2012 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction Gala on March 2
Congratulations to the 32 finalists for the 21st annual Alberta Business Awards of Distinction. ACC and our sponsors will present the awards on March 2 at the Marriott River Cree Resort in Edmonton. Click HERE for the news release.
Tickets to the awards gala are available online at www.abbusinessawards.com
Chamber of the Year nominations open
Celebrate your accomplishments -- Submit your chamber for a Chamber of the Year Award.
The moment when we unveil the Chambers of the Year is an exciting one and it occurs at our prestigious Chair's Dinner during our provincial conference. The submission process is easy. Please check out the applications forms, which are available HERE.
Policy Submission deadline Friday, February 24
ACC's advocacy rests upon the foundation of the policy development our member chambers undertake each year. The deadline to submit policies for consideration at our May 26 policy session is Friday, February 24. Complete information on our policy process, is available HERE.
SAVE the DATE(s) -- May 24 to 26
Our 74th Provincial Conference and Policy Session will take place in Sherwood Park from Thursday, May 24, to Saturday, May 26. Please be sure to have these dates marked off in your calendar because we're looking forward to seeing everyone for those three days of work, learning, and a lot of fun networking.
POLICY NEWS
Northern Gateway Pipeline
Enbridge has a comprehensive website outlining its pipeline, which proposes to carry bitumen to Kitimat, B.C., from Bruderheim, located northeast of Edmonton. Learn about the project by visiting www.northerngateway.ca.
Red Tape Reduction Task Force Survey
The Alberta government's Red Tape Reduction Task Force has been assigned to discover how red tape affects the operations of small businesses, and identify ways to improve the province's regulatory environment. The survey is available HERE. It remains open until Feb. 3.
ACC's 2012 Provincial Budget Submission
ACC annually provides a submission to the Alberta government providing recommendation for the coming year's budget. All of the recommendations are based on our fiscal policies, approved by our 124-member chamber federation.
To view the 2012 submission, click HERE.
ACC's 2012 Federal Budget Submission
ACC's federal budget submission is based on our policies relating to expanding and enhancing our labour force, as that is the number one issue of our federation and the single-most limiting factor to economic growth in our province.
To view the submission, click HERE.
Finance Canada online pre-budget consultation
Finance Canada is seeking input into the 2012 federal budget. It has an online process that can be accessed HERE.
Ministerial responses to ACC policies
Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden
Environment Minister Rob Renner
Energy Minister Ron Liepert
Aboriginal Relations Minister Len Webber
Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette
Children's Services Minister Yvonne Fritz
Culture and Community Spirit Minister Lyndsay Blackett
Advanced Education Minister Greg Weadick
Sustainable Resources Minister Mel Knight
International and Intergovernmental Relations Minister Iris Evans
Finance Minister Lloyd Snelgrove
Deputy Minister of Health and Wellness
International Trade Minister Ed Fast
Municipal Affairs Minister Hector Goudreau
Jason Kenney, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Justice Minister Verlyn Olson
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty
To further this end, the task force has developed a short survey to obtain feedback on the challenges small businesses experience when dealing with government regulations.
The survey is available at this link:
https://extranet.gov.ab.ca:443/opinio6/s?s=12084
The survey is open until Feb. 3. The task force is expected to report in March 2012.