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The Okanagan Partnership’s Okanagan Economic Summit I wanted to take the opportunity to encourage you to attend a very important regional event, named the Okanagan Economic Summit, that is being hosted by the Okanagan Partnership (www.okanaganpartnership.ca) on Monday April 4th from 9 am to 3:30 pm at the Grand Okanagan Lakefront Resort and Conference Centre. To register call Okanagan University College at 1-888-638-0058. As Chair of the Economic Development Commission for the Central Okanagan, I am very excited about the work that the Okanagan Partnership has been doing over the last year. The Okanagan Partnership, which is led by co-chairs Gordon Fitzpatrick and Brad Bennett, is a valley-wide initiative that works collaboratively with business, education and government with the common goal of promoting sustainable growth and strengthening competitiveness of the Okanagan Region. Since the launch of the initiative in June 2004, Okanagan business and community leaders have been volunteering their time and are beginning to see tangible results. The Economic Summit will provide the opportunity for some 500 community and business leaders to continue to focus on working as a region and help chart the economic future of the Okanagan, one of British Columbia’s most powerful economic engines. The Okanagan Economic Summit’s major regional topics include the formation of "industry clusters" such as Tourism, Aviation, Forestry, Agriculture, Life Sciences, Knowledge Services, and Wine and Beverages; Post Secondary Education opportunities; Water Management; First Nations Partnership; Integrated Regional Planning; Regional Broadband - Optical Regional Advanced Network (ORAN); Going for Gold, Olympic opportunities for the Okanagan. Premier Gordon Campbell will be the keynote speaker with Dr. Martha Piper, President of UBC, as one of the afternoon guest speakers. From my perspective, the Okanagan Partnership has always been about cooperation across the Okanagan region rather than how any one City is doing versus another. The Okanagan Economic Summit is a unique opportunity for the entire region to put aside our diverse agendas and help to grow a regional economic powerhouse where everyone benefits. It aligns perfectly with Stephen Covey’s abundance mentality - that is, that together we can achieve more than acting on our own and in our separate ways. It recognizes the reality that competing in a global marketplace, whether it be for the tourism dollar or for the technology investment, demands that we act and move as one region. The Okanagan Partnership’s Okanagan Economic Summit is one step towards creating the economic climate throughout the Okanagan that we all can be proud of both now and in the future. Not only will all of us benefit now but, more importantly, future generations will yield the highest benefit from the investments that we choose to make now. I see no reason why the Okanagan cannot be the place of choice: for our young people to receive a world-class education in the field of their choice; for businesses to locate in a positive economic climate; for where our cities and First Nations seize economic opportunities together; where the dream job or business thrives; where we respect and properly steward our natural resources; and where everyone has the opportunity, whether a student, an employee or a business owner to create the life that they really want right here in the Okanagan. I am sure that you will agree - if you and I could be but a small part of making that happen it would all be worth it. Special thanks to all of the volunteers that have dedicated so much of their time already and, in particular, to Gordon Fitzpatrick and Brad Bennett, our two co-chairs or, for their willingness to step up to the plate and lead our regional economy to Small Solutions Not Grand Illusions! May we all look back years from now this Okanagan Economic Summit as one of the key defining moments in the Okanagan region’s long-term prosperity. See you on April 4th. Steve Burns, CA, CMC, CFP, is the President and CEO of Burns Innovation Group Inc. (www.burnsinnovation.com) and Steve Burns Inc. Chartered Accountant (www.steveburns.ca), which provide consulting and accounting services to entrepreneurs. You can reach Steve at 763-4716 |
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