February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce

Prince Albert & District Chamber of CommercePrince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce

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Get in Touch

Tel: 306-764-6221

Email: chamberpa@sasktel.net

February 2015

2015 Mayor’s State of the City Address

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 2

BBOARDOARD OFOF

DDIRECTORSIRECTORS

Board

Chair

Shelley Cannon

Novus Law Group

Past Chairman

Mike Mitchell

Tyrone Pest Control

First Vice Chair

Greg Breeze

Affinity Insurance

Second Vice-Chair/

Secretary Treasurer

Gord Jahn

MNP

Board Appointed

Robert Bratvold

Saskatchewan Rivers

Public School Division

Elected Board Members

Bruce Vance, Prince Albert

Raider Hockey Club

Ian Litzenberger, Medicine

Shoppe Pharmacy

Meghan Mayer, Salon Six

Garrett Lawless,

Transwest Air

James Milne

Arnot, Heffernan Slobodian

Tracy Feher

Feher Financial Inc.

A Message from the

CEO, Merle Lacert

Hello Members, I hope everyone’s new year has been off to a great start. Our warm winter has been a real pleasure and welcome change from the extended cold we normally experience. The Chamber has been very busy with events and workshops. We just completed our annual “State of the City Address” with keynote speaker, Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne. This event drew a record number 330 attendees. Our ‘Understanding Treaties – Opportunity for Doing Business with First Nations’ workshop on February 24 is set to be a fabulous interactive event aimed at clarifying First Nations history, Treaties, and culture. It will demonstrate how an improved understanding can accelerate collaboration and business opportunities. The workshop will be facilitated by Mr. John Lagimodiere, owner of ACS Consulting and the editor of Eagle Feather News. The province’s Treaty Commissioner, Mr. George Lafond, will be the guest speaker. The goal of the workshop is to remove the myths and misconceptions about the Aboriginal community and replace them with facts in an effort to promote change and strengthened relationships. The Chamber is also continuing its efforts and focus on infrastructure. The Chamber is honored to be working with various partners such as the City of Prince Albert, Town of Shellbrook, surrounding Rural Municipalities, the Prince Albert Grand Council and the Department of Highways as a collective Regional Bridge Committee. Efforts have focused on sharing insights, the collection of information and statistics that will assist in developing the future plans needed to not only strengthen our infrastructure, but grow it to meet future demands.

Continued on Page 19

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 3

Mayor Greg Dionne Delivers State of the City Address

Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne delivered his annual State of the City

Address January 29. More than 330 people were in attendance at the

Ches Leach Lounge to hear the Mayor’s speech.

Some key points addressed in his address included:

Administrative Team

We start off 2015 with a fully-staffed senior administrative team. Within the last year, the City

has welcomed 13 new senior employees. These employees also join our new City Manager, Jim

Toye, who started last year. The new team has been given a clear set of expectations from City

Council. We have challenged our Administration to move beyond the status quo and to do

things differently. We want change, we want innovation, and we want improved customer

service. These are our expectations and Jim has committed to leading the change.

City Council

All Councilors have the same goal – to make Prince Albert a better place. Each Councilor is an

individual and brings a new perspective to the table.

Budget and Taxes

In 2015, Council passed the lowest tax increase in Saskatchewan at 2.57%. The removal of the

Pineview Terrace Levy will bring the amount down even further which means any home with a

value under $225,000 will have an increase no higher than 1%. Commercial taxes are also

adjusted, with over 50% of commercial properties experiencing a decrease in 2015.

The Mayor’s Office leads the way in reducing the overall tax impact. $187,700 was the annual

budget with the last Mayor and $156,288 is the budget today, including the Mayor’s salary.

Paving Base Tax

The $189 roadways base tax that you see on your tax bill has funded the repaving of 152 blocks

in Prince Albert (Wow!)

Economic Development

Right now, we have more land under contract for possible development than ever before and

continue to receive many more inquiries. Watch for announcements in 2015.

Business and Development

In 2014 the value of construction was up from $29M to $50M and the number of units built in

Prince Albert was up as well, from 112 to 251. Business is also up with a 12% increase in the

number of active businesses in Prince Albert in 2014 compared to 2013.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 4

Mayor Greg Dionne Delivers 2015

State of the City Address

Prince Albert City Manager Jim Toye introduces Mayor Greg

Dionne Jan. 29 before the 2015 State of the City Address.

Students from both Wesmor Community School and

Rivier Academy attended the address.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 5

Prince Albert-area MLAs Nadine Wilson, Victoria

Jurgens and Darryl Hickie stand with Mayor Greg

Dionne, and Chamber CEO Merle Lacert.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 6

Chamber Board of Directors 2014-2015

Chairman: Shelley Cannon, Novus Law Group Past Chairman: Mike Mitchell, Tyrone Pest Control First Vice Chair Greg Breeze, Affinity Insurance Second Vice Chair /Secretary Treasurer: Gord Jahn, MNP Board Appointed: Robert Bratvold, Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division

Executive Officers

Elected Board Members

Bruce Vance: Prince Albert Raiders Hockey Club

Ian Litzenberger: Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy

Meghan Mayer: Salon Six

Garrett Lawless: Transwest Air

James Milne: Arnot Heffernan Slobodian Law

Tracy Feher: Feher Financial Inc.

Merle Lacert, CEO

Danica Jessie, Executive Assistant

Charlene Tebbutt, Communications Coordinator

Staff

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 7

Would you like your building to be more comfortable AND have lower utility bills?

The Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Affinity Credit Union, and the Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce have joined forces to help non-profit organizations and small businesses learn how to operate their buildings more efficiently.

This one-day seminar is suitable for anyone who operates a building, from the executive director to the facility manager. Learn how to effectively operate lighting, electrical equipment, heating, ventilation and cooling systems, and reduce water use.

Sponsored and hosted by Affinity Credit Union, you can attend this seminar for only $30 per person.

Participants receive:

6 hours of training,

A 100 page manual on efficient building operation,

a certificate of completion,

lunch and nutrition breaks

March 6, 2015

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Prince Albert Travelodge

900 22nd Street East

Building Operators Workshop

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 8

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 9

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 10

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 11

Congratulations! To Jeanette Eddolls, board chair with Catholic

Family Services. Jeanette was named Prince Albert’s 2014 Citizen of

the Year for her volunteer contributions to the local community.

Kudos! To Riverside Hyundai for their recent donation of $500 to

the Prince Albert Food Bank. The dealership made the donation

following a store promotion to donate $1 for each new like on their social media pages.

Best Wishes! To John Morash, who was named the executive director at the Prince Albert SPCA last month.

Congratulations! To PA Software. They celebrated 20 years in business in January.

Hats Off! To Prince Albert realtors Kevin Wouters and Carmen Cartier who were recently named to the Association of Saskatchewan Realtors. Kevin Wouters, with Century 21 Prestige Real Estate, will serve as vice-president of the association. Cartier, from Icon Realty in Prince Albert, joins the board as a director.

The Business Development Bank of Canada

(BDC) is accepting applications for the 2015

edition of the BDC Young Entrepreneur

Award. Canadian business owners aged 18 to 35

will compete for a grand prize of $100,000 and a

second prize of $25,000 in consulting services

from BDC.

The deadline to enter the contest is March 18, 2015. For more information about the awards

program, please click here.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 12

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 13

Every business owner knows that a good business depends on many factors. One is good employees, but good employees also need to be safe employees. Making the workplace safe can include safety meetings, information posters in the lunch room, opportunities for training, including First Aid courses, or adding equipment such as AEDs (Automated External Defibrillator). An AED is a small compact computerized device that, in the event of someone collapsing from a possible sudden cardiac arrest, can be used to “shock” the heart to resume normal operation. You’ll see AEDs in many public locations such schools, churches, community rinks, shopping centers, doctors’ offices and maybe even your accountant has one! An AED depends on three simple parts. First, someone recognizes an emergency and places a call for help, usually to 9-1-1. Two, someone starts chest compressions as one part of CPR. Three, someone locates the AED, brings it to the collapsed person and turns on the device. It is as easy as 1-2-3 but you are the key component. None of this is possible without your help. An AED is so easy to use you should never be scared of making a mistake. The only mistake you can make is not going to get the device and not turning the device on. Once the device is turned the machine will tell you what to do: such as reminding you to call for help, attach some sticky patches to the person’s bare chest, and remind you to do chest compressions. Most people are scared to perform CPR because they have to breathe into a stranger’s mouth. If you can wake the person up and they are not breathing or breathing normally, put one of your hands in the center of their chest and your other hand on top of the first. Push down hard and fast and don’t stop. Invite one of our team members from Parkland Ambulance to visit you for a short presentation. Ten minutes or 30 minutes, whatever you can offer, our team members can share real personal stories about how simple steps like learning first aid, starting chest compressions or recognizing the emergency can be to helping a co-worker or customer in your business. The presentation is absolutely free and a few simple steps can make the difference to a healthier, safer workplace. Call 306-953-8358 or email lyle@parklandambulance.com for more information.

Taking Safety to the Next Level

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 14

Tickets are now available for the Chamber’s Legacy Brunch and the Samuel McLeod Business

Awards Gala. To register for these exciting upcoming events, call the Chamber at 306-764-6222

or register online. Legacy Brunch

March 19, 2015

Samuel McLeod

Business Awards

April 23, 2015

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 15

Female Business

Leader of the Year

Business Transformation

Non-Profit Organization

New Venture

Community Involvement

Service Award Marketing

Tourism Award

Business of the Year

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 16

Prince Albert’s Newest Music Festival Seeking Sponsors

The Prince Albert Tourism & Marketing Bureau is planning a

three-day music festival at Kinsmen Park over the August

Long Weekend. The Borealis Festival will feature

performances from more than a dozen popular, world-class

performers and is expected to draw more than 15,000

people to the city.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available for the

Borealis Festival. Advertising options are now available at a

number of different levels.

To learn more about this exciting new event and how you can take part, please contact Abe

Lancaster, Event Coordinator 306-981-6033 or by email at borealisfestival@gmail.com.

Prince Albert SPCA & Boston Pizza

Team Up for Local Fundraiser

The Prince Albert SPCA and Boston Pizza are partnering on a new fundraiser to raise money to

help control the local animal population. The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $20,000 to build

awareness about the importance of having your pets spayed and neutered. Money raised from

the event will also be put toward the Boston Pizza Future Prospects

Fund, which assists five charities.

Those interested in raising money for the campaign are asked to pick

up a pledge sheet at either the Boston Pizza or SPCA locations to

collect donations. For every $100 raised, Boston Pizza will issue a

coupon for a free spaghetti and meatball meal. All pledge sheets and

donations should be handed in by Thursday, Feb. 12.

A kennel will then be set up inside the Prince Albert Boston Pizza

restaurant from Feb. 3 to Feb. 7 and then again from Feb. 9 to Feb. 13.

Everyone is encouraged to volunteer to be captured in the kennel.

They will then spend time phoning friends to collect donations.

The person who collects the most money will win a free entry for a

team of four to the SPCA Fore-for-Pets Celebrity Golf Tournament in July.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 17

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 18

PAPHR Invites You to Share Giving Moments

Health Region’s Meals on Wheels clients need support Two words adorn the Governor General of Canada’s coat of arms: Contemplare Meliora.

Translated, it means: To envision a better world.

Those words, says Governor General David Johns-

ton, “sum up the history of Canada, a place where

people have always come together to help.”

In collaboration with The Rideau Hall Foundation,

he created My Giving Moment, a campaign to

celebrate – and generate – giving of all sorts.

Opportunities to give can be found anywhere,

Johnston says. He and his team call them “Giving Moments”.

The Prince Albert Parkland Region has many ways that individuals and groups can create their

own Giving Moments. If your staff, co-workers, teammates or community service groups are

looking for ways to get involved, Meals on Wheels is an ideal team project. A commitment of

one to three lunch hours per month is an excellent activity to boost staff morale and build a

stronger work team. Registration is easy and the rewards are many.

Later, your group can inspire others by sharing

their Giving Moments on the program’s

website, www.mygivingmoment.ca.

If you are a business owner or staff member in Prince Albert, Birch Hills or Kinistino or one of their surrounding communities and you would like to get your team

involved in volunteering, please call the Prince Albert Health Region’s Volunteer Services Department at 306-765-6010 or contact by email at volunteers@paphr.sk.ca.

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 19

A Message from the CEO

Continued from Page 2 The City and its partners recently commissioned a report by Vmax Management that reviewed and detailed the economic benefits of a Second Bridge over the North Saskatchewan River near the City of Prince Albert. The City is working to complete a full inspection on the Diefenbaker Bridge this spring or summer. Other information sought will be traffic counts that will assist in identifying usage numbers and the areas with the most congestion. As an example, last fall over the thanksgiving weekend, the Diefenbaker bridge realized a new daily record of 32,000 vehicles across it. Combining all these insights will assist in expanding discussions around the risks, needs and plans to be overcome, in order to move forward with plans for reliable crossings over the North Saskatchewan river. The Chamber and its partners look forward to hosting a community summit this fall once all important information and statistics can be accumulated. We are continuing efforts with our Samuel McLeod Business Awards and look forward to announcing our Business finalists on Thursday March 19, 2015. The 25th Annual Awards Gala on April 23, 2015 is going to be a great event. I encourage everyone to come out and participate to show support for the excellent businesses we have in our community. In addition to the many events we host, the Chamber is very active in meeting with

community stakeholders. Recently, we participated in a pre-budget roundtable with our MP,

Mr. Randy Hoback. We are also continuing discussions and sharing insights with the Prince

Albert Parkland Health Region as they continue plans to achieve the needed growth at the

Victoria Hospital. The Chamber continues to be engaged in multiple aspects that affect our

community’s strength and plans for growth. We are working hard to contribute to the much

needed collaboration that assists our community in planning and growing for tomorrow.

Employers are invited to create an online profile of their

business, including local job opportunities, to connect with

youth seeking career information and opportunities. The new

site is supported by the Prince Albert & District Chamber of

Commerce, along with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce

and both the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada.

Learn more at www.saskcareers.ca.

New Website Connects Young Job

Seekers with Employers

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 20

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 21

WHITROW

STOBBS

&

ASSOCIATES

Professional

Accountants

RELIABLE ADVICE &

SOLUTIONS

144 12th St. East Prince Albert Phone:

306.764.2773

...ACCOUNTING...TAXATION...CORPORATE

SERVICES...

Financial

Statements

Corporate

Tax

Audits

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 22

Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors

As a proud member of the Prince Albert community, our team of chartered

accountants and business advisors continue to grow to meet your unique needs.

National in scope and local in focus, we take the time to understand your

challenges and deliver personalized

solutions that help you achieve your goals.

Our diverse services include:

Assurance

Consulting

Corporate Finance

Corporate Recovery & Insolvency

Enterprise Risks

Investigative & Forensic Services

Succession

Tax & Specialty Tax

Valuation & Litigation Support

For more information contact a local MNP advisor at

306.764.6873

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 23

Congratulations to renewed Members for JanuaryCongratulations to renewed Members for January

WWELCOMEELCOME NNEWEW MMEMBERSEMBERS

Global Property Inspections

Prairie North Surplus

Assemblee Communautaire Fransaskoise

Beau Lac Funeral Home Ltd.

Catholic Family Services

Children's Choice Child Care Coop

Designer Paws Grooming

Eastbourne Investments

Gabriel Dumont Institute

Happy Camper RV

Holash Logue

Houle Furniture & Appliances

Humpty Dumpty Child Care

North Star Trophies

Nutters Bulk & Natural Foods

P.A. Rental & Leasing Services Ltd.

Parkland Ambulance Care Ltd.

Thank you! Your continued support of your local Chamber makes it possible for us to work

on your behalf, and we want you to know we value your commitment!

Patricia Weir Financial Planning

Peter Ballantyne Group of Companies

Prakash Consulting

Prairie North Surplus

Prince Albert Community Foundation

Prince Albert Coop Association Ltd.

Prince Albert Pulp Inc.

Prince Albert Raiders Hockey Club

Prince Albert Tourism & Marketing Bureau

ReMax PA Realty

Rural Municipality of Prince Albert no.461

South Hill Animal Clinic

South Hill Chiropractic Clinic

Town of Shellbrook

Venice House Restaurant

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 24

Calendar of EventsCalendar of Events << February 2015 >>

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4

Prince Albert &

District Commu-

nity Futures Net-

working Luncheon

5 6

7

Wesli

8 9 10 11

12

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

13

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

14

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

15

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

16

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

17

Prince Albert Winter

Festival events

18

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

Prince Albert &

District Commu-

nity Futures

"Brown Bag"

Lunch

19

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

20

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

Motivate for Re-

sults

21

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

22

Prince Albert Win-

ter Festival events

23

24

Understanding Trea-

ties- Doing Business

with First Nations

Candian Challenge

Sled Dog Race

25 26 27 28

February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 25

The Chambers of Commerce Group

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ALL types of businesses are eligible for the program no industry exclusions! Call 306-922-4414 today to find out

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February 2015 Prince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce 26

Prince Albert & District Chamber of CommercePrince Albert & District Chamber of Commerce

3700 — 2nd Avenue West

Prince Albert, SK S6W 1A2

T: 306.764.6222

F: 306.922.4727

www.princealbertchamber.com

Chamber StaffChamber Staff

Merle Lacert

CEO

Danica Jesse

Executive Assistant

Charlene Tebbutt

Communications Coordinator