A35Abbotsford News Friday, April 21, 2017
®
Individual Solutions from Independent AdvisorsWhat we offer our valued clients:
Securities offered through Raymond James Ltd., member of Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Insurance Services offered through Raymond James Financial Planning Ltd., not a member of Canadian Investor Protection Fund.
ToddChretienFinancial [email protected]
LindaSpletzerFinancial [email protected]
BoteMiedema, CFPFinancial [email protected]
Investments
GICs, Bonds & T-Bills RRSPs, RRIFs, RESPs*, TFSAs
Stocks
Mutual Funds
Cash accounts
Retirement planning
Education planning
Estate planning
Life, disability & health Insurance
Margin accounts
Corporate accounts
Account Types Financial Planning
BusinessmyE N G AG I N G C O N S U M E R S • B U I L D I N G C O M M U N I T Y
w w w . a b b o t s f o r d c h a m b e r . c o m
Monthly publication brought to you courtesy of our Media Partner:
Abbotsford Chamber explores ChinaOn April 6, a group of
48 travelers fl ew out of Vancouver to Beijing for what would be a memorable and educational adventure. This was the 3rd trip to China hosted by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and was open to members and non-members. They were accompanied by Cindy Keith, winner of the Abbotsford News contest who provided a series of blogs and pictures that appeared this week in the on-line edition of the News.
The second day started with a city tour, then it was a trip north to the Ming Tombs, a jade factory and a cloisonné factory (an ancient technique used to decorate metalwork objects). Afterwards, the group went
to the mountainous area of Badaling for a chance to climb and walk the Great Wall.
Day 3 started with a visit to the Summer Palace on Kunming Lake, home of the Dowager Empress. After a walk around the famous Tiananmen Square they entered the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty - the years 1420 to 1912. The day ended with a world-renowned Peking Duck dinner served in a traditional manner.
Day 4 in Beijing included a demonstration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Temple of the Harvest and a bicycle rickshaw tour of the narrow alleys of the historic Hutong
area including a home-cooked lunch with a local family in their home. The highlight of the day was a visit to the Panda house at the Beijing zoo.
Day 5 was a short fl ight to Xi’an, the former capital of China and home of the Terra-Cotta Warriors. Xi’an was the fi rst city in the world to have a population of 1,000,000. That day included the Banpo Museum - a 6,000-year old site of China’s earliest dwellings, a tour of the City Wall and ended with dinner and a show featuring music and costumes from the Tang Dynasty.
Day 6 started with a visit to the Wild Goose Pagoda and then on to the feature attraction in Xi’an - the Terra-
Cotta Warriors. This collection of sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the fi rst Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
After a fl ight to Shanghai on Day 7 the group took a bus tour through the local farming area to the city of Suzhou, where they visited the classic Lingering Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Started in 1593, this 23,300m2 garden is a model for gardens like it around the world. Suzhou is known as the “Venice of China” and the day concluded with a boat ride through the canals traversing the city.
Suzhou is the centre of the silk industry and Day 8 began with a city and factory tour to see how a moth’s cocoon is transformed into things of amazing beauty and luxury. After lunch the group visited the West Garden Temple, a smaller Buddhist monastery still in use. They then returned by bus to Shanghai to visit the Bund, a famous historical landmark of the city. Across the river from the Bund is the amazing skyline of Pudong, the modern business section of Shanghai. That night the group enjoyed a river cruise to see the magnifi cent city lights.
Day 9 featured a ride on the Mag-lev train. This $1.2-billion electric train makes a one-way 30.5 kilometre trip in just over seven minutes, reaching a top
speed of 431 kph. After a visit to a silk rug factory the rest of the day was spent enjoying the sights and shopping in the Old Town Bazaar. That evening the group enjoyed the ERA show featuring acrobats, artists and an amazing array of physical performances. On Day 10 the group fl ew back to Vancouver.
“It was fast-paced with a very full itinerary, and from the trip reviews, everyone enjoyed the people we met, the sights, the food and the companionship of our fellow travelers,” said Chamber Executive Director Allan Asaph. Watch for more details on our next trip to India departing March 20, 2018
Abbotsford Chamber explores ChinaAbbotsford Chamber explores China
A36 Abbotsford NewsFriday, April 21, 2017
abbotsfordchamber.com
BusinessmyE N G AG I N G C O N S U M E R S • B U I L D I N G C O M M U N I T Y
Monthly publication brought to youcourtesy of our Media Partner:
P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S A G E
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTSAG R I C U LT U R E B U S TO U R
DATE: Friday, June 16
LOCATION: Tour starts and ends at Sevenoaks
Shopping Centre
TIME: 8:00am-3:00pm
30 T H A N N UA L G O L F TO U R N A M E N T
DATE: Friday, September 8
LOCATION: Ledgeview Golf & Country Club
TIME: 11:0am-9:00pm
A L L C A N D I D AT E S M E E T I N G S
DATE: April 25 – Abbotsford West @ MCAApril 27 – Abbotsford South @ MCAMay 4 – Abbotsford Mission @
Creekside Centre
TIME: 7:00pm-9:00pm
BOARD OF DIRECTORS20
17
Mark WarkentinPRESIDENT
Mark Warkentin, President
Chris GauthierDIRECTOR
Stu McIntoshDIRECTOR
Kathrin MatadeenDIRECTOR
Kal SidhuDIRECTOR
Sara LawsonVICE-PRESIDENT
Dave MillerDIRECTOR
Melinda FriesenDIRECTOR
Jason DykstraDIRECTOR
Craig ToewsDIRECTOR
Kelly RailtonDIRECTOR
Kristin van VlotenDIRECTOR
Carole JorgensenEVENTS MANAGER
Allan AsaphEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Matt LangdonBUS. DEV. MANAGER
La Vonne BandsmaOFFICE MANAGER
Ranjit MalayTREASURER
CHAMBER TEAM MEMBERS20
17
#207-32900 South Fraser Way • 604-859-9651
The Abbotsford Chamber would like to welcome the following businesses:
N E W B U S I N E S S E S :
• M. McConkey Arborist Services
– Markus & Aundrea McConkey ............................ 604-597-2286
• NextHop Solutions Inc. – Tim Hall ........................ 1-855-482-5141
• Palmer & Palmer – Gerry Palmer ........................... 604-852-1682
• Basements Plus Renovations – Glenn Wallace 604-996-7120
• Badesha & Narang Notaries – Amy Badesha .... 604-381-2000
• Esso South Clearbrook – Kourosh Bastanipour ....778-856-3727
• Zero Point – Brian Johnson ..................................... 778-552-2713
• LivWell Collective – Cynthia Lucas ....................... 604-615-3504
• Manjinder Singh Virk Lawn Care & Tree
Pruning – Manjinder Virk ......................................... 604-853-4975
• JDRF – Diane Lac ........................................................ 604-320-1937
• Valley-Wide Financial Corp. – Scott Findlay ...... 604-853-8100
• A.T. Auto – Sat Sharma ............................................. 604-852-6276
• Master Care Facility Service Inc.
– Sandep Rai ................................................................ 778-478-8299
• Active Kinetics Inc. – Monty Bhambra ................ 778-908-7866
• Double Dog Stitches and Design
– Rob Bentley ............................................................... 604-377-6081
• Amit Sudhakar, Homelife Glenayre Realty ........ 604-859-3141
• Wiebe Group – Lara Holtby .................................... 604-852-6840
• CJP Bookkeeping - Connie Peverall .................... 604-854-6730
• Spirit Cruises Ltd. – Kevin Skewes ........................ 604-687-5533
• Melodyland Signs – Marcus Unger ...................... 604-850-3500
• Sugar Studio – Margaret Woelke .......................... 604-308-1258
• VRC Fitness – Caroline Profi tt ................................. 604-859-1331
• Dominion Lending Centres – Faisal Waheed ... 604-807-6428
• Rosebay Florist – Catherine Polonio ................... 604-853-4444
Becoming a member of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce provides substantial benefi ts to generate more business and reach the heart of your community.
I often get asked: What is a Chamber of Commerce, and is it diff erent from a Board of Trade?
Second question fi rst: these are two names for the same thing. The Chamber name is a bit newer and more common. In fact, the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce grew out of the Abbotsford and District Board of Trade established in 1913. Vancouver, Burnaby and Surrey have Boards of Trade, but most other entities in BC are Chambers of Commerce.
We are not a service club, a political party, or a society. We have the unique position of being established by federal statue - the federal Boards of Trade Act allows a Board (or Chamber) to be established within a certain geographic area, for the purpose of promoting business. So there is only one Chamber for Abbotsford, and we are it.
So what are we? We are a non-profi t organization composed of members of the business community. Our mandate is to be the voice of business. We represent our 700+
members by doing these three things:
• we Advocate on issues of importance to the business community
• we provide Benefi ts to our members such as training and group insurance and
• we provide opportunities for our members to Connect to each other and the larger community.
ABC: Advocate, Benefi t, Connect. That’s what a Chamber does.
What is a Chamber of Commerce?
A37Abbotsford News Friday, April 21, 2017
BY GEORGE... he’s done it again!
Drive away in your next Ford, by George!
Call Direct at 604-798-5953IN THE FRASER VALLEY AUTO MALL
GEORGE MacDONALDis once again the TOP SELLING Ford sales person in all of B.C. (for 8 consecutive years)
You receive the BEST sales experience. No pressure at your desired pace.
You know he will ALWAYS be there. After-sales service is guaranteed.
You will always get treated PROFESSIONALLY. Don’t expect any less.
When you BUY from GEORGE, you always experience the best!
What does this mean to you?
ELIGIBLE COSTCO MEMBERS RECEIVE UP
TO AN ADDITIONAL
ON MOST 2017 MODELS
$1,000ON MOST 2017 MODELS
FINAL 9 DAYS!
valleypersonnel.com604.859.6511
Offi ce AdministrationAccounting • Reception
Sales & MarketingPlant & IndustrialManagement
Labourers
Need tohire the perfect
EMPLOYEE?
Labourers
IF THE TOOTH FAIRY WON’T PAY YOUR DENTAL BILLS, WE CAN!The reality is we all can use help with unexpected expenses like dental bills, prescription drugs, or medical supplies. Now help is here, with affordable group coverage designed specifically for small to medium sized businesses. See why over 25,000 business owners selected this plan!
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS!Selling, buying or leasing a vehicle?
Wayne & Jimmy are ready to find you a vehicle that will be perfect for your lifestyle.
Sellin
[email protected] [email protected]
We know you are busy, so let the experts help fi nd what you are looking for.
Wayne Jimmy
604.857.52001-888-220-1853 TOLL FREE
murraygmabbotsford.com
DL
#307
35 ABBOTSFORDC H E V R O L E T G M C B U I C K C A D I L L A C
Duke
BusinessmyE N G AG I N G C O N S U M E R S • B U I L D I N G C O M M U N I T Y
To better inform voters in the upcoming BC Provincial Elections the Chamber will be hosting All-Candidates meetings
for the three local ridings:
7:00pm to 9:00pm April 25 - Abbotsford Westat Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (MCA)
April 27 - Abbotsford Southat Matsqui Centennial Auditorium (MCA)
May 4 - Abbotsford Missionat Creekside Centre, 35131 Straiton Road
Candidates will answer questions from our panel and the audience will have an opportunity to submit their own questions. Come and hear what the candidates have to say before you get out to vote on May 9th.
Elections BC, a non-partisan Offi ce of the Legislature, is recruiting election workers for the upcoming provincial general election. The province needs 25,000 election workers to work at voting places all over B.C. The majority of these positions will work on May 9, 2017, General Voting Day.
For more information, and to fi nd the contact information for your local hiring offi ce, visit the Elections BC website at www.elections.bc.ca/jobs, or contact Elections BC at 1-800-661-8683/ TTY 1-888-456-5448.
Hosts All-Candidates Meeting