President Paul Philps hosted Dan Proulx, representing the Vernon Chamber of Commerce, to our online meeting. The Chamber is a non-profit with over 600 members, supporting economic development of our region. Funding comes from a combination of member investment & Chamber-hosted events. During the current Covid-19 pandemic, events are cancelled, but the Chamber remains active. Their regular work includes training & education for members, business advocacy to all levels of government, & support of local business through online listings & gift certificate programs. An important new initiative: “Relaunch Vernon Toolkit,” at https://www.vernonchamber.ca/relaunch-vernon , gathers a wide variety of information & tools local businesses can use to help them survive the pandemic. Components include creating a back to work task force, preparing your office or workspace, preparing your employees, & preparing to do business. Members are encouraged to “Be Prepared” for a second wave of the pandemic, for the loss of government subsidies, for employees working at home, & to initiate or expand their online & virtual presence. Everyone is asked to patronize local businesses when possible, remembering that, unlike Amazon or other multi-nationals, they in turn support our local causes.