While the Vancouver Board of Trade (VBOT) may have recently adopted a new name, its counterpart in Burnaby is moving on from the controversial issue.
The Burnaby Board of Trade (BBOT) said the organization will continue to focus on representing the interest of its members and the Burnaby business community.
“I’m not sure there’s much value to be gained by focusing too much on what another organization is doing,” BBOT president and CEO Paul Holden told the NOW. “I think it’s important to focus on what we can do to deliver the value our members are looking for.”
Last week, the Vancouver board voted in favour of changing its name to the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade.
The move has sparked concern from other business chambers that the Vancouver organization was trying to speak on behalf of the region.
The Surrey Board of Trade has said it would contest the name change.
Holden noted BBOT hasn’t made any decision to follow Surrey’s lead and contest the name, but he still expressed concern the name change could cause confusion.
The Burnaby board and VBOT met last week, with the Burnaby organization sharing its opinion on the name change. In turn, VBOT said it wasn’t looking to be a regional voice or expand its foot print.
In a message to members following the vote, VBOT’s chair Tim Manning said the organization is not changing its mandate.
“Instead, we are embracing our longstanding role as a regional voice, and we are reflecting that half of our members are from businesses outside the City of Vancouver,” he said in a statement.
“For more than a century, our organization has been an advocate for businesses of all sizes across this region. During that time, we have helped champion dozens of infrastructure projects across Greater Vancouver that today play a critical role in B.C. and Canada’s economies.”
The message also noted the organization was “eager” to move forward and work collectively with other chambers in the best interests of the region’s business community.
On that, Holden said BBOT will continue to collaborate with the different chambers, including VBOT, as long as the opportunities are in the best interest of its members and the Burnaby business community.
