionals.
Find out about Prescription Drugs With my-benefits health, employees can
search the Canadian prescription drug and conditions library at their
c o n v e n i e n c e , e v e n f r om t h e i r
Smartphone. It offers engaging articles
and insights, as well as toll-free personal
support for health needs from across the
health spectrum. Healthy employees,
those at risk for chronic disease, and
chronically ill and/or individuals dealing
with catastrophic health events can all
benefit from this service.
Get Travel Health Facts and Travel
Advisory Information my-benefits health gives employees access to useful
travel health tips and facts, helping
them take the necessary steps to protect
their health while away. For extended
trips, family travel, and added personal
travel insurance protection, my-benefits health makes purchasing the desired
coverage a breeze.
my-benefits health empowers employees to make knowledgeable decisions
about personal and family health care by helping them learn about health
issues, conditions, and available resources.
Don’t forget to remind employees about this valuable resource. After all,
healthy employees are an organization’s greatest asset! ◘
Access Chambers Plan Delivers on Employee Health and Wellness
For more information or to get a free quote, please contact:
Sharon Dreis Dreis Insurance and Investment Solutions Ltd.
Unit 12, 110 Souris Avenue
Weyburn, SK S4H 2Z8
www.chamberplan.ca
P 306-842-0444
F 306-842-8070
