CHAMBERCHAMBER at a glance

a publication of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E Roadmap to the Bakken

JANUARY 2015

Inside this issue: GM’s Report

Member Spotlight New Members

Events Review Committees at Work

Expert Advice

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The growing oil industry in the Bakken formation continues to have a significant impact on the economy of Westman. It provides the opportunity for business growth and a new market for service delivery while challenging an already thin labour market with an abundance of well paying jobs. With conservative esti-mates being that the Bakken formation has a lifespan of over 20 years – it is time to realize the economic gains from this sector. There have long been oil wells in the southwest-ern part of our province, but new technolo-gies have caused a real boom in the production from the Bakken since the year 2000. South of us, North Dakota has experienced massive eco-nomic growth but supply to support Bakken activities has been extremely challenging. As we were told by experts from Montana at the Chamber Oil and Gas Event last February, the boom has basically created a wealth of opportuni-ties as needs far exceeded supply on

almost all fronts. These representatives were optimistic on the proximity of Brandon to the actual heart of the patch, feeling Brandon was well positioned as an urban market to reach into the Bakken and experience significant benefits while being sheltered from some of the issues incurred by being too close to the actual formation. Currently, a number of companies do reach into the sector for service and goods delivery, and have been very suc-

cessful in doing so. Brandon has become home to an established office for Trican Well Service – bringing with it some very good jobs. Yet, it is our feeling at the

chamber that we are not maximizing our potential economic benefits. Saskatche-wan, North Dakota and Montana all ap-pear to be getting significantly larger pieces of the economic pie and as a busi-ness community, it is time for us to reach in and grab a larger piece of the action. For context, figures giving context to the

play are startling: The Bakken is estimated by the U.S.

Geological Survey to have 4.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil, with esti-mates consistently growing as tech-nological advancements allow more of the estimated oil in place to be recoverable.

To support movement of product alone, Enbridge has recently an-nounced it is planning a $7.5 billion line 3 replacement program, the largest project in Enbridge’s history, it involves replacing existing pipe with new pipe along the pipeline which runs from Hardisty, Alberta to Gretna, Manitoba.

These are merely a couple of numbers that show the level of opportunity economically speaking. The size of the

(Continued on page 6)

“our conference is to provide a roadmap for market entry or expansion.

Todd Birkhan, Chamber President

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www.brandonchamber.ca

FROM THE GM DESK

G M R E P O R T Mid Year Review

J anuary marks the half way point of our presidential term, and is a time when we reflect on our achieve-

ments, evaluate our progress and focus our efforts for the final push of the year. It has been a very active several months, and the following is a recap of some of our work.

Our Chamber luncheon series continues to be popular. From learning about the con-cerns of the MB Pork industry, to hearing the business case for hiring those with dis-abilities, to being inspired by the business story of Farmery Estate Brewery, we have hosted a great slate of interesting and in-formative guest speakers. Our events cal-endar was also full with several workshops, Business After 5 networking events and featured Friday Coffees. In addition to our AGM (in a new evening format) and the introduction of Chamber 101: Maximizing Your Membership sessions, we have hosted over 30 events in the first half our events season alone!

Our advocacy work remains a top priority. Through our 12@12 member roundtables, committee work and general feedback, we continue to engage members to learn the issues and challenges of our business com-munity, and use that information in our meetings with various elected officials at all levels of government to discuss economic development and competitiveness, budg-ets, free trade agreements, and labour challenges amongst other important issues.

Nationally, we represented the Brandon business community at the Canadian Cham-ber convention, and supported over 60 resolutions that formed our national advo-cacy platform for the year. At the local level, we have recently completed our pol-icy development framework and will be working on our policy agenda in the months ahead.

We continue to build relationships and work closely with a number of community partners on a variety of issues and initia-tives. This fall featured a municipal election, and we were pleased to partner with the Brandon Sun, CKLQ/Star FM and Westman Communications Group to host a mayoral debate. We were also pleased with the de-velopment of our candidate’s scorecard to garner candidate stances on important business issues so our members could be more informed when heading to the polls.

In November, we continued our efforts in supporting local retailers and launched our Shop Local Passport Campaign: Destination Brandon to encourage consumers to stay local during the Black Friday weekend. By filling out the passports found at participat-ing retailers, participants were entered into a draw for three great prizes valued at more than $1,600. The campaign created great community buzz and marked our sin-gle biggest social media promotion to date.

Our Chamber team grew this fall with the addition of a new position for membership

and marketing. Now with a strong staff of four we look forward to cre-ating even more value for exist-ing members and growing our membership base.

In coming months we will continue to work to progress on our goals and action plan. We have a number of great events being planned including our annual State of the Province and City addresses, our Annual Awards Gala, as well as the second edition of our oil and gas conference: Bakken 2.0. This year, we will also play host to cham-bers across the province as we gather for the annual Manitoba Chambers of Com-merce AGM and Conference.

It is exciting times at the Chamber! As al-ways, we invite you to take advantage of your chamber membership by getting in-volved, but regardless know we are working hard for you!

Carolynn Cancade General Manager

Contact Carolynn by phone at 204-571-5342 or by email at gm@brandonchamber.ca

January 2015 3

MEMBERSHIP ZONE

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Brandon Civic Senior Citizens to our membership! Is it true you have more than one name? Our legal business name is “Brandon Civic Senior Citizens” but we are known in the community and branded as “Prairie Oasis Senior Centre”. Where are you located? 241—8th Street, Next to the YMCA, and are open from 9:00 am—4:00 pm, with extended hours as necessary. What type of services do you offer? We are a non-profit agency that provides recreational activities, education, meals and services to those persons fifty years and older, in the City of Brandon and Westman area. We strive to meet the physical, emotional, social, intellectual, cultural, and spiritual needs, regardless of their capabilities. We also rent our facilities which can accommodate large crowds (200+) as well as smaller crowds (40) for meetings. What are your business goals? Enhance current programming like the “Meals on Wheels” and Bingo, as well as attracting more facility rentals and catering for special events in our newly renovated space. Is there a specific program you would like to highlight? We are calling all baby boomers (those born between1946–1964) to try programs like Toastmasters International, dance classes, skit night, drama club, wardrobe mix and match, suitcase packing on a budget, plus adding more to come for opportunities and fun. How long have you been in Business? 43 years. Do you have a motto? “A place to get away!”

Brandon Civic Senior Citizens can be reached

by phone at (204) 727-4461 or executivedirector@prairieoasis.ca

Their website www.prairieoasis.ca is currently under construction

member SPOTLIGHT

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Brandon Sunset Rotary #12171 Weekly Meetings held at Royal Oak Inn & Suites P:204-571-0329 E: dehugh@mymts.net W: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/985 I Want That Stuff 645 10th Street Brandon, MB P: 204-724-7295 E: jamesruser@hotmail.com Jamieson Construction P: 204-573-4764 E: jamieson_construction@ hotmail.com Team Kirkland 633 18th Street Brandon MB P: 204-720-1225 E: GlenKirkland@royallepage.ca Telexperts (Manitoba) Ltd. 400B 1011 Rosser Ave Brandon MB P: 204-717-8400 E: justin@telexperts.net W: www.telexperts.net University of Winnipeg—Faculty of Business 515 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB P: 204-988-7624 E: me.campbell@uwinnipeg.ca W: www.uwinnipeg.ca/sbe 6935341 Manitoba Ltd. P: 204-721-2562 E: ryeguy788@hotmail.com

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www.brandonchamber.ca

EVENTS

Chamber Friday Coffees

Members continued to meet every Friday at the Chamber office to meet colleagues and new contacts and discuss local issues . Thank you our sponsor Tim Hortons for the hot java and sweet treats!

Farmery Estate Brewery Luncheon November 12, 2014

Brothers and co-owners Chris and Lawrence Warwaruk, shared the Farmery success story and lessons learned in developing their prairie roots into a thriving business. Members enjoyed a free sampling of the locally grown brew. Thank you to luncheon sponsor Assiniboine Community College who presented the Field to Fork program and booth sponsor Olivier’s Bistro Catering recently launching Antiques & Collectables.

BA5: Brandon University November 13, 2014

Members enjoyed refreshments, socializing and the chance to win one of two BU prize packages at the Healthy Living Centre. Newly installed President Dr. Gervan Fearon gave a brief update on the University’s strategic direction. Thank you Brandon University for showing off your new space!

Christmas Luncheon December 11, 2014

Attendees gathered to celebrate the festive season and were treated to the vocal talent of Trina Nestibo from Harmony Station, who is also a new member! The generosity of attendees through 50/50 sales and a silent auction raised $3,230 for United Way of Brandon & District. Thank you to Charlie Clark of Net Set Communications for donating back his winnings, and to Del Communications and Brandon Flight Centre for donating the prizes! Thank you to all those that brought cans of food that were donated to Samaritan House. Thank you to our luncheon sponsor, Keywest Photo Image by Design and booth sponsor Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba!

Workshop: Accessibility for Manitobans Act November 18, 2014

The Manitoba Disabilities Issues Office educated members over the lunch hour on the new regulations that will come into effect. This is a result of the framework legislation that was passed in 2013 to address five areas: Customer Service, Information & Communication, Built Environment, Employment, and Transportation. Standards will be created, first in Customer Service, and it is anticipated to be made law by Spring 2015. It is proposed that public and private organizations will be required to have policies and training in place to ensure accessible customer service for all Manitobans.

Chamber 101 November 19, 2014

Members, new and old, learned more about the Chamber and how to get the most out of their Chamber membership. This session, open to all members, highlighted the benefits of membership from cost savings and networking opportunities, to growing your business and chamber advocacy work. Look for our next session in April to learn more about how you can maximize your membership!

January 2015 5

A table & area to display your company material Two Luncheon Seats Verbal recognition from MC Thank you in Chamber at a Glance

Showcase Your Business at a Chamber Luncheon!

$250 (plus GST)

JANUARYJANUARY January 22nd Luncheon: The Winnipeg Jets Story Royal Oak Inn & Suites Sponsor: Corral Communications

January 28th Workshop: Social Media Riverbank Discovery Centre Partners: Entrepreneurship Manitoba, Economic Development Brandon

FEBRUARYFEBRUARY February 19th Bakken 2.0 Luncheon & Conference Keystone Centre Sponsor: Assiniboine Community College

MARCHMARCH March 12th Luncheon: Champion of Agriculture Victoria Inn Sponsor: CPA Manitoba

March 17th 13th Aboriginal Job Fair Shoppers Mall Partner: IANE Westman Chapter

March 19th 132nd Annual Dinner Keystone Centre Host Sponsor: BDO Canada LLP

APRILAPRIL April 11th Luncheon: State of the Province Keystone Centre Sponsor: Westman Communications Group

MAYMAY May 1st-3rd Manitoba Chambers of Commerce AGM

May 14th Luncheon: State of the City Keystone Centre Sponsor: Brandon First

JUNEJUNE June 4th Luncheon: President Changeover Royal Oak Inn & Suites Sponsor: Crocus Credit Union

June 10th 26th Annual Golf Tournament Dates are tentative and are subject to change. Visit our website for current information

EVENTS

Invite the Chamber membership to your organization Greetings & Presentation Promotional advertisement in our mailer E-news advertisements Luncheon announcement Thank you in Chamber at a Glance

Only 2 spots left for 2015

$450 (plus GST)

Visit the Chamber Events Webpage

Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

Is a labour shortage affecting your business? We may have the solution!

The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is proud to partner with the Inter-Provincial Association on Native Employment (IANE) Westman Chapter to host this event designed to connect

aboriginal job seekers with employers.

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www.brandonchamber.ca

opportunity is not the issue, but economic benefits are not achieved from opportunity, but rather turning opportunity into action. Gaining entry into a sector and learning how to play in an industry that has its pedal down 24/7 and has no time for sourcing is a chal-lenge. From this, it became evident to us that the chamber could play an important role in aiding our membership. On February 19, 2015 the Chamber will be co-hosting Bak-ken 2.0. Building on the 2014 conference, Bakken 2.0 will take a deeper dive to help companies, organizations, and communities better understand how to capture oppor-tunities related to the rapid oil sector devel-opment in the Bakken Region, in Manitoba and beyond. Sessions will be offered to learn more about the oil & gas sector, oil sector supply chain and procurement, market entry strategies and more. Basically, whereas last year we aimed to build knowledge on the Bakken, the goal this year at our conference is to provide a roadmap for market entry or expansion. It is time for us to grab the opportunity pro-vided to us and reap the benefits to be gained. I encourage you to join us on Febru-ary 19 and use the knowledge obtained from this event to catapult you into a pros-perous future.

Todd Birkhan President

Todd can be reached at president@brandonchamber.ca

President’s Message (Cont’d from page 1)

January 2015 7

COMMITTEES AT WORK

Winning in the New Media Economy advertiser seminar is designed to help you capture the opportunities that exist in

the face of adversity

Participants will learn: The business basics litmus test. The new media and traditional

media mix. How to succeed without

discounting. The roles of intrusive media

versus passive media. The keys to unlocking

advertising ROI. The Share of Market formula. How your customers define

‘value’.

Thursday March 12th 2015 8:30 to 11:00 am

The Keystone Centre Facilitated by Wayne Ens

Tickets are $95 per person or $75 for Brandon Chamber members For tickets please call 204.726.8888 or visit www.starfm.ca

SEMINAR

Your Chamber has been working for you; see below for a high-level list of the first half of the Chamber year: Membership Committee Mandate: Garner opinions and concerns of members and promote the benefits of membership. Making improvements to the current

Affinity Program to bring more value to our membership.

Promoted Ambassador Program at Events to assist members networking and using membership to the fullest.

Increased the number of Chamber 101’s orientations.

Events Committee Mandate: Design events to create opportunities for valuable net-working, and information beneficial to busi-ness decisions. Using event feedback to improve the

quality and value of all events for our membership.

Designing the special events of the year: Annual Dinner, Golf Tournament and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce AGM (hosted in Brandon!).

Planning future high-profile Luncheon speaker(s) for the 2015-2016 year.

Business Development Committee Man-date: Promote existing business, foster the environment for new business, and pursue partnerships to address specific business development concerns with the commu-nity. Building on the Bakken Conference &

Luncheon from 2014, source informa-tion on procurement and navigation of the landscape for market entry into the oil and gas industry.

Through partnerships, provided Busi-ness Information Sessions on: the busi-ness speed dating event “Centralia Manitoba”, Feedback, Closing a Sale, Accessibility for Manitobans Act, Up-coming Social Media & Marketing workshops

Shop Local Taskforce provided the Des-tination Brandon, Black Friday Passport Campaign with over 20 participating members, and $1,600 in prizes drawn

Government Relations Committee Mandate: Facilitation and promotion of the chamber with all levels of government, and the gathering and sharing of information within those levels. Developed system to poll, collect

answers and distribute results to our membership on stances taken on busi-ness issues of the municipal and school board candidates (found on our web-site).

Developed items of focus for the up-coming city budget: Taxation, Infra-structure (deficit), and economic devel-opment.

Developing policy on hog supply issue to be forwarded for the MB Chamber resolution.

Workforce Development Committee Mission: To be a catalyst to achieve a workforce that meets the evolving needs of employers and community by engaging partners and stakeholders to take action. Understanding evolving workforce

needs, identifying critical issues Focusing on issues including: Tempo-

rary Foreign Workers Program, Trailing Spouse strategies, Aboriginal engage-ment strategies, Disabilities engage-ment strategies

Agriculture Committee Mission: Strengthen and grow the agriculture industry in Western Manitoba by promot-ing and educating the general community about agriculture; attracting value added business; maintaining and growing existing agriculture business; promoting agriculture as a career; and fostering new ideas. Gathering information on the

challenges and opportunities for agri-culture through avenues such as a Regional Economic Analysis Report from the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, agriculture-related reports from the City of Brandon Economic Development office and through interviews with identified agriculture businesses in our community.

Committee Mid-Year Review

Presented by:

www.brandonchamber.ca 8

Chamber at a Glance is published six times per year by the

Brandon Chamber of Commerce

1043 Rosser Avenue | Brandon, MB R7A 0L5 Phone: (204) 571-5340 | Fax: (204) 571-5347

info@brandonchamber.ca www.brandonchamber.ca

EDITING & DESIGN

Brandon Chamber of Commerce PRINTING

Leech Printing Ltd.

2014-2015

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Todd Birkhan—President BDO Canada LLP

Jordan Ludwig—Vice President Brandon Business Interiors

Terry Burgess—Secretary/Treasurer RBC Royal Bank

Craig Senchuk—Past President AGRI-TREND Business Management

Frank Arndt myITsource.ca/MTS Connect - Corral Centre

Daniel A. Burns Burns Maendel Consulting Engineers Ltd.

Terry Carlisle Cando Rail Services Ltd.

Greg Crisanti Tim Hortons

Karla Dane Meighen Haddad LLP

Bonnie Nay-Draper Entrepreneurship Manitoba

Carla Milne MNP LLP

Lyndsay Murray Murray Auto Centre Brandon

Tyler Rice Powell Construction Ltd.

Jason Thorpe Thorpe Construction Ltd.

CHAMBER STAFF

Carolynn Cancade General Manager

Becky Farguson Office Coordinator

Hailey Williamson Membership & Marketing Coordinator

Allison Reville Events & Communications Coordinator

Who we are: The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, non-profit organization that represents Brandon business from the grassroots level.

Our Mission: To encourage growth in the Brandon community by fostering a progressive business environment favorable to enhancing existing and attracting new business.

In a report published October 14, 2014, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce argues that closing the skills gap cannot be done without better aligning our education and training systems to our labour market needs. Entitled A Battle We Can’t Afford to Lose: Getting Young Canadians from Education to Employ-ment, the report investigates the various skills issues facing Canadian youth and what key factors should be looked at when prepar-ing young people for the labour market. “For Canadian youth, it is essential that the education and training they get is relevant to the job market they will enter,” said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “There needs to be a new dialogue between young people, educa-tors, employers and governments with a clear objective of ensuring there is a success-ful transition to employment,” he added. With the report, the Canadian Chamber in-vestigates the state of three key factors af-fecting young Canadians’ entry into the labour market: labour market information; career decision-making; and work-integrated learning.

The Canadian Chamber calls on the federal government to take the lead, coordinating with provinces and territories, in a national effort to reduce inefficiencies in the labour market while ensuring young Canadians have the fundamental skills necessary to enter the workforce. “Government, education providers and busi-nesses will need to work together much more closely to mitigate skills mismatching,” concluded Beatty. “As stated in the title of the report, this is a battle we cannot afford to lose.” The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is the vital connection between business and the federal government. It helps shape public policy and decision-making to the benefit of businesses, communities and families across Canada with a network of over 450 chambers of commerce and boards of trade, represent-ing some 200, 000 businesses of all sizes in all sectors of the economy and in all regions.

Visit the www.Chamber.ca to view the full report.

By Emilie Potvin VP Public Relations & Stakeholder Engagement

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

To tackle the skills gap, focus on young people

Did you Know… The Power of the Chamber Network? Through your Brandon Chamber of Commerce membership, you are part of the Chamber network, which is supported by the Canadian and Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

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