This fall, the Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce took a seat at the national table. Interim CEO Jason Metcalfe, President Kyle Hayhow and Vice-President/Secretary Treasurer Derek Siemens joined business leaders from across the country at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM & Convention with one goal: making sure the priorities of Chilliwack businesses are heard in Ottawa.
Earlier this year, we carried your issues through the BC Chamber of Commerce policy process to the provincial government. The national convention is the second half of that work. Together, they give Chilliwack business owners a direct line of advocacy to both Victoria and Ottawa.
What is the Canadian Chamber AGM & Convention?
The AGM & Convention is the flagship gathering of the Canadian Chamber Network. Chamber executives and business leaders from coast to coast to coast come together to debate policy, share ideas and set the Canadian Chamber’s advocacy agenda for the year ahead.
Each year, local chambers, boards of trade and Canadian Chamber committees submit policy resolutions. These are debated and voted on at the AGM, and those adopted shape national advocacy for the coming year. Before the floor vote, BC’s chambers meet as a provincial caucus to agree on a shared position and negotiate amendments. Speaking with one BC voice gives a community like Chilliwack far more influence than any single chamber would have on its own.
The policies most likely to affect Chilliwack businesses
The BC caucus supported each of the following resolutions, which we expect to matter most to local businesses:
- Raising the Small Business Deduction limit – letting growing local firms keep more of their earnings to reinvest in staff, equipment and expansion.
- Better service from the CRA – a Kamloops resolution calling for more accurate answers, better training and dedicated access for tax professionals.
- Supporting farmers and farm succession – strengthening risk-management programs and making it easier to pass family farms to the next generation, a priority for the Fraser Valley.
- Workers and childcare – immigration programs that match real labour-market needs, stable international student numbers (put forward by our neighbours in Abbotsford), and better access to childcare.
- Power for housing growth – faster investment in Canada’s electricity grid so new housing has the capacity behind it.
- Fewer trade barriers – reducing internal trade barriers and commercial border delays so Fraser Valley businesses can sell across provinces and into the United States more reliably.
The full policy book will be shared once it is published by the Canadian Chamber.
Learning from chamber leaders across Canada
Some of the most valuable time happened outside the formal sessions. Conversations with chamber CEOs, board members and business leaders covered how other communities are growing membership, delivering events members value, building partnerships with local governments and First Nations, and giving small businesses practical tools. Many of those ideas can be adapted right here in Chilliwack, and the relationships built will continue well beyond the convention.
A resource you can use today: the Business Data Lab
Whether you’re planning, pricing, hiring or investing, the Canadian Chamber’s Business Data Lab offers:
- Always-on tools with easy-to-use, real-time data on Canadian business trends and conditions
- Expert insight from leading economists on Canada’s largest quarterly business conditions survey
- In-depth studies on topical business subjects and trends
Need help finding data for your sector? Contact the Chamber office and we’ll point you in the right direction.
Coming spring 2027: AI support for small business
The Canadian Chamber is developing new programs to help businesses navigate the fast-changing world of artificial intelligence and use it in their business planning. These supports are expected in spring 2027, and the Chilliwack Chamber will share details and help members take advantage of them as soon as they’re available.
Looking ahead to 2027
The adopted resolutions now form the Canadian Chamber’s federal advocacy agenda, and we’ll keep you updated as that work moves forward in Ottawa. Closer to home, what we brought back is already shaping our plans, with new initiatives coming in the new year.
Have an issue holding your business back? The best policy starts with real issues from real businesses. If a federal or provincial policy is affecting your business, let us know. Your issue could become next year’s resolution at the BC Chamber or the Canadian Chamber.
Thank you for your membership. It’s what gives Chilliwack a voice at these tables.
Jason Metcalfe
Interim CEO
Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce