Advocacy & Policy

Amplifying Your Voice to Effect Change

The Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce acts as a collective voice for local businesses, representing our members' interests and advocating on their behalf. The Chamber engages with government officials, city staff, policymakers, and other stakeholders to shape policies and regulations that affect the local business community, and ensure that the concerns and needs of local businesses are considered in decision-making processes, with the overarching aim of creating a more favorable business environment.


We also work with other Chambers and Boards of Trade, including those in the Okanagan for regional issues, as well as the B.C. and Canadian Chambers of Commerce for provincial and federal matters. Each year, both the B.C. and Canadian Chambers hold policy sessions where Chambers and Boards of Trade from across the province and country vote on what policies we collectively choose for those Chambers to lobby in order to forward the aims and address the needs of business.

Our Top Priorities

Advocacy Related Press Releases & Letters

2025


February 18 - Letter to B.C. Minister of Water: Strengthen B.C.'s Invasive Mussel Defence Program

February 5 - Letter to Prime Minister: Urgent Recommendations in Response to Potential U.S. Tariffs

January 30 - Letter to B.C. Minister of Transportation: Urgent Need for Secondary Route between Penticton and Kelowna


2024


November 26 - Press Release: Chamber's Response to Federal GST Tax Holiday Announcement

November 26 - Letter to Prime Minister et al re: Impact of GST Holiday on Penticton Businesses

September 27 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: Support for a 24/7 Winter Shelter at 402 Warren Avenue East

September 17 - Email from the Responsible Mining and Competitiveness Division re: Response to the Objection of the Garnet Valley Gravel Mine

September 10 - Letter to Minister of Energy, Mines, and Carbon Innovation: Objection to the Garnet Valley Gravel Mine

August 6 - Letter from B.C. Housing CEO re: Response to July 15 Letter Requesting Housing Mitigation for Persons Potentially Displaced

July 29 - Letter from Minister of Post Secondary Education re: Okanagan College's Penticton Campus Student Housing

July 22 - Letter from Minister of Energy re: Request to Reverse Decision on B.C. Utilities Commission OCU Project Denial

July 15 - Letter to B.C. Housing CEO re: Housing Needed for Persons Potentially Displaced due to Changes to STR's

July 15 - Letter to the Minister of Housing re: Potential Housing Displacement due to Short Term Rental Changes

July 15 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: Support for Hotel Development with Concerns for Displaced Tenants

July 11 - Letter to Minister of Housing and Post Secondary Education re: Gratitude for Penticton Campus Student Housing Funding

July 4 - Letter from B.C. Utilities Commission re: Denying the Okanagan Capacity Upgrade (OCU) Project

June 26 - Press Release: Province Exempts Minimum Production Requirements for Land-Based Wineries

June 20 - Letter from Minsters' Farnworth and Popham re: Exempting Minimum Production Requirements for Land-Based Wineries

May 15 - Letter from Minister of Emergency Management re: Improvements Being Made to Large-Scale Evacuations During Emergency Events

April 30 - Press Release: Chamber Supports Recriminalization of Public Drug Use

April 15 - Letter to City of Penticton: Chamber Welcomes Fact-Finding Mission into What is Needed to Attach Hotel to Convention Centre

March 18 - Letter to City of Penticton: Chamber Applauds Decision to Implement Free Transit for Youth 24-and-Under

March 11 - Press Release: B.C. Utilities Commission Needs to Reverse Decision on Okanagan Capacity Upgrade Project

February 22 - Press Release: Future Emergency Measures Must Be Based on Real-time Information and Needs

February 22 - Letter to Minister of Emergency Management re: Enhance Protocols before Ordering Future Travel Bans

February 20 - Letter to Minister of Public Safety and Tourism re: Proposed Changes for B.C.'s Wine Industry

February 15 - Letter from Minister Kang re: Provincial Government's Decision-Making Process Consultation with Local Governments

February 13 - Joint Press Release: Okanagan Valley Chamber Push for Out-of-Province Watercraft Moratorium

January 8 - Press Release: 2024's State of the City Address Announcement

January 2, 2024 - Letter to Federal Ministers: Request to Extend CEBA and RRRF Loan Repayment

2023


December 4 - Letter to Premier David Eby re: Growing Concerns over Continued Lack of Consultation with Local Government

November 9 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: 2024 Municipal Budget

November 7 - Letter to Okanagan Basin Water Board re: Support for Temporary Moratorium on out-of-province Watercraft

November 2 - Press Release: Securing the Small Business Rebate for Vandalism and Prevention

October 19 - Press Release: Mixed Thoughts on new Short-term Rental Restrictions

September 21 - Letter From Air Canada re: Air Canada Discontinuing Service to Penticton

September 13 - Press Release: Chamber's Reaction to Air Canada Discontinuing Service to YYF

September 13 - Letter to Minister of Transport Canada and CEO of Air Canada re: Air Canada Discontinuing Service to Penticton

September 11 - Letter From Minister Alexis re: Impact of Cold Snap on Local Wineries

August 23 - Press Release: Post Travel Ban - Businesses Need Help

July 24 - Press Release: Local Wineries Need Help

June 13 - Press Release: Potential Disruption at B.C's Ports

June 9 - Press Release: Resolutions Voted into B.C. Chamber Policy

April 21- Press Release: Response to Interior Health's Request to Wait on Safe Public Spaces Bylaw

April 6 - Press Release: Response to 6.9% Increase to B.C. Minimum Wage

March 27 - Press Release: City of Penticton's Business Tax Multiplier

March 24 - Press Release: Strong Support for Bylaw to be Recognized as Peace Officers

March 21 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: Business Tax Multiplier

March 14 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: Municipal Budget

February 9 - Press Release: Chamber Confirms No Increase to Employer-Paid Sick Days

February 8 - Letter From Minister H. Bains re: No increase to Employer-Paid Sick Days

February 3, 2023 - Letter to Mayor and Council re: Restricting Development in Cherryland Neighbourhood


Provincial Priorities - B.C. Chamber of Commerce

The BC Chamber of Commerce (BCCC) is the largest and most broadly-based business organization in the province, representing local Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade and 36,000 businesses of every size and from every sector and region of the province.


This Policies and Positions Manual contains informed opinions and policy statements adopted by members during the policy sessions at the BCCC’s Annual General Meeting and Conference.


The manuals below reflect what members view as important issues and forms the foundation – along with the policies of the previous two years – of our advocacy work with all levels of government in the years ahead. It also serves as a working document for the BCCC’s staff and Policy Review Committee, as well as local Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade, to regularly review and use to assess the timeliness, importance, and scope of the BCCC’s positions on issues that impact members.

National Priorities - Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Every year, members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, along with our policy committees, submit resolutions of a national scope to our policy process. This process culminates in a democratic vote on the floor of our AGM & Convention. The adopted resolutions help set our advocacy agenda for the upcoming year.


These resolutions are then brought to the attention of appropriate federal government official(s) and departments to whom the recommendations are directed. The method of presentation of each item will be determined by a number of factors, including subsequent events and legislation that may affect the subject matter, additional information that may become available, the timing of a presentation, etc. Throughout the year, members will be updated and advised of the action(s) taken on each of these positions by way of summaries and reports in Canadian Chamber publications.
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