High Level Chamber of Commerce Membership

Membership Services & Benefits

Belonging to the High Level and District Chamber of Commerce is more than an investment in your business future, it also gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the town of High Level as a community where you live. The High Level & District Chamber of Commerce has always taken great pride in it’s ability to work together with other agencies, where there has been a common interest that would affect the lives of people living in our Community. Without people, businesses would not be able to exist. While the Chamber does promote and work fulltime on behalf of the business community we are also very concerned about the economy of the community at large. In order to achieve a high quality of life for those who work here and live here, the economy needs to be strong. The economy in High Level has been extremely strong over the last several years, with the forest industry booming, as well as oil and gas. The opening of the world’s largest OSB plant in 2000 provided an even bigger boost to the local economy. This has been achieved in part because of the participation of the Chamber in discussions with various agencies and groups both on a local and provincial level. The Chamber of Commerce and Boards of Trade were originally founded to promote trade and economic development, to establish a forum where business people can meet to exchange information, ideas and concerns, and to represent the interests of business to the public in the community. This fundamental belief is at the heart of what makes the High Level and District Chamber of Commerce a strong and vital part of this vibrant, rapidly expanding community. The business community is also represented at the Provincial level through a provincial Chamber of Commerce, whose role is to monitor, interpret and comment on any legislation that may impact on business interests. The National body The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada’s largest business association, is “an interest group with clout” according to MacLeans magazine. It provides a forum where business can lobby for its own interests in Ottawa, where it can be a voice on behalf of business to the press and the general public on such topics as energy, employment, pensions and capital gains. It can also participate in programs that promote competitive enterprise and can sponsor conferences on topics such as management techniques and are able to facilitate and promote international trade. Membership in the Chamber of Commerce enables you to work together with this unique network structure, which speaks for hundreds and thousands of members. Although each chamber is a separate entity unto itself, the co-operative spirit of the three levels makes the chamber the powerful force it is today. With local affiliation to the provincial and national bodies, with committed volunteer committees and the involvement of local presidents on the Board of the National Chamber you can be assured that the interests of business, big and small, are being dealt with from main street High Level to Edmonton and finally to Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

YOU PAY Your share of taxes; YOU HAVE A right to be heard; WE ENSURE That you are heard! Levels of Chamber of Commerce

Local: The High Level and District Chamber of Commerce

v Works to improve the local business environment by providing a forum for making business contacts

v Represents business interests at the local, provincial and national levels

v Through contact with the provincial and national chambers, they speak for their businesses and community members

v Keeps provincial and national chamber informed of local concerns

Provincial: The Alberta Chamber of Commerce

v Focuses on the future concerns of Alberta and lobbies the legislature v Because it is a representation of a cross section of the business world i.e. industry, agriculture, business and professionals, it’s input is considered very important and is ofted requested in those issues dealing with business. v Seeks to resolve issues affecting business in a timely and efficient manner v Is involved in various aspects of life i.e. health, education, environmental issues and culture

National: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

v Lobbies for small and big business in Ottawa

v Is able to influence federal government decisions and legislation

v Acts as the spokesperson for the business community to the press by providing accurate information on a national basis v Is the forum where business and their representatives can participate in deciding policy for the economic future of Canada

The community is a market where local businesses compete for clients and improvements of this market is a common objective for business leaders. The Chamber is the vehicle for this to occur, where businessmen or women come together to discuss ways to achieve this goal. The Chamber of Commerce is respected by Government because is Membership driven. The first and last authority lies with the membership. This is done by the election of a board of representatives who act on behalf of the membership at large.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

This legislative body is given the authority to make decisions for the people they serve. It is responsible for mobilizing resources in the community, seeing that the talents and energies of members are enlisted in appropriate committees, ensuring that program objectives are delegated to the proper committees and making sure that the scope and authority of the committees is clearly defined. They have been given authority to act by the membership and are thus responsible to the membership who elected them.

Role of the Board They form policy, they determine programs, approve the budget, receive and pass on committee reports and direct the everyday operations of the organization. They speak in response to the initiative and subject to the will of the membership. It does not nor can it do all the thinking for the organization but it has to assume responsibility for final decisions except those where the decision has been put to a referendum, public meeting or submitted to the membership which sometimes occurs in cases where controversy exists. Individual directors do not have the authority to act alone, they are one vote of many and are expected to abide by the decisions made by the Board as a whole. Chairperson or President He/she is a representative of the Chamber, officially and unofficially, to the public at large. He/she is not authorized to speak on behalf of the Chamber unless there is a clearly defined policy. He/she should be ready and able to defend the Chamber against criticism or if, in his/her opinion there is just cause, he/she will take the necessary steps to remedy the situation. He/she will must be ready at all times to discuss the business of the Chamber with interested members so long as it is consistent with the nature and demands of his/her business.

He/she can contribute to the well-being of the local Chamber by bringing forward both critical and constructive suggestions he/she has obtained from community members. By doing this the Chamber becomes more effective and even more useful in making the community a better place to work, live and play.