The Chamber of Commerce has lost its way
Episode Stats
Words per Minute
191.53477
Summary
Calgary's Chamber of Commerce has become so woke, they aren't even worth joining anymore, much less counting on them to bring their message to governments in order to advocate for their interests. The Calgary Chamber has become a woke advocacy organization, and now they want to turn the city into another Toronto.
Transcript
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Businesses need to abandon these chambers of commerce.
00:00:03.380
I mean, it's been a tough few years for Calgary businesses.
00:00:05.540
And while COVID-19, of course, played a large part in the pressures,
00:00:08.980
businesses have been struggling due to bad governance
00:00:13.020
I mean, typically, businesses can expect their local chamber
00:00:15.520
to advocate on their behalf when they're in trouble.
00:00:17.540
In Calgary, though, the chamber has gone so woke,
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much less counting on them to bring their message to governments.
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The first Canadian Chamber of Commerce, I didn't know this,
00:00:30.940
And now they have branches, of course, in every community in the country.
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They were speaking for businesses and providing networking opportunities.
00:00:40.560
I mean, in Calgary, in 2019, businesses were being crushed
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by double and even triple business tax increases
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The chamber was nowhere to be seen on this issue, however.
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It was only when hundreds of business owners actually protested
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in front of City Hall at an unprecedented demonstration
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Business owners aren't prone to attending protests.
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This indicates, though, how desperate they'd become
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despite a very well-funded Chamber of Commerce in the city.
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Unfortunately, most businesses simply cut a check to the local chamber
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as a matter of habit every year, and they ignore it after that.
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They know the organization's of little value to them.
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But the problem is this apathy allows bad elements
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And the apathy of chamber members has allowed Calgary's chamber
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It was bad enough when the chamber was useless,
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but now they're actually becoming a detriment to enterprise in the city.
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Since Calgary Chamber appointed CBC commentator Deborah Yedlin
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as its CEO, things have gone from bad to worse.
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Yedlin has no experience in running a small to medium business,
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The stances she's taken in the last couple of years have been absurd.
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I mean, Yedlin's clear dislike for the UCP has been shining through.
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That was well-programmed into her during her CBC time, I'm sure.
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I was gobsmacked, though, when she vocally declared
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that the removal of vaccine passports was going to harm businesses in Calgary.
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She claimed that customers would stay home out of fear
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if businesses didn't continue to scan people's phones
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It doesn't matter where you stand on the vaccine issue.
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And it's clear she didn't talk to the business owners
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No right-minded business wants to dedicate an employee
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to stopping and scanning every customer entering the establishment.
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It costs money, it interferes with the customer experience,
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and while the majority of the people are indeed vaccinated,
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excluding the minority still shrinks your customer base.
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Thankfully, at least, Kenny, who was premier at the time,
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ignored Yedlin, and when the mandates were dropped,
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Lo and behold, it sounds like Yedlin didn't know
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The chamber, in the meantime, has been advocating for equity laws.
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Businesses, though, particularly downtown Calgary,
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they're dealing with crushing taxes, high crime,
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and an empty transit system because nobody wants to ride on there
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and turn the city presumably into another Toronto.
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Now, the head of the chamber is on an anti-UCP crusade
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as Yedlin's attacking Premier Daniel Smith at every turn.
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I guess her hopes of returning the NDP to power
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While Yedlin is certainly welcome to her political views,
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her responsibility should be to the business community.
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It's spoiled by easy money from the energy companies.
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we have a membership with the Strathmore Chamber of Commerce.
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It bounds on Calgary and offers many of the same services
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Calgary businesses need to examine their options
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that actually works against your business's interest?
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March Minneapolis futures are up $0.06 at $9.02
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nearby red lentil prices remain at $0.33 per pound
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and yellow peas are trading at $12.75 per bushel.
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our gun rights would have been taken long, long ago.
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helping to draft smart and intelligent firearms,