November 2009 Message from Chair Sue Paish, QC

Sue Paish, QC

Time to show our spirit

Each year, as the holiday season draws near, I am inspired to hear stories of how individuals and organizations find unique and wonderful ways to reach out and help others. Our members share some of these moments in the Spirit of Giving section in this issue. Finding ways to build a better community and a better province for our children is at the very heart of the ‘season’.

There are many ways to contribute to our neighborhoods, our cities and beyond. Over the past two years, one of The Vancouver Board of Trade’s own directors, Lorne Segal, quietly and persistently worked on a project that has the potential to re-direct our destiny. Lorne was the motivation behind the very successful Saving the World, One Goat at a Time event that The Board hosted last spring, when members purchased over 900 goats for African villages. That lunch was only a small part of Lorne’s bigger project: the Free the Children We Day. On September 29, more than 16,000 teens (and some parents), gathered at GM Place to explore how, as young people, they can make a difference in the lives of less fortunate teens and children who live in desperate conditions around the world. Together with the likes of the Dalai Lama, the Governor General and Mia Farrow, our kids and next door neighbours’ kids celebrated the lives that they are privileged to live in our community, and then focused their energy on making the world a better place: one child at a time. Craig Kielburger, founder of Free the Children and recipient of the Rix Center’s Engaged Citizenship Award 2009, noted: “Lorne Segal was the driving force behind making Vancouver We Day a reality. His commitment has been so inspiring and his support has been beyond invaluable. None of this would have been possible without him.”

Thank you Lorne. No matter how busy we are, the size of our wallet or our age, there is some way that each one of us can make someone else’s life better: that is the true spirit of this season and I believe it is also the essence of being Canadian.

Looking ahead to 2010, of course there will be a multitude of ways that we can show our spirit. We are in the final stretch before we host the largest cultural and sporting event on the planet. The eyes of the world will be upon us; it will be a truly golden opportunity for Canada and it will be our time as British Columbians to show our spirit.  Every one of us is a host. We may not be able to swing medals around our necks, but we are the Olympic and Paralympic spirit. Our spirit will become part of our legacy to the world. Each one of us can do something to deliver an exceptional experience for our visitors and build our Olympic legacy.

Here are a few ideas:

• Be informed! Keep up-to-date with the latest information about our Olympic journey to make sure that you, your employees, your organization and your neighborhood are ready. Register at 2010commercecentre.gov.bc.ca for business opportunities and to post your company profile free of charge; see www.Vancouver2010.com (VANOC) for the latest winter games intelligence and boardoftrade.com for 2010 News Updates. We will continue to keep you informed, starting with the new Game Plan 2010 pullout section in this issue of Sounding Board, packed with the latest details following the release of the second 2010 Transportation Plan and our recent Games Readiness Workshop with VANOC, City of Vancouver and TransLink.
• Be ready!  We are about to experience a few weeks of what has been described as “business as unusual”…it may also be “life as unusual” and also life beyond our wildest expectations. Plan your commute and business hours now, and engage your employees in making sure that everyone can enjoy the Olympic experience. While we are all planning for our businesses, let’s also make sure that we start planning now how best to engage and encourage our families to enjoy all that the Games offer; plan now to get to events early (and stay late), and ensure your car is not part of your transportation plan if at all possible. 
• Be engaged! Attend events in the lead-up to the Games and be prepared to share the amazing story of Vancouver at every opportunity. See how you can contribute through volunteerism and programs like VANOC’s 2010 Employee Loan Program and the Student Sponsorship Program. You could provide your employees with an experience of a lifetime by loaning them to the Games, or you could propel a young person into experiences that will be with them forever by sponsoring a student.
• Support our athletes. Recently, you might have noticed the red mittens popping up everywhere. These were debuted at the Board of Trade lunch in October featuring VANOC CEO John Furlong. These are the same red mittens that all of our Olympic torchbearers will be wearing as they proudly carry the Olympic flame across Canada.  They are now available at official Olympic retailers for $10 a pair. Net proceeds go towards Own the Podium 2010, providing Canadian athletes with top equipment and training.
• Smile: There are few gestures as inspiring or encouraging as a smile. Remember this while you are talking to others about our Games, helping a visitor or just walking down the street – a smile is one of the best ways to communicate your spirit. We want to ensure that our community and our neighborhoods are the best they can be when we host the world and show our true Olympic spirit through our friendliness, energy, care and compassion as hosts. And we owe this to the late VANOC chairman Jack Poole who passed away last month and without whom we would not be hosting this event. Jack was a hero who embodied every aspect of true, community spirit. He has bequeathed to us the benefit of a better community to live in, and we have a responsibility to live up to his high standards. And we are up for that. 

So as we head into a very special part of our year where we can reflect on how incredibly fortunate we are to live in one of the most precious places on the planet, let’s also think about how we can do one thing: one act of kindness and generosity to improve the life of someone else. Let’s also think about what we can do to ensure that Canada’s 2010 Winter Games are remembered as an exceptional event hosted by one of the greatest communities in the world.

On behalf of all the staff and the board of directors at The Vancouver Board of Trade, I wish you and your families a peaceful and happy holiday season. 

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