The Alberta Chambers of Commerce has given its stamp of approval to five policy positions adopted by the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce earlier this year.
Representatives of the local Chamber presented the policies as resolutions during the Alberta Chamber’s annual general meeting and policy convention in St. Albert on the weekend.
Approved by the Red Deer Chamber’s board in January, they related to enhancing the productivity of Alberta workers, exempting Albertans from paying harmonized sales tax on managed assets like mutual funds, encouraging technology-driven innovation, attracting eco-commerce and green business, and modifying Alberta’s Land Stewardship Act and Land Use Framework.
“These are important issues to business in our region,” said Red Deer Chamber president Bruce Schollie in a news release. “We’re pleased that our resolutions got traction here and will be advocated into government by our federation.”
The Red Deer Chamber approved a sixth policy position in January: encouraging development of a high-speed rail system. But this was amalgamated into a multi-chamber submission on transportation utility corridors (TUC).
“We’re comfortable that the recommendations put forward in our high-speed rail policy are fairly represented in the TUC policy,” Schollie said. “It’s clear that government is already getting the message about the need and desire for inter-urban rapid transit; we’ll keep moving forward on this issue.”
The Red Deer Chamber has four policy committees, which these consisting of Chamber members and business people in the region. Nine representatives of the Red Deer Chamber attended the Alberta Chambers convention.
Also on the weekend, Red Deer Chamber past-president Domenico Mancuso was named to the executive of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce. The general manager of Northland Construction Supplies was chosen to serve as treasurer of the provincial board.
Mancuso, whose term on the Red Deer Chamber board ends in September, said in a release that he plans to remain active with the local business organization.
“I’m definitely excited about working on behalf of business with the provincial Chamber federation,” he added.
The Alberta Chambers of Commerce represents 124 chambers around the province.