January 18, 2016
Dear Members,
At a special General Meeting held on Friday at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, our Members voted overwhelmingly to change our organization's name to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
In doing so, we have turned a page for this storied institution, which has been known by the same name since it was first founded 129 years ago "by a small group of merchants, lumbermen, bankers, and manufacturers."
Needless to say, the world is a much different place than it was in 1887. But one thing that hasn't changed much in that time is our mission statement, which is "to work in the enlightened interest of its Members to promote, enhance and facilitate the development of the region as a Pacific centre of trade, commerce and travel."
By changing our name, we are not changing our mandate. Instead, we are embracing our longstanding role as a regional voice, and we are reflecting that half of our Members are from businesses outside the City of Vancouver.
For more than a century, our organization has been an advocate for businesses of all sizes across this region. During that time, we have helped champion dozens of infrastructure projects across Greater Vancouver that today play a critical role in B.C. and Canada's economies. (See our History and Milestones)
It is also worth noting that The Vancouver Board of Trade has a very long, proud history of collaborating with other business and community groups in Greater Vancouver, and in the years ahead, that will not change. In fact, our hope is to strengthen those ties even more, particularly when it comes to municipal chambers of commerce across the region, whose work is absolutely vital to the economic prosperity of our region.
Moving forward, we are eager to work collectively with other chambers in the best interests of the region's business community. We will continue to support other chambers and help amplify their voice whenever possible, because we firmly believe the chamber family is strongest — and our collective Members benefit the most — when we stand together.
Tim Manning, ICD.D
2015-16 Chair, The Vancouver Board of Trade
Regional Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, RBC Royal Bank
For more information on our name change, see our detailed Frequently Asked Questions.
