Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/141831
MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE TAKES A MEETING The Elkhorn Resort and Conference Centre was buzzing with businesspeople May 3 - 5, during the 82nd annual general meeting of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. Members welcomed new president and CEO Chuck Davidson, who brings a wealth of experience from the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, where he served as vice-president for the past 10 years, directing research and lobbying activities and coordinating all communications. They also bid a fond farewell to outgoing president and CEO Graham Starmer, holding a dinner to celebrate Starmer's achievements during 15 years at the helm. It's possible Starmer will now have more time to enjoy golfing, but he plans to work with Winnipeg Harvest on a project to improve food banks and he'll continue to be an active and caring member of the community. His departure from the chamber is just the end of the latest chapter in Starmer's storied life. Born in Epping, England, he led a life of crimefighting with British police forces before he moved to Canada and joined the Bank of Nova Scotia in 1969. A year later, he joined the RCMP and went on to work in counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism with the RCMP security service and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Starmer was an investigator with the Ombudsman's office in Winnipeg before he was named president of the chambers in 1998. We look forward to learning where the next chapter takes him. OTHER AGM HIGHLIGHTS: • The 2013 Harry Mardon Award was presented to Frank Sottana. The award celebrates extraordinary members of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Board. Sottana, who has enjoyed a long career with CIBC, joined the chambers in 2008. He was 2011-12 board chair and has assumed the chair of the newly created ThirdQuarter/Skills Connect Board. • The Contribution to Chambers Award was presented to Gerry Glatz. Owner and president of Teledisc Systems Ltd. and A&W Internet, Glatz has been a member of the Assiniboia Chamber of Commerce since 1997. The Assiniboia chamber's representative on the Manitoba chambers board for several years, he has also served on the boards of the Winnipeg Airports Authority, the Manitoba Marketing Network and the St. James Biz Association. • New members were welcomed to the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Board. They are: Brian Scharfstein, representing the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce; Nate Andrews, representing the Brandon Chamber of Commerce; Andrew Yorke, president and CEO of Manitoba Blue Cross; Johnathan Fahr, of Fahr Group; Kevin Klein, CEO and vice-president of sales of Sun Media Manitoba; Paul McNeil, regional vice-president of MMM Group. • Outgoing chair Carol Paradine, partner with Deloitte, welcomed incoming board chair Jamie Jurzack, partner with Taylor McCaffrey. Graham and Sylvia Starmer at the 2012 MBiz Awards. A NUMBER OF RESOLUTIONS WERE PASSED DURING THE AGM, CALLING ON CHAMBER MEMBERS AND THE PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS TO WORK TOWARD IMPROVEMENTS IN SEVERAL AREAS. The shortage of workers — particularly skilled workers — continues to be a primary focus, along with priorities such as: • Ensuring First Nations education systems are placed on an equal footing with provincial school systems, with improved funding and cooperative governance. • Ensuring that students entering post-secondary education systems have the essential skills they need to succeed. • Ensuring that older workers can continue to work and contribute to the economy via the ThirdQuarter program of Skills Connect Inc. • Developing a long-term strategy to address municipal infrastructure needs and investing in infrastructure that maximizes productivity and economic development. • Committing to flood-proofing Highway 75 to ensure traffic through Morris isn't disrupted during spring floods. • Removing impediments to production and processing capacity in the pork industry. • Ensuring continued exploration and development of natural resources related to the mining industry. • Lifting a moratorium on peat harvesting. • Improving PTH 6 from Winnipeg to Thompson to create a safer, more efficient transportation route. • Investing in economic development in the North, in part by improving transportation routes, mobilizing investment in the Port of Churchill and establishing an economic partnership with Nunavut. • Cleaning up the Lake Winnipeg watershed and creating an integrated water-management strategy that addresses flood management as well as environmental concerns. • Developing a long-term strategy to improve health care. • Mounting a review of the Landlord Tenant Act with an eye to removing rent controls, requiring tenants to purchase tenant's insurance and increasing security deposit amounts. • Improving emergency phone service in northern and under-serviced rural communities. • Working to ensure that weekly wage rates are among the top-five most competitive in Canada. • Pushing the province to hold a referendum before increasing provincial sales taxes. 6 MBiz June 2013 MBiz June 2013_final.indd 6 6/21/13 2:54:41 PM