Winning BC Chamber of the Year for 2014 is a credit to the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce and its volunteers, president Jason Ryll said.
“It’s always through the work of volunteers that work at the chamber gets done,” Ryll said. “Whether it’s the board or other people involved on committees along with the guidance of Claudia Blair our executive director and her staff.”
During the BC Chamber AGM held in Richmond last week, Ryll along with other WLDCC directors learned they had won.
Presenters talked about Williams Lake starting in the Gold Rush and being a resource-based community that has faced challenges in forestry and mining over the years.
Chambers apply to be in the running, then the BC Chamber board of governors will evaluate all applications using a point system.
“Whoever has the most point wins,” Ryll said.
“We don’t know how many other chambers applied. It’s very secretive.”
At the BC Chamber level, the WLDCC has worked hard on a policy to fight the BC Ferries decision to cancel the Discovery Coast Ferry.
Ryll said the policy was passed and is now part of the BC Chamber’s position that BC Ferries must undergo a thorough economic impact study on any route reductions around the province before making any closures.
The WLDCC wants the decision to cancel the Discovery Coast Ferry reversed, Ryll added.
He also said the chamber is committed to seeing the New Prosperity Mine approved and is supporting Taseko Mines Ltd.’s requests for judicial reviews.