Your Weekly Tune Up
Government of Alberta talks about the potential future of policing
Currently, a number of municipalities and First Nations have their own police services and others are exploring the possibility of setting up their own. Alberta’s government supports this work and has established a grant to support municipalities and First Nations as they explore the possibility of forming their own police service.
The Alberta Government believes, in addition to increasing the number of officers in rural areas, transitioning to a provincial police service would improve governance and give municipalities more say in setting their own policing priorities. This model would also provide greater coverage, reduce response times and lower case loads per officer.
The Alberta Government has not made any decisions as of yet but will be going directly to Albertans to talk about this public safety topic. Read More.
Government of Alberta and Canada helps early childhood educators support kids
The governments of Alberta and Canada are helping more than 3,300 educators sharpen their skills through free early childhood brain science and development training. Funding of $5.2 million is being provided to the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Alberta (AECEA) and the Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement (ARCQE) that will give early childhood educators opportunities to enhance their understanding of early childhood brain science and childhood development. These organizations will use the funding to train educators and reimburse them for their training time. Read More.
Government of Alberta Funds attempts to help Albertans pay rent
Temporary rent assistance is expanding to more than 80 communities across Alberta.
The Temporary Rent Assistance Benefit provides a subsidy for low-income working households or those between jobs. Support is available for up to two years to help tenants afford their rent while they stabilize or improve their situation.
The benefit is provided on a first-come, first-served basis and is paid directly to eligible tenants. The benefit amount is determined by household size and location, and is a minimum of $100 per month.
Households may be eligible if they are below the local income thresholds, are currently employed or have been employed in the last 24 months and are not receiving social assistance.
For the Medicine Hat Area, the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society administers this temporary benefit on behalf of the Government of Alberta. Learn more or check if you qualify online at alberta.ca/RentAssistance.
The City website has been recently updated with some procurement related information talked about in the past.
Some of the information was already there, some we added, but now we cover these general areas:
- Links to APC and bids&tenders
- Invoicing information
- Considerations when preparing a bid (How to be a successful bidder)
- General PO conditions
- Debriefing (What to expect at a debriefing session)
- General FAQ (several areas are touched)
The direct link is: https://www.medicinehat.ca/en/government-and-city-hall/purchasing-and-procurement.aspx#Do-I-need-to-be-registered-in-ComplyWorks-to-bid-on-City-projects
If you just go to the staring page and type “procurement”, “bid”, “invoice” or something similar you should get to the same place.
The City would welcome feedback. If you have any feedback please contact
Tibor Domian
Supervisor - Procurement
Fuelling Our Business Community
Exhibitor Registration Now Open for the 2023 Home + Leisure Tradeshow
March 10, 2023 12:00 PM - March 12, 2023 4:00 PM
Each year the Chamber invests time and resources into creating a quality trade show for our community, and we are proud to host not only the longest-running, but the largest trade show in Medicine Hat. With thousands of consumers visiting the shows over the course of three days these trade shows give an incredible opportunity to gain exposure for your business, demonstrate and sell products, and showcase your services. And as an added bonus, Chamber members receive 10% off the price of trade show booths! Bringing business together under one roof provides a fantastic experience for everyone. For businesses, the personal connections you can make with thousands of consumers and clients is unmatched.
The Power of Community
The Global Growth Award is sponsored by South Country CO-OP
We are very proud to feature our Global Growth Award sponsor of the 2022 Business Awards - A New Era of Roaring Success: South Country CO-OP. South Country CO-OP continues to support our community in its growth into new markets. They say it best themselves, "At South Country we are proud to be part of the communities we do business in and take pride in being a community builder." Thank you to South Country CO-OP and their commitment to the business community.
Enriching Your Business
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Business Growth Strategies to Digitally Transform Your Business
Whether you’re building a startup or running a small to midsize business (SMB), staying ahead of the competition remains one of the most important factors to improving your bottom line. But how do you come out victorious in a competitive market? The key is establishing a successful growth strategy to digitally transform your business.
In this guide, we’ll discuss multiple business growth strategies you can adopt to help you make a plan to expand. Keep reading to learn how developing growth strategies can help create a lasting relationship with your customers and set your business up for long-term success. Or, you can use the links below to navigate to the sections of the post that best suit your needs.
City applying for disaster recovery funding to support residents affected by July tornado
The City of Medicine Hat is submitting an application to the Government of Alberta’s Disaster Recovery Program (DRP). This may provide an opportunity for residents and property owners to seek financial relief for uninsurable losses if they experienced damage from the tornado on July 18.
Following a disaster, affected municipalities can apply to the DRP program and, if the municipal application is approved, affected residents can apply to the Province for financial assistance. Read More.
The Alberta Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), who administers the DRP, has asked for the City’s assistance in collecting data (Property Damage Survey). The information collected will be shared with the Government of Alberta and residents who complete the form may be contacted by an AEMA case worker to further discuss whether they may be eligible for funding under the Disaster Recovery Program.
5 Cost-effective Ways to Market Your Business on a Shoestring Budget
Whether you’re figuring out how to schedule employees, trying to effectively manage your inventory, or applying for a business loan, there’s a lot to deal with. On top of everything, you need to attract customers. Marketing is essential to the success of your business, but with all of the unexpected costs that can pop up while you get up and running, chances are your marketing budget isn’t as robust as it might be.
The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to attract customers that won’t break the bank. Here are 5 cost-effective ways to market your business on a shoestring budget.
Advocacy in Action
July Labour Force Survey: Minister Schweitzer
Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer reports on the July 2022 Labour Force Survey.
"In July, our unemployment rate dropped to 4.8 per cent, lower than the national average for the first time since 2015. An additional 15,000 full-time jobs is positive news."
"We also continue to see more Albertans establish their own businesses. The number of businesses that were incorporated in Alberta has reached record levels, with 26,412 incorporations in the first half of 2022."
Next Level Events
2022 Business Awards – A New Era of Roaring Success
“A New Era of Roaring Success” was chosen as this year’s theme to signify the ‘Roaring 20’s’ of this century. Similarly, to the 1920’s, our 2020’s are the beginning of a united force in supporting and strengthening our local economic prosperity. As we navigate the ‘Roaring 20’s’ of this century we celebrate our businesses, past and present, that have weathered the challenges and have emerged with new ideas, innovative practices, and even stronger connections.
This year the Chamber will be hosting the Business Awards at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, Friday, October 14th, 2022. The event will start around 5:30 pm where individuals can network, enjoy 1920’s Jazz, Cocktails, and Appetizers. Guests will then proceed to the Main Theatre room at 6:30 pm where the Award Ceremony will premier. Tickets are officially on sale; tickets will be priced at $97 per person (Membership discounts will be given via discount code). Save October 14th in your calendars and join us as we celebrate a New Era of Roaring Success within our businesses and the community.
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