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I wish to thank you all for your continued support of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce. I am very pleased to be able to say that we have a revitalized Executive standing for election this year; we have a strong mix of new faces for an injection of ideas & energy, along with the stability & wisdom that comes from a return of most of last year’s Executive. I can report with pride that your 2006-07 Executive all dug in & helped work through the staff turnover issues, the financial tracking, and of course dealing with the business issues we were created to address.
We spent much of our time with our shoulder to the traces working on internal “bricks & mortar” issues; while to the casual observer these may seem relatively mundane, they are in fact the vitally important business of keeping an organization going so that it can effectively deal with the issues it is mandated to address. With staff turnover and the attendant loss of ‘stride’ that comes with having an entire staff change (three Presidents & two Secretaries) in the year, it is amazing we have made as much progress as we have. Our employees are dedicated, organized, and motivated to contribute. Now, your Executive can focus its attention on moving our external agenda forward, on seizing the opportunities to make positive strides for our members. I thank you all for your patience and tolerance in the past year while we attended to these internal matters.
We also spent time addressing the following external issues with some success: in partnership with Yukon Federation of Labour – hosting the Return to Work Symposium – an effort directed towards improving workplace efficiency and reducing WCB costs; WCB Act review; Participation in Pan-Northern meetings with US Ambassador to Canada; Ports issue - continued participation on the Alaska –Yukon Ports Committee – an initiative aimed at ensuring that Yukon does not lose its strategic advantage with regards to shipping; continued tracking of YESAA & preparation for upcoming input to the Act review next year; development of our Strategic plan – a more effective methodology for tackling issues; participation as a speaker in the Partners for Progress seminar, which will continue next year; tracking & input to the Cold Climate Innovation Center; beginning to engage on the TILMA issue which will grow this coming year into a more important issue for business; ongoing project work for YG EC Dev; ongoing operation of the Canada Business Service Centre; Whitehorse airport expansion; Education act; Utility subsidies; and presentations to the McKenzie valley gas project review panel.
One of the key themes we developed over the year was that of involvement of our community Chambers of Commerce. The strength of this Chamber can be measured not only by its effectiveness in moving its business agenda forward, but also by the degree of engagement of its members. I am delighted to say that monthly Board meetings were well attended (by teleconference, and that several members of the Executives of the community Chambers attended the meetings in person); indeed it is absolutely critical that Yukon Chamber of Commerce Executive receive feedback on its activities and to ensure the relevance & veracity of our position on issues.
Through this close relationship, issues of importance to the community Chambers can come forward & be given the profile and attention that this chamber was created to deliver. Members of the Executive endeavored to take the time to attend several of the community Chamber meetings around the Yukon, as their work took them to the communities. In my view, this interaction with our members is crucial & therefore if I am re-elected to the Chair of the Board, I will make these community visits a priority for myself and my fellow members of the Executive. I would also strongly encourage any members of the Community Chambers to drop in to our Whitehorse office when you are in town. This is, after all, your office; please don’t be a stranger.
May you all have a productive and profitable business year ahead.
Rob McIntyre,
Chairman of the Board
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