President's Message

President's Message - 2008/09

On behalf of the membership, staff and board, welcome to the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce website. Representing over 700 businesses and individuals, plus an employee pool of 3,000 individuals, the Abbotsford Chamber has developed the organizational infrastructure to make our voices heard well beyond the city limits. For Abbotsford is no longer just a “city in the country”, but a city whose expanding trade and business relationships connect us directly to the world.

This encouraged me to make infrastructure the theme of my Presidency. Abbotsford is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, with one of the strongest year-over-year employment rates in Canada. While this rapid growth has had a positive impact on our economy, it has also put a strain on the city’s physical and social infrastructure.

Public policy at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels must not only reflect these trends, but also anticipate how these changing realities are affecting Abbotsford businesses on the ground.

Transportation is a good example. Decisions that are made today will determine whether our transportation infrastructure has the capacity to withstand the pace of growth in our city; how we stay connected to the greater Metro region; and how existing transportation corridors will let us access our developing industrial areas. Ultimately, these decisions will determine how we move our products to market, and our people from home, to work, and to play.

Working in cooperation with local, provincial and federal governing bodies, we can help to shape the community in which we live and do business. As the organized voice of business, the Chamber can exert the influence required to build a great and lasting infrastructure -- infrastructure that works today and for many years to come.

Together, we can build a better Abbotsford.

Sincerely,

Alvin Epp, President
Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce