Victoria, February 15, 2016 – Chamber Week starts today throughout B.C, and is an opportunity for Greater Victoria’s Chambers of Commerce to showcase their hard work on behalf of businesses across the region. Greater Victoria has the Esquimalt, Greater Victoria, Saanich Peninsula, Sooke and WestShore Chambers of Commerce, together which represent more than 2,000 member organizations throughout the region.
“As Greater Victoria celebrates Chamber Week, don’t miss the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the many ways that chambers of commerce empower local businesses and strengthen our communities,” said Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Chair, Al Hasham.
Chambers are funded by businesses to support business, and work to strengthen local businesses through networking events, mentorship opportunities, professional development activities and other unique programming to support their member businesses and to grow a robust, sustainable community.
Among many areas of impact, B.C.’s Chambers have been a leading voice in:
· encouraging balanced budgets at all levels of government;
· calling for solutions to B.C.’s skills gap; and
· encouraging municipalities to actively support local economic development.
Chambers’ efforts – locally as well as together as a network – empower B.C.’s businesses and drive British Columbians’ success.
“Individual businesses typically do not have a voice in government decision-making,” added Hasham, also owner of Maximum Express Courier and Max Furniture. “As a Chamber member, we have a strong, credible voice that is heard, one that serves the region’s business community as a whole.”
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is the largest business association in Greater Victoria, with nearly 1400 members, It was founded February 9, 1863, and over the years, has initiated or been involved in many of the developments in the region’s business community. The Greater Victoria Film Commission, Tourism Victoria, Greater Victoria Development Agency (GVDA) and Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council (VIATEC) all started as committees of The Chamber.
