Welcome to Your Kamloops!

Holiday Video Greetings from Arjun....

Thanks to the good folks at Mastermind Studios for setting up a video greeting booth at the November Kamloops Chamber of Commerce social and trade show. A great service!

 

Celebrating Business Excellence in Kamloops...

I love and admire entrepreneurs. People who risk, innovate, create jobs, and follow their dreams. I'm proud to know incredible successful Kamloops entrepreneurs like my dear friend Peter Cameron-Inglis (the good looking lad in the above photo). Peter has been nominated as a finalist for business person of the year for the 2011 Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards, along with two other amazing local entrepreneurs and friends Mike Miltimore and Natalie Peace. The complete list of Business Excellence Awards finalists is on this Kamloops Chamber web page. Congrats to all the finalists and to all those who were nominated!

I'm humbled that Peter has endorsed me for city council and has volunteered on my campaign committee. He has brought amazing insight and ideas.

Entrepreneurial Programs in Kamloops That I am Keeping an Eye on...

• The folks involved with Race to a Million keep on promoting and providing amazing opportunities for Kamloops Entrepreneurs.

 

• Venture Kamloops and KPMG have partnered on an initiative for local entrepreneurs wanting feedback on their businesses. The Kamloops Business Corral (a fitting name in Kamloops!) has many seasoned, successful entrepreneurs on board as advisors. 

 

• Howie Reimer, a local radio broadcaster, is offering a training program for people interested in learning how good radio magic is made. This is a tantalizing prospect for those of us who have aspirations "behind the mike".

TRU Students Propose Innovative Mug Share - $100 000 On Offer...

Three TRU students have entered the TD Go Green Challenge. Their video, detailing something I've never heard of and think could totally work, is garnering a large number of votes. I really enjoyed watching their stop motion animated explanation.

More details from Kaitlin Boyd:

 

I am a TRU student in my last year of my Economics/Political Science degree and have also worked with the TRU Sustainability Department last year.  I just wanted to let you know about a group of TRU students (Jeff Hicks, Bonnie Klohn, and myself) that have entered the TD Go Green Challenge, the contest asks students to solve a sustainability challenge facing their school and make a video about it.  The prizes are quite substantial..... The first place video will receive $100,000 to support sustainability initiatives at their school, 2nd and 3rd places receive money for their school as well ($20,000 and $15,000),  and they are currently voting for the people's choice video, a $2500 prize. We are trying to get as much publicity as possible for the video to raise the profile of TRU and help the video get more votes! Our idea is a program designed to make reusable mugs available to people buying coffee/tea instead of hoping they remember to bring theirs from home everyday to campus.
 
It would be great to get some Kamloops support for the video!

 

The video link is here: http://www.tdgogreenchallenge.com/video/id/91/playid/91

 

And here is a description of our idea: The Mug Share Program aims to make re-useable clean mugs accessible on campus. Similar to Bike Share programs, mugs will be shared and circulated freely amongst wash stations beside vendors

 

 Thanks very much for your time, have a great day!

Kaitlin

Video Update and Thank You - Raising Funds for Kamloops Youth Outreach...

Less than three minute update and thank you. Project to raise $100 000 moving along well. Would love your help!

 

Please Consider Supporting An Incredibly Important Program in Kamloops...

It was a tremendous honour to be asked by the good folks at Interior Community Services to participate in a really important fundraising effort. I've enrolled in a monthly donation program and am asking readers of YourKamloops.com if you will consider giving what you can - one time or monthly.

Over the past 18 months, the youth outreach workers in our community have assisted over 300 young people in accessing a whole range of services - housing, life skills, health care, and much more. The government funding for this program will run out in spring 2011 and I feel we can raise the requisite funds. We are looking to raise $100 000. Here is a short video and  PDFs you can download for more info:

Supporting Kamloops Youth Outreach Info Sheet ICS Pre-Authorized Debit - Donations Form 2010

Lack of Blogging Explanation and Kudos...

I'm writing this post from a Starbucks in the Cadboro Bay neighbourhood in Victoria. Been attending my second MA residency at Royal Roads University; today was officially the halfway point of three weeks away. I feel fortunate to be studying professional communications with an amazing group of people - more than 50 strong from across the country. It's been an incredibly busy time, so I am assuming blogging here will be light until early November.

A couple of kudos, though, before I get back to the books.

• Kudos to my friend Nancy Bepple, who has been a great Kamloops councillor in my humble opinion, for every once in a while sending an email with important information. The latest one I received was on the public meetings on the community bike and pedestrian master plans.
• Kudos the Kamloops Daily News, and I think Catherine Litt in particular, for organizing the Kamloops Project - "a multimedia time capsule of life in Kamloops, British Columbia, as experienced through its residents on Oct. 19, 2010." I am crushed I missed submitting something yesterday. Came down with an awful cold from which I am trying now to recover.

Around a Roundtable with (other) Kamloops Entrepreneurs...

 

Before most meetings I attend, typically, I have a bit of routine. I think to myself "it would be really great if you didn't really say much, but just really focused on listening". I'd like to think I have become better at this. I find huge value in listening to people. It is something that I have struggled with, for sure.

I was very excited to attend the Kamloops Chamber member's policy round table last week. It is awesome that the Chamber provides such opportunities for input as it has had a lot of success lobbying governments at all levels to implement or change policies and practices. There was quite a bit of discussion on commercial property taxes, offroad vehicle regulations, and airport access beautification. Many other topics came up as well. The above image is the list I made at the meeting.

There seemed to be a reluctance by some Chamber board members present to discuss the HST. It was, however, raised by some of the people present - mostly in the form of wanting exemptions for their own business types. I tried to listen intently to the points raised by others. One of the 2 items I did raise was around institutionalizing in legislation public consulation on initiatives where the government change its platform on a big ticket item like the HST. Our trust in politicians keeps on sinking.

Experienced Kamloops Entrepreneurs Race to a Million....

Two Kamloops boosters for whom I have a lot of respect have launched a contest that asks teams of entrepreneurs to turn five hundred dollars into a cool million dollars in ten and a half months. Peter Cameron-Inglis and Dean Pierson are youtubing the pre-launch phase:

Did You Nominate A Business for a Business Excellence Award?

Mark your Calendars for the 2010 Kamloops Chamber Business Excellence Awards....always a great night of celebration!