CPABC in Focus July/August 2016 | Page 7

NOTES & NEWS Checking Up on BC's Economy O n May 13, 2016, CPABC held its first economic plenary session at a CPABC Pacific Summit event. Building on the launch of CPABC’s economic roundtables in Kelowna and Victoria in 2015, this plenary session marked the launch of another new initiative to bring members into the discussion on BC’s economy. Entitled “Checking up on BC’s Economy,” the plenary session featured three prominent CPA business leaders: Dave Brownlie, FCPA, FCA, president and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb Holdings; Meryle Corbett, FCPA, FCMA, CFO and director of finance of KF Aerospace; and Peter Leitch, FCPA, FCA, president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios. During the hour-long session, which was moderated by CPABC president and CEO Richard Rees, FCPA, FCA, the panellists discussed BC’s economic drivers, as well as its economic impediments, and answered questions from the member audience. Not surprisingly, the challenge posed by housing costs in the Metro Vancouver area, the importance of recruiting and retaining skilled labour, and the need to diversify BC’s economy were the hottest topics of discussion. Attendees were invited to provide feedback on the plenary session via the Summit mobile application (as was the case for all Summit seminars and panels), and the vast majority gave it a high rating. Look for more such sessions in future. For a recap of the Pacific Summit and additional photos, see pages 44-45. Share Your Opinions on BC’s Business Climate Invitations to participate in CPABC’s Business Outlook Survey going out end of July Kamaga/iStock/Thinkstock CPABC will be conducting its annual Business Outlook Survey at the end of July. Members can expect an email invitation from NRG Research Group inviting them to participate in this year’s survey. The Business Outlook Survey benchmarks members’ views on: • The short- and long-term economic outlook for BC and other jurisdictions; • The business impact of tax and regulatory policies at the municipal, provincial, and national levels; and • The challenges to business success in BC. Results from the survey will be released in the fall. Survey findings form part of CPABC’s budget submission to the provincial government’s select standing committee on finance and government services. To learn more about the Business Outlook Survey, members are encouraged to visit the Government Relations section of our website at bccpa.ca under the News, Events & Publications tab. Top photo: A packed house. Bottom photo (l to r): Richard Rees, FCPA, FCA, president and CEO of CPABC and moderator for the plenary session; Dave Brownlie, FCPA, FCA, president and CEO of Whistler Blackcomb; Meryle Corbett, FCPA, FCMA, CFO and director of finance of KF Aerospace; and Peter Leitch, FCPA, FCA, president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios. Photos by Scott Brammer of Coast Mountain Photography. erhui1979/iStock/Thinkstock CPABC in Focus • July/August 2016 7