Fall for Business – Light Up Squamish
Winter heralds in a time of transition and invites us to embrace the energy of change. Sensing a Shift It’s been a tough year all round and especially challenging for small businesses, but we’ve seen the community truly pull together to support and champion one another – and the awareness for shopping locally is on […]
Fall for Squamish – Support Local Season
Discover Small Businesses in Squamish As we wrap up three months of Buy Local programming, we’re ensuring Squamish businesses can see out the year alongside our Light Up Squamish and Window Wars activation. We saw 58 businesses register for Fall For Squamish, with many very generously donating prizes. The traditional shop, stamp, win promotion generated […]
June is #BCBuyLocal Month- Shop Squamish
June marks BC Buy Local Week for the Squamish Community as the Squamish Chamber of Commerce has partnered with LOCO BC to promote and celebrate local businesses. Why Local? When you buy local, you help build a stronger communities. Local businesses buy from other businesses in the community — growers, makers, manufacturers, graphic designers, accountants, […]
What is ahead for Squamish businesses in 2020?
Squamish Chief, January 13, 2020 Business, especially small business, is the engine that powers Squamish. The Squamish business track — to continue the railway analogy — has seen its twists and turns from the boom and bust around the 2010 Olympics to job shortages to labour strife and recent employee shortages; to the current building […]
Squamish businesses rally around gondola
Squamish Chief, August 22, 2019 As the investigation into the Sea to Sky Gondola’s collapse early Aug. 10 continues, the Squamish business community is rallying to support the employees who have found themselves out of work while the gondola remains closed. Within a week of the gondola’s forced closure, the Squamish Chamber of Commerce began […]
Squamish employers welcome displaced Sea to Sky Gondola workers
Squamish Chief, August 16 , 2019 Local businesses opened their doors to workers who’ve suddenly found themselves out of a job as a result of the Sea to Sky Gondola’s closure. Today from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Squamish Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Squamish held a job fair for those displaced employees at […]
Squamish businesses to offer jobs to Sea to Sky Gondola employees
Squamish Chief, August 15 , 2019 The local business community is stepping up to help Sea to Sky Gondola employees who may find themselves out of job as a result of its closure. Tourism Squamish and the Squamish Chamber of Commerce will host a job fair for gondola employees at Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. […]
Businesses wary of temp business park freeze
Squamish Chief, June 19 , 2019 Despite widespread apprehension from local entrepreneurs, Squamish council went ahead with measures that are intended to temporarily curb commercial expansion in the business park. Bylaw No. 2663 2019 would eliminate the ability for new commercial-type businesses, such as restaurants or gyms to set up shop in the business park. […]
Squamish businesses shine at 2019 awards
Squamish Chief, May 17, 2019 Hundreds donned their party best to celebrate the Squamish Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards at Quest University on May 16 . Eleven winners were chosen from almost 200 nominations for the annual ceremony. Read full story.
Opinion: Are Oceanfront’s ducks in a row?
Squamish Chief, May 8, 2019 For the past decade, the future of the Squamish oceanfront has attracted heightened attention and has been the subject of heated debate. Bearing that in mind, what direction is the stewardship of this community’s substantial marine-based assets taking? Read full story.
Shortlist of Squamish Business Excellence Awards
Squamish Chief, May 7, 2019 As Squamish was recently named as one of the top 10 entrepreneurial towns in Canada, it comes as no surprise local businesses have a lot to celebrate. On May 16, they’ll gather to celebrate their accomplishments, and perhaps even go back to work with an award for their efforts. The […]
Minister of Small Business and MP talk business in Squamish
Squamish Chief, February 25 , 2019 For MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones’s second visit to the Squamish Chamber of Commerce in 2019, she was accompanied by the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, Mary Ng. The stop in Squamish was part of Ng’s series of meetings with small businesses and entrepreneurs from Vancouver to Whistler. Read […]
Squamish Mayor promises 125 new housing unit
Squamish Chief, January 25, 2019 “In order to help alleviate the housing crisis, Mayor Karen Elliott, speaking on behalf of council, made a big promise to help address affordability issues during the annual mayor’s lunch. “We want to ensure that we increase the number of affordable rental units, so our goal by 2022 is to […]
Squamish housing concerns raised with MP
Squamish Chief, January 22, 2019 The concerns she heard weren’t new, but they are pressing. Nearly 20 people were present for Member of Parliament Pamela Goldsmith-Jones’s question and answer period with the Squamish Chamber of Commerce at the Squamish Adventure Centre on Jan. 22. Read full editorial
Will automation solve the labour shortage
Squamish Chief, December 26, 2018 While some Whistler restaurants have turned to automation of services to help lessen the impact of staffing shortages, Squamish locals are not sold on the technology. The real issue is housing, and using measures such as new technology to ease a lack of staff will only be a temporary fix, […]
EDITORIAL: If the Chamber speaks, Squamish will listen
Squamish Chief, December 23, 2018 “As the most significant and oldest organization representing business interests in Squamish, it is positive to see the Squamish Chamber of Commerce vow to take on more of an advocacy role. Advocacy is stated as a key focus of its 2019 strategic plan. The aim is to ‘work with government, […]
Squamish Chamber of Commerce elects new directors
Squamish Chief, December 5, 2018 “Two people who ran for municipal council are among the five new faces — and one returning representative — who have been elected to join the Squamish Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.” Read full article.
VIDEO: Squamish All Candidates Meeting, Oct. 1
Squamish Chief, October 5, 2018 “Squamish muni candidates faced the microphone and an audience of over 500 at the All Candidates Meeting on Oct. 1 at the Brennan Park recreation centre. The event was hosted by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, Tourism Squamish, Squamish Arts Council, The Squamish Chief, and Quest University Canada. Doug Munroe, […]
The Final Squamish All-Candidates Meeting
Squamish Chief, October 3, 2018 “The final Squamish All-Candidates forum was held on Oct. 2. Aspiring mayors and councillors answered questions from the hosts of the evening, which were the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, The Squamish Chief, Tourism Squamish and the Squamish Arts Council. Quest University professor Doug Munroe also fielded written queries from the […]
Small barbs thrown by some candidates, as election draws near
Squamish Chief, October 2, 2018 “There was the slightest bit of an edge when mayoral hopefuls addressed the usual Squamish concerns at the final all-candidates meeting, which was held Monday. The tone of the forum was rather subdued, but there were a few moments when candidates took jabs at each other amidst an audience of […]
Legalization could reduce the variety of marijuana products
Squamish Chief, September 24, 2018. “Those hoping marijuana legalization will bring more pot products and more tax revenue to Squamish may be disappointed when cannabis becomes a government-backed business. It was one of the takeaways from a panel of politicians and experts at a Squamish Chamber of Commerce forum held in the West Coast Railway […]
Squamish Chamber Forestry Resolution Gets Support from BC Chamber
The Squamish Chief, June 15 The advocacy group for B.C.’s chambers of commerce has thrown its weight behind the Squamish Chamber’s call for the provincial government to address a pressing forestry issue. A Squamish Chamber of Commerce policy resolution about what the local forest industry sees as an under-harvest of the coastal allowable annual cut […]
Entrepreneurs and social innovators recognized at Business Excellence Awards
Squamish Chief, May 4 They are the movers and shakers of Squamish. The local business community gathered on April 27 to celebrate entrepreneurs, service and community leaders at the annual Squamish Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. Read the full article and find out the winners here. READY TO JOIN SQUAMISH’S LARGEST BUSINESS NETWORK? BECOME […]
Developers Speak to Local Business Community
Squamish Chief, March 20 In a town where housing prices have become a barrier to finding qualified trade workers, do developers have plans to build employee housing? It was one of a number of questions posed to several representatives of companies who participated in a developers’ forum held by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce last […]
Leading the Way
Squamish Chief, March 8 Recently The Chief spoke with Squamish Chamber of Commerce executive director Louise Walker about her thoughts on local women in business; whether it’s changed over the years, and her personal experience. To read the full article, click here READY TO JOIN SQUAMISH’S LARGEST BUSINESS NETWORK? BECOME A MEMBER
Mayor gives tentative ‘yes’ to running for re-election
Squamish Chief, January 31 Mayor Patricia Heintzman said she’s likely to be running for re-election this year, but stopped short of making an outright promise. “If you ask me today, I would say, ‘Yes,’” Heintzman told the members of Squamish’s Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. “If you ask me six months from now I suspect, […]
Sea to Sky MLA says he’s still fighting for Squamish, despite reduced role in legislature
Squamish Chief, November 20 BC Liberal MLA Jordan Sturdy said he’s still fighting for the interests of Squamish residents, even though his party has been dethroned from its 16-year long reign. It was one of the main points he addressed during a wide-ranging talk he had with Squamish’s Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 15 at […]
Squamish Receives $116,500 Grant
In support of local economic development initiatives over next two years! The District of Squamish and its partners Squamish Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Squamish are the recipients of provincial funding to support local economic development initiatives. A grant of $116,500 from the BC Rural Dividend Fund will result in two key outcomes: a data […]
Affordability or Prosperity
Squamish Chief, October 26 B.C. is an expensive place to live, especially the Lower Mainland and Sea to Sky Corridor. A recent report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia published earlier this month identified attracting and retaining skilled employees as the number one challenge facing new and established businesses. What does this mean […]
MP addresses criticisms of tax changes
MP Pamela Goldsmith-Jones was in damage control mode last week as she addressed a firestorm of criticism raised by the local business community regarding proposed federal tax changes. The government intends to change the tax system in effort to remove what it considers to be loopholes, but small business owners are railing against the idea, […]