Saint John Board of Trade Awarded Accreditation with Distinction at Canadian Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting

Canadian Chambers Awarded Accreditation at Annual Chamber Meeting

Quebec City –  At the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Annual general Meeting held recently in Quebec City, 12 community chambers from across the country received their accreditation.

"We are proud to recognize these chambers as examples of effective, well-managed and stable organizations making a difference in communities across the country – keeping "the voice of business" loud and strong" said Perrin Beatty, Canadian Chamber President and CEO.

To achieve accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in critical areas, including areas of governance, operations, membership programming, policy and advocacy and strategic planning.

Accreditation is aimed at continuous operational improvement and standards of local chambers of commerce and an elevation of their profile across the country as effective and well-managed organizations.

"Accreditation is the acknowledgment that member chambers have been successfully evaluated against rigorous national standards of policy, service and performance," said Roslyn Castleden, President of the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada.

Developed by a team of chamber executives, in conjunction with provincial and territorial chambers and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the accreditation program is operated by an arms-length organization called the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada (CACC). The CACC is composed of representatives from across the country. The Council meets twice per year to review applications for accreditation.

Accreditation is a means of reinforcing and clarifying to the community at large what activities are pivotal to a chamber’s functions and determines the chamber’s unique value proposition vis-à-vis other organizations in the marketplace.

Chambers of commerce and boards of trade that are successful in achieving the requirements for accreditation are recognized each year at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting.

The chambers of commerce and boards of trade that received accreditation at this year’s AGM in Quebec are:

Alberta Chambers of Commerce

The Brampton Board of Trade

Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce

Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce

Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce

Saint John Board of Trade

Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce

Whitby Chamber of Commerce

La Chambre de commerce de Lévis

La Chambre de commerce de St-Georges

La Chambre de commerce et d'industries de Trois-Rivières

La Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Mirabel

La Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Les Maskoutains

For more information on accreditation, visit the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada Web site.