Last month our community gave us so much for which to be thankful. Not only Thanksgiving, but events like Communithon, an event held annually that once again shows not only the generosity of our business community, but our city as a whole.
The Chamber celebrated small business week in Canada from October 18 – 22nd. This week is set aside annually to not only focus on what small business means to our economy but also a simple opportunity to say thank you for your hard work and dedication to the area. During the week we held a Handshake and Hashbrown Breakfast for our members with our partners from Community Futures Sunrise. As a group, we were led through the Go Digital Sask campaign.
Go Digital Sask is an opportunity to take your business to the next level with various levels of marketing strategies; whether you need a website, shopping platform, logo design or social media assistance there is no cost for you to sign up. If you haven’t already done so, I suggest reaching out to the great folks at Community Futures Sunrise.
Early in November, the Weyburn Chamber and its supporters from the business sector recognized agriculture and what it means to the local and global economies. Agriculture Appreciation Night was a huge success, a great night to network, develop relationships, and honor Brad and Roslyn Eggum as the Golden Sheaf winners for 2021. Congratulations to Holloway Ag Corp for their dedication to the agriculture industry.
This month the Saskatchewan Government released its Throne Speech. In the speech, the Government encouraged new investment in Saskatchewan. Items included the Value-Added Agriculture Incentive, 60 new police positions, among many other announcements. All are designed to make Saskatchewan a better place to live and do business. The Saskatchewan Government has also opened submissions for a review of The Workers Compensation Act. They are reviewing:
- The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 Act)
- The workers’ Compensation General Regulations, 1985
- The Workers’ Compensation Exclusion Regulations, 2014
- The administration of the Act and regulations
As business leaders, you are able to make suggestions to the committee between November 1, 2021, and December 15, 2021, at https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/public-consultations/committee-of-review-workers-compensation-act/ The Saskatchewan Government has also initiated training seminars around payroll requirements, layoff and termination, overtime, overtime banks, and vacation entitlements. If you are interested in either of these two programs or have questions, please feel free to reach out to the Weyburn Chamber office.
The Chamber has been working hard on the modernization of property taxes. This initiative is in conjunction with Chambers from around the province. There have been talks with SAMA, SUMA, and the province in changing to a more equitable two-year cycle. Although this has been a many-year battle with the province, we continue to advocate for business on tax reform.
As your Chamber, we are always here to strengthen our business community. Should you require any assistance, please feel free to stop by the office at #11 3rd St. Weyburn or call us at 306.842.4738.