Your Weekly Tune Up
Making Investing in Alberta Easier
Alberta has launched a Site Selector Tool aimed at boosting the province as a prime business and investment destination. The tool offers comprehensive data to assist businesses and investors in making informed decisions regarding establishment or expansion in various communities across Alberta. Learn more. Alberta regional dashboard & site selector
Carbon Tax Rebate Estimator
A new estimator tool helps families determine their potential rebate amount. The rebate, distributed quarterly, returns fuel charge proceeds to households, with an estimator tool available to calculate potential rebate amounts. The return varies by province, with a family of four potentially receiving up to $450 in Alberta. Canada Carbon Tax Rebate Estimator
Mental Health and Addiction Recovery: Establishing CoRE
Proposed legislation aims to establish the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) as a crown corporation with a $5 million budget. CoRE will inform best practices, conduct research, and support evidence-based policies. It will operate similarly to the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA), ensuring privacy protection. If passed, CoRE is expected to begin operations this summer. Learn more
Advocacy in Action
Federal Budget 2024: What Business and Canadians Need
The government must prioritize key policy measures essential for economic growth and stability. This includes accelerating regulatory modernization, addressing interprovincial trade barriers, avoiding new taxes and providing strategic support for struggling small- and medium-sized enterprises to foster a robust economic recovery. Find out more of what we are hoping to see when the federal budget is announced on April 16: Learn more.
Next Level Events
Canada-Alberta Job Grant Webinar
The Canada-Alberta Job Grant helps employers train new and current employees. Create jobs and get workers trained with the skills your business needs.
- Covers 66% of training costs for current employees.
- Covers 100% of training costs for unemployed new hires.
- Up to $10,000 per trainee per fiscal year.
- Up to $15,000 of training costs for unemployed new hires.
Date: Tuesday April 16, 2024
Register HERE to confirm your attendance.
Construction Prompt Payment and Adjudication Seminar
When: Thursday, April 18, 2024 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
The seminar, hosted as a joint initiative between the Medicine Hat Construction Association and Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce, will provide current information on construction adjudication, introduced to Alberta in August 2022 under the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act (PPCLA) and the Prompt Payment and Adjudication Regulation (the Regulation).
The focus will be to enhance awareness on some procedural fundamentals, the benefits of using adjudication, the operations of ARCANA (AB) (currently Alberta’s only appointed nominating authority), and some suggestions regarding possible amendments of the PPCLA and its regulations. Check out more details and register here
Business, Brainstorming & Beers THIS WEEK!
Join the Chamber at locations around Medicine Hat to discuss whatever needs discussing at your business. Whether it's business growth, workforce challenges, new business opportunities, regulatory hurdles, or anything else, we are all about finding solutions. Come have a drink with us and solve the world's problems!
Thursday, April 18th @ 4:00pm - 5:00pm | Moxie's Grill & Bar
Registration here
Art Room Gallery at RE/MAX Medalta Real Estate - Member Evening
The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with RE/MAX Medalta Real Estate and The Art Room, invites you to a member-exclusive evening of fine art created by local artists, networking, food & drink.
Visit the new Art Room gallery at RE/MAX Medalta Real Estate and meet the four contemporary southern Alberta Artists who make up this group. This collaboration is new to Medicine Hat and sure to be a destination for art lovers, local business supporters, and visitors to our City. The Artists will be in attendance along with RE/MAX Medalta Real Estate Realtors.
City launches community clean-up initiative for Earth Day
Residents are encouraged to join a community-wide clean-up to celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22, 2024. Beginning on Earth Day, participants—whether individually, with family, or friends—are encouraged to either use their own garbage bags or pick up complimentary supplies, including bags and gloves, for litter collection in parks, natural areas, and coulees. Find out more here.
Community Summit
Medicine Hat Community Housing, in partnership with the City of Medicine Hat, is hosting A Way Forward, Community Summit 4. This Summit, held on April 25, 2024 at the Fireside Room at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede grounds, will be the fourth and wrap up Summit held in community. Summits 1-3 were held in June of 2023, and February 2024. They are looking to spur new, dynamic conversation that began last year, with an emphasis on prioritizing issues already identified and ways to further advance the outcomes. Prior to Summit 4, MHCHS will release summary reports from Summits 1-3. If you are interested in attending this Summit, please RSVP by April 18, 2024 to ksandford@mhchs.ca
Enriching Your Business
There's a reason Chambers Plan is Canada's #1 plan.
Contact JoAnne Letkeman,
Exclusive Chamber Group Advisor,
403-504-2166 ext 1.
Fueling the Business Community
• NEW MEMBERS •
We would like to welcome three businesses to the Chamber Family! Ricky's All Day Grill - Brooks, Motel 6 - Brooks, Day Inn & Suites - Brooks
We continually look forward to helping our members during their business journey and wish each the best in all future endeavors. We are extremely happy to have such amazing members, and are very glad that we can serve a part in that journey! Keep your eye out for more new member posts moving forward!
Chamber of Commerce Board Applications
As part of the Board of Director’s succession planning for the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce, nominations are held each year to actively seek out dedicated, community-minded individuals whose common goals and principles coincide with the Chamber of Commerce and the organization’s mandate. The Board of Directors assist in stimulating a strengthened and vibrant economy in our region through our connections, support & influence and help further our mission in the Medicine Hat & District area.
We are currently looking for energetic, enthusiastic and progressive Board members who have the desire to sustain and grow a strong business environment in our community. Successful candidates should be prepared to assist the Chamber of Commerce in accomplishing its goals and objectives and be willing to contribute to formulating policies for the betterment of our business community and advocating for those positions on behalf of our region.
In addition, we encourage individuals who are interested in becoming involved in the Chamber of Commerce to volunteer by sitting on a committee or task force as a way to gain experience and become familiar with our organization and our mandate prior to becoming a Board of Director.
If you are interested in volunteer opportunities with the Chamber of Commerce, please take a moment to fill out our Volunteer Form.
To ensure the Chamber maintains a fair and democratic process, we rely on and encourage our members to provide us with potential nominees for our Board, which are then elected by our members. If you or someone you know is interested in working with the Chamber of Commerce Board to accomplish our vision and mission and would like to submit their name for election to the Board, please fill out the online nomination form or download the nomination package HERE.
Any nominee shall be a member in good standing for a minimum of two years, free of any conflict of interest and be willing and able to attend board meetings. In addition, it is highly desirable that candidates should be able to demonstrate a familiarity with the Chamber of Commerce’s activities and a level of involvement that demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the Chamber of Commerce’s goals and objectives.
All nominations are due by Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 12:00 noon. Should you have any questions, please contact the Chamber office at 403.527.5214 ext 222 or president@medicinehatchamber.com.
-Commercial Opportunities-
Chamber of Commerce: RFP’s
https://chamber.medicinehatchamber.com/rfp
Looking for business opportunities or land for sale
Check out the current listings from member companies who have real estate (both commercial & residential), office furniture, or commercial items they wish to sell or liquidate. If you are a member and have property, office space or office furniture or equipment you would like to sell, contact us or login to your member portal to post your items for free. https://chamber.medicinehatchamber.com/buyandsell
Fill Up On Funding
Economic Development Incentives Launches Today
Two separate incentive programs are launching in 2024 that will leverage the City’s existing land and infrastructure to encourage the development of additional high-density housing and enhance the vibrancy, sustainability, and livability of the City Centre area.
City Centre Vibrancy Incentive: This Incentive Program provides up to a fifty percent (50%) matching incentive, to a maximum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per property, and subject to the remaining funds available under this Incentive Program at the time of application, for commercial property improvements that are expected to add to the vibrancy, sustainability, or livability of the City Centre, as determined by the City. Click here for full details on the incentive.
Housing Infill and Redevelopment Incentive: The funding will be set at $1,400,000.00 for this program providing an incentive for development of new housing within the defined areas.
Tier 1 Incentives provides an incentive of $15,000 per dwelling unit, to a maximum of $750,000 for new residential development on a single site, and subject to the remaining funds available in this Incentive Program at the time of application.
Tier 2 Incentives provides a single incentive of $7,500 for a Backyard Suite development on a single site, and subject to the remaining funds available in the Incentive Program at the time of application. Click here for full details on the incentive.
Alberta Boosts Funding for Indigenous Businesses
Budget 2024 increases the Aboriginal Business Investment Fund to $30 million to support Indigenous community-owned businesses over the next three years.
Indigenous communities face significant barriers when trying to access funding from traditional financial institutions. Supporting the development of Indigenous businesses is a key part of Alberta’s commitment to economic reconciliation. Alberta’s government is collaborating with Indigenous businesses as partners in prosperity to ensure the success and sustainability of Indigenous communities across the province.
Read more here
Brooks-Newell Region News
IQubed
Come join us and collaborate with a wide range of inspiring people on ways to make our Region even better. To learn more and register visit https://iqubed.my.canva.site/iqubed-conference-apr-18-19-2024 or email us and we can sign you up.
Chamber Tour of Brooks
The Chamber team and a few of our board had the pleasure of touring around Brooks last week! Thank you to Mayor Petrie with the City of Brooks for taking us around, along with Silver Sage Ag Society for giving us a run down on your history in the morning! Want to check out where we visited? Check out our Brooks reel on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/733940415603184
We are so excited to start connecting with you all, and are working our way around to each and everyone of you! Feel free to reach out to Naomi, our Brooks Business Development Coordinator, if you have any questions. https://www.medicinehatchamber.com/our-team/
Brooks Trade Show this Fall!
Each year, the Chamber invests time and resources into creating quality trade shows for our communities, and we are proud to host our inaugural trade show in Brooks. 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. As an added bonus, Chamber members receive 10% off the price of trade show booths! Bringing businesses together under the JBS Canada Centre roof provides a fantastic experience for everyone.
Take a look at more details regarding becoming an exhibitor here!
Crossword Puzzle
Crossword Puzzle Answers
Did you figure it out? Here are the answers for the April 8th crossword puzzle.
Remember that subscribing to our weekly email gets you access to the crossword puzzle. Anyone who sends us their answers will get their name put into our quarterly draw.
The prize? Receive 5 promotional credits with us (for members) or credit towards a membership (for non-members)! Oh and bragging rights that you're a crossword master.
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