Chamber Week & Provincial Business Dialogue
Business Voice at the Table: How Chambers Are Shaping Provincial Dialogue
As part of BC Chamber of Commerce Week, chambers and boards of trade from across
British Columbia participated in a province-wide roundtable with Minister Ravi Kahlon,
convened by the BC Chamber of Commerce.
The discussion focused on how economic pressures and policy decisions are landing on
businesses in different regions – and how government and the chamber network can work
together to ensure business realities on the ground are understood and reflected in
provincial decision-making.
Minister Kahlon outlined several priority areas that are currently front and center for his
office, noting that impacts are uneven across regions, sectors, and business sizes, and that
real-time business insight is critical. These areas included:
• CUSMA and trade volatility, described as the most immediate and fast-moving
issue, with rapid shifts across supply chains and regional economies.
• Interprovincial trade, with renewed pressure to make progress this year, including
complex areas such as alcohol and agri-food that directly affect B.C. producers.
• Global trade and market diversification, with a focus on better supporting small
and medium-sized businesses in accessing new markets while maintaining the
importance of the U.S. relationship.
• The Look West Strategy, raised as active provincial work, with interest in hearing
how regional industries and businesses align with its focus areas.
A significant part of the discussion also centered on small business consultation.
Following the dismantling of the Small Business Roundtable and the province’s reliance on
the Ease of Doing Business portal, the Minister acknowledged the challenge of prioritizing a
high volume of issues without sufficient context. He expressed interest in more focused,
practical engagement – particularly through trusted networks like chambers – as a way to
better understand how policies are affecting businesses in real time.
This reinforces an important role for chambers and boards of trade.
Individually, businesses experience policy impacts locally. Collectively, the chamber
network provides government with structured, credible insight that reflects regional
conditions, sector realities, and business scale – without requiring every business to
navigate government processes on its own. This is where the value of a connected,
province-wide chamber network becomes tangible: it creates access, context, and
influence that no single business could achieve alone.
Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce – Local Perspective
From the Chilliwack business community’s point of view, the provincial dialogue around
economic pressures and policy impacts resonates deeply with what we’ve been advocating for
locally. Over the past months, the Chilliwack Chamber has taken a proactive role in representing
member interests in several key areas: engaging directly with municipal planning processes by
providing thoughtful feedback on the City of Chilliwack’s 2026 budget and policy proposals,
ensuring that local business priorities are reflected in civic decision-making; hosting “Setting the
Table for Collaboration and Dialogue” to bring together First Nations leadership, City officials,
and community partners in forward-thinking discussions; and regularly amplifying member
concerns through our Chamber Quarterly updates.
We’ve also strongly advocated for community-level supports that affect business stability
and growth — including public safety, homelessness responses and systemic supports that
affect customer confidence and workforce participation — echoing calls from the city of
Chilliwack to senior governments for long-term, sustainable solutions; and supporting critical
infrastructure investments such as flood mitigation work on the Sumas Prairie to safeguard
supply chains and transportation corridors vital to local business operations.
These efforts reflect the Chilliwack Chamber’s ongoing commitment to ensure that policy at all
levels — from municipal to provincial — accounts for the real conditions facing local employers
of every size and sector.
Local Call to Action
We encourage all Chilliwack Chamber members to continue sharing their insights and
experiences, participate in advocacy initiatives, and help strengthen the collective voice we bring
to provincial conversations. Follow the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce for local policy
updates and opportunities for member input, and stay connected with the BC Chamber of
Commerce throughout Chamber Week and beyond.