President + CEO's Blog | Calgary Chamber of Commerce

This post originally appeared as an op ed in the Calgary Herald Jan 27/12

Bunny suits and pig snouts.
That is what I saw protesting outside the Chamber building this week
during a speech by Federal Minister of the Environment Peter Kent.  He was here to discuss the outline for Canada’s improved regulatory process for applications that have environmental implications as well as the decision by the Federal government to withdraw from the Kyoto Accord.

I’m not so naïve and entrenched in my views as to believe that there never would be opposition to decisions of government or industry, nor am I so firm in my opinions that I don’t welcome conversation of other perspectives, but bunny suits?  Is that
what it has come to?  Advancement of modern ideals and protection of rights and freedoms has always come from open discourse and debate – at times highly contentious and charged.  Grandstanding, misinformation and odd public acts have only served to create divisions in issues, difficulties coming together
and a confused public.  Individuals like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King never took it upon themselves to dress up as bunnies or throw signs over buildings of government to advance their cause.  And they are viewed as two of the most
remarkable change agents of history.

Where we sit today is this no-man’s land.  On the topic of energy and GHG’s, groups
opposing anything from projects like Keystone XL, Gateway or development of the
oil sands, are using misinformation and rhetoric to advance their cause.  Industry is attempting to respond but is doing so in ways that are not hitting the pulse of the public.  Companies like Cenovus, however, have got it right, addressing the advancements in our everyday life that have come from innovations in the energy sector and the products that are created through energy.  In the middle is government
working to address public need and sentiment, economic development, protection
of our natural resources and environment and being a world leader.  Are we getting anywhere?  Nowhere near where would could be.

What is needed is a meaningful conversation.  As an organization that supports the needs of the business community, I encourage business leaders to be open to new
perspectives and give those with different views, grounded in fact and reality,
an opportunity to meet and discuss matters with you.  Very unique opportunities may grow from it, as is being demonstrated by the number of oil and gas companies that routinely look for renewable energies to support their operations.

I also encourage those who want to work to advance change
with industry or government to come with a grounded approach and request, one
that is centred on facts, and not driven by emotion, impossibility or
misinformation.   I actually think that you will find highly receptive audiences in business willing to meet and discuss how projects or approaches might be changed to incorporate different thinking.  There is innovation happening in industry, and through meaningful well informed discussions and discourse, even greater innovation can occur.

Meaningful conversations will mean much more in the long-term. Fact stands greater tests for making decisions than emotion.  And looking to possibility rather than
ignorance and impossibility will at least get us farther than not.  Beating someone over the head with how wrong or stupid they are, or insinuating they are some barnyard animal, never did much other than to aggravate and annoy.  Those aren’t the kids of invites that we often accept.  Demonstrations of willingness are often the best invitations.

I stood listening to the sounds of the small protest outside our doors.  I am in fact glad there are folks willing to stand up for what they believe in, for if we all just nodded
our heads we wouldn’t get too far.  But the smiles and the honks that floated around I don’t think were ones that signalled a lot of progress but rather a curiosity about what people would be dressing up like bunnies for.

The Chamber recently had its second iF Series day on June 22.  We had 4 amazing speakers: Patrick Lor of Fotolia; Brenda Hemmelgarn of U of C; Ken Kristoffersen of POP Kollaborative; and Bob McInnis of Brown Bagging for Calgary Kids.  Each spoke passionately and eloquently.

We are proud to be producing the iF Series – but it is the impact that it has on people that makes it all worth while.

See what Margarita de Guzman thought about it – she came away changed  http://circlecrm.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/what-if-sharing-the-inspiration-to-make-things-happen/

Ken Kristoffersen spoke about how the iF Gala with AB Ballet’s Jean Grand-Maitre made his change his plans to move to Toronto and to remain in Calgary.

Experience it yourself.  go to www.ifseries.ca, follow @ifseries on twitter.  Book Nov 10.  And be part of the conversation.

it is an interesting question isn’t it….so much possibility, so much potential, so many things we could do, could be…..

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has launched the iF Series – see my op ed below for a sense of what it is all about.

www.calgaryherald.com/Cheering+excellence+will+make+Calgary+great+city/4847287/story.html

I hope you will join us on June 22 for our next event, featuring Patrick Lor, Bob McInnis, Ken Kristoffersen and Brenda Hemmelgarn.  Tickets can be purchased here.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce compiled Great Calgary (www.greatcalgary.ca) as a way to identify key policy positions for consideration during the municipal election of 2010.

We are now using Great Calgary as our Municipal government relations platform.

One thing that the Chamber called for was greater engagement in the budget process, as well as a review of core and discretionary spending.

The City has heard that call and introduced Our City, Our Budget, Our Future.  It is an engagment process meant to have Calgarians tell City Council where they want their dollars spent – what is a priority to them and what is not.

I HIGHLY encourage all Calgarians to contribute to this conversation so we ensure that our tax dollars are spent in the areas that we feel are priorities.  Don’t miss this opportunity.

Go here to have your say. If you need some inspiration, Great Calgary is a wonderful place to start!

The Calgary Chamber today hosted Dr. Jeff Turnbull – President of the Canadian Medical Association.  He spoke about his concern over the state of health care in Canada.

The Chamber has long focused on health care as a topic – we have a dedicated health care committee and it is increasingly taking a focus in our policy and government relations work.

Dr. Turnbull spoke perusasively and eloquently about the need for change, but more importantly, the ability to change.  He believes, and I agree, that the Canadian health care system is not beyond repair.  It will just take leadership, courage and a willingness to do things differently across not only governments but practitioners as well.

As is practice at the Chamber these days, we ask our speakers and guests an “if” question – something that will spark imagination, innovation and drive action.  We asked Dr. Turnbull if he could change one thing to make the greatest impact on health care, what would it be?  He had two answers – one from the perspective of Canadians; and that was to increase access to health care.

The more interesting answer was from the perspective of his role.  He answered apathy.  He feels that there is too much apathy across the country that health care cannot be fixed.  He disagrees.  It is not beyond repair.  We just need to get people to care again, and be willing to do things, and think, differently.  The answer is there.  It isn’t complicated.  It is just a matter of the will to do it.

The past week marked a significant week for Calgary from an international perspective.

The Inter-America Development Bank (www.iadb.org) Annual conference was in Calgary last week.  This saw hundreds of delegates from across Latin America and the Carribean come to Calgary to discuss the affairs and issues of development lending in the Americas.  We were truly in the spotlight internationally and gained significant profile.  Calgary’s place as a global financial centre is growing and we have opportunity to capture an even greater range of activity.

In conjunction with the IADB conference, a conference of Mayors from across Latin America and the Carribean was formed, hosted by Mayor Nenshi.  It was the launch of the IADB Sustainable Cities program.  It again, saw Calgary being the host from an urban sustainability perspective and enabled us to speak to our efforts, as well as to convene international expertise on the topic.

Just prior to the IADB start, the Chamber supported Agrium in its lunch presentation by John McArthur, CEO of Millennium Promise (www.millenniumpromise.org), the lead organization dedicated to the achievement of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.  John spoke about the need for developed countries and companies within those countries to assist in the reduction of extreme global poverty.  The opportunity to reduce poverty is immense, but technologies and resources are needed.  Individuals like Bill Gates, George Soros and numerous celebrities have endorsed this plan and approach.  So the question is, what role does Calgary, its companies and its citizens want to play in such an important global initiative?

Finally, the proposed merger of the TMX and the LSE came to Calgary and through the Chamber doors earlier this week, with TMX CEO Tom Kloet and LSE CEO Xavier Rolet meeting with a small, member only group to discuss the merger and answer questions and feedback.  Discussions were wide ranging and it showed the role that the Calgary Chamber and its members can play in informing and debating nationally significant issues.

Through all this activity, it becomes apparent that Calgary is poised for a more significant international role.  Whether it is as a financial centre, energy centre, centre in support of achieving global causes, reaching new international markets for our companies or being a leader on any range of topics and issues.  It is a rather un-Canadian thing to do to claim a space as our own and focus on it.  We have the people, the talent, the resources and the ability to “own the podium” across a significant number of global arenas.  But we have to be purposeful about going there.  I hope we do.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Chamber’s support for secondary suites, and that we, along with 4 other business organizations, encourage City Council to vote for them to be permitted uses in all residential districts given they meet certain parameters.

Monday March 7, City Council will vote on this issue.

It looks like it may not pass.

If you support suites, then contact your Alderman and tell them.

I wrote an op Ed yesterday in the Herald and it is linked below.

We have one more day to make a difference. Let us all do it!

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Legge+suite+solution+Calgary+affordable+housing+needs/4374626/story.html

Today, a group of 5 Calgary business organizations spoke about a suite issue.  Secondary suites.  The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, UDI, NAIOP, Calgary Real Estate Board and the Canadian Homebuilders Association jointly called upon Calgary City Council to vote in favour of city-wide secondary suites on March 7.

The benefits of suites are clear.  They have been well documented and experienced.  They have been shown to:

• Increase housing choice in Calgary, particularly much needed affordable rental housing
• Enable Calgarians to achieve homeownership faster, or enable Calgarians to stay in their home longer
• Make more dwelling units safer, and
• Increase property values

However, the opporutnity to do all of this is at risk.  It is at risk because of misinformation and misperception of what COULD happen, versus real conversation around what DOES happen when cities adopt these kinds of bylaws.

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce has long supported secondary suites in all residential districts.  It was part of our Great Calgary campaign during the 2010 Civic Election – see http://www.greatcalgary.ca/news/36-news/83-news-article-12.html .

What we are calling for today is to show Calgary City Council that a coalition of business supports them in making secondary suites legal in all residential districts.  But in order to do that, we need to get the right facts and experiences on the table to enable informed decision making.  For if we do that, I think many of the fears will be alleviated.  And we can make a great Calgary even greater.

February 9 – today is “Let’s Talk Day” – a day focused on mental health. No that doesn’t mean that you take the day off to give your brain a rest. It means it is a day to recognize something that doesn’t get talked about. It is something we avoid, or are afraid of……

But it is there more than we know it. And we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about it. We need to in order to support those who experience it or are affected by it.

Why is the Calgary Chamber of Commerce interested in mental health? Beyond the fact that we care about the health and well being of our community, it is a business issue.

It is estimated that one in five Canadians will experience some form of mental illness.
Only one third of those who need help will get it.
Mental illness is the top cause of workplace disability in Canada.
It accounts for 30% of disability claims.
It accounts for 70% of disability costs.
An estimated 500,000 Canadians miss work every day due to mental illness, costing potentially $51 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.

Now you see why we care.

In 2011 the Calgary Chamber of Commerce will include mental health in our HealthWorks leadership dialogue series. I encourage you to take part and make this a topic that is talked about openly.

On Thursday Nov 18, I witnessed a remarkable thing.  Mayor Naheed Nenshi made his first business address to a sold out Calgary Chamber of Commerce lunch at the Palliser.  He delivered a compelling, sincere and focused message of wanting to address many of the challenges and issues that businesses face in doing business with and in the city of Calgary.  While I don’t often speak on behalf of 400 people, I think it is safe to say that he knocked that one out of the park.

The take-away for me is that there is commitment from our new civic leadership to deal with the frustrations and challenges that get many companies throwing their hands in the air and saying “it’s just not worth it.”  It won’t be easy, but the will is there.  And as a business community it is incumbent upon us to support that initiative in order to deliver a Calgary that truly is the best place to start, grow and operate a business.

One of the greatest roles that the Calgary Chamber can play is to work with the City of Calgary and City Council to understand what aspects of working with and in the city are inefficient and costly.

To help us with that, respond here with your thoughts of business issues, challenges, frustrations, red tape, cost over-runs or barriers, and other matters that make doing business in and with the city a situation where you wonder whether the frustration is worth the outcome.