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Our Advocacy

We have been the voice of business in Grande Prairie & District for more than a hundred years!

2023 National Policy Resolution

The Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce submitted the following policy resolution to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce:

"Flexible Solutions to Address the Gap in Immigration Biometric Services"

The Issue

Strong rural economies mean a stronger Canada. Immigration plays a crucial role in growing Canada’s economy and is especially vital for rural communities to grow populations and fill labour shortages. Yet current policy regarding immigration biometric services, a requirement of the immigration process, places undue hardship on applicants in some rural or northern areas in Canada, requiring them to travel long distances and bear the associated travel costs to access this service. Such policy is neither aligned with the federal government’s commitment to address systemic inequities in core institutions and policy development nor its concerted efforts to remove barriers to newcomer attraction and retention in rural Canada.

Our Recommendation

That the Government of Canada:

1. Amend Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) policy to expand the list of eligible providers of immigration biometric services for applicants within Canada, taking into consideration those organizations outside the public sector that are fully accredited organizations through the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time identification Services (CCRTIS), to fill this gap in service across Canada.

This submission was debated and voted on by Chambers from across the country during the Canadian Chamber of Commerce 2023 AGM & Convention: Energizing Canada's Future on October 13-14 in Calgary and we are pleased to announce that it was passed nearly unanimously with 98.58% approval.

Chair Elect Cord Spero, CEO Tanya Oliver and Chair Cindy Park at the 2023 Canadian Chamber AGM and Convention in Calgary
Chair Elect Cord Spero, CEO Tanya Oliver and Chair Cindy Park at the 2023 Canadian Chamber AGM and Convention in Calgary

2023 Provincial Policy Resolutions

Our Chamber sponsored or co-sponsored the following policy resolutions which were approved by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) network at the 2023 ACC Annual General Meeting and Policy Session in Fort McMurray.

Policies are shared with government officials for follow up and discussion with the goal of eventual implementation based on the recommendations of our network. Policy development is based on feedback from our member businesses.

The City of Grande Prairie is proud to be a designated community under the Rural Renewal Stream of the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.

The Rural Renewal Stream offers eligible workers the opportunity to immigrate to Alberta as a Provincial Nominee with the formal support of the municipal government.

With the support of this program, the City of Grande Prairie fills local labour gaps by endorsing employers and job seekers to fast-track immigration for eligible candidates.

The Grande Prairie Rural Renewal Stream Community Partnership is made up of community stakeholders with a shared mandate of supporting employers and newcomers to the community.

The partnership is made up of:

  • The City of Grande Prairie
  • The Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce
  • The Grande Prairie Centre for Newcomers
  • The Council for Lifelong Learning

The ‘Community Partnership’ is responsible for supporting the City of Grande Prairie in identifying eligible employers and endorsing candidates who are a good fit for the community and are interested in applying for permanent residency through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program – Rural Renewal Stream.

For more information, visit https://cityofgp.com/culture-community/about-grande-prairie/moving-grande-prairie/immigration-rural-renewal-stream

Highway 40X Connector: Driving Growth and Prosperity

Highway 40X Proposal - FINAL_1.pdf (2)1

Highway 40X Proposal - FINAL_1.pdf (2)2

2022 National Policy Resolution

Our Chamber's policy resolution was passed with 98% approval by delegates at the 2022 Canadian Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting and Convention in Ottawa. The full document can be seen below.

2022 Provincial Policy Resolutions

Our Chamber had the following policy resolutions approved by the Alberta Chambers of Commerce network at the 2022 ACC Annual General Meeting in Lethbridge.

In 2021, Our Chamber submitted a policy resolution regarding "Safer workplaces for all vulnerable highway workers" as seen below, followed by the recent media release from the Government of Alberta touting "Improving safety for roadside workers".

We are pleased to see the positive response to our proposed recommendations.

Current Policies Flagged for Follow Up by our Chamber

Our Advocacy History

JULY 2021
Thank you to everyone who took part in our first-ever State of the Region on July 14, 2021. We appreciate the participation and support from the City of Grande Prairie, County of Grande Prairie No. 1 and Municipal District of Greenview No. 16.
JANUARY 2021
Chamber letter to the Premier requesting a reopen plan for business
OCTOBER 2020
Chamber presents affordable housing proposal to City

Grande Prairie Chamber Regional Economic Development Group
Economic Impact & Gap Analysis of the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital
Executive Summary: GPRH-EIS and Gaps-ExecSumm-14Nov2016

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