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Chamber of Commerce announces new honours in the Business of the Year Awards

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Submitted by Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce

2022 Business of the Year finalists announced

The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce announced the 2022 Business of the Year finalistsĀ today for central Albertaā€™s most prestigious business awards. An independent adjudicationĀ committee comprised of local business leaders selected 18 finalists from more than 74 nominees inĀ this annual celebration of business excellence.

ā€œThe last two years have demonstrated that businesses in Red Deer & District are resilient, boldĀ and driven to succeedā€ says Scott Robinson, CEO, Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce. Ā ā€œWe are so proud of all the over 70 nominees for this yearā€™s Business of the Year awardsĀ presented by connectFirst Credit Union and excited to present the following 18 businesses as theĀ finalists for this yearā€™s awardsā€

In the Small Business of the Year category, the finalists are ā€“ Juiced Audio, Sweet CaponesĀ Bakery & CafĆ©, and The Red Deer Mechanic

For the Business of the Year category the finalists are ā€“ Abbey Master Builder, Central AlbertaĀ Co-op and Prime Boiler

In the New Business of the Year the finalists are ā€“ Creekside Creative Academy, Hello BeautifulĀ Bridal Boutique, and Mint Smartwash

For the Emerging Business of the Year category, the finalists are ā€“ Custom Furniture of Canada,Ā Masterpiece Salon & Spa and Recovery Lab

In the Business Leader of the Year the finalists are ā€“ Carl Sauve ā€“ KCB Cabinets, Donna PurcellĀ ā€“ Donna Purcell QC Law and Doug Anderson ā€“ Peavey Industries

In the Non-Profit Award finalists are ā€“ Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Central Alberta HumaneĀ Society and Central Alberta Pride Society.

Businesses are nominated by the public and all completed nominee packages are given to aĀ judging committee. The committee then conducts a comprehensive evaluation to determine theĀ finalists. As an outcome of this process, the winners are also determined, however the results areĀ sealed and embargoed until the awards ceremony.

Winners of the 2022 Business of the Year Awards will be announced at an annual ceremony, to beĀ held at the Red Deer Polytechnic Arts Centre, Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

This yearā€™s title sponsor, connectFirst Credit Union is one of the largest and most successful creditĀ unions in Canada, connectFirst is a full-service financial institution with over $6 billion in assetsĀ under administration. connectFirst employs 750 Albertans who provide a range of financialĀ products and advice in more than 40 communities across central and southern Alberta. It servesĀ over 125,000 members through a community-focused approach to banking.

Tickets for this exciting event are available online at www.reddeerchamber.com or at the ChamberĀ office, 3017 Gaetz Avenue.

The Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce is a collaborative leader in building a vibrantĀ community and fosters an environment where businesses can lead, be innovative, sustainable, andĀ grow.

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2025 Federal Election

MEI-Ipsos poll: 56 per cent of Canadians support increasing access to non-governmental healthcare providers

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Ā 

  • Most believe private providers can deliver services faster than government-run hospitals

  • 77 per cent of Canadians say their provincial healthcare system is too bureaucratic

Canadians are increasingly in favour of breaking the government monopoly over health care by opening the door to independent providers and cross-border treatments, an MEI-Ipsos poll has revealed.

ā€œCanadians from coast to coast are signalling they want to see more involvement from independent health providers in our health system,ā€ explains Emmanuelle B. Faubert, economist at the MEI. ā€œThey understand that universal access doesnā€™t mean government-run, and that consistent failures to deliver timely care in government hospitals are a feature of the current system.ā€

Support for independent health care is on the rise, with 56 per cent of respondents in favour of allowing patients to access services provided by independent health entrepreneurs. Only 25Ā perĀ cent oppose this.

In Quebec, support is especially strong, with 68 per cent endorsing this change.

Favourable views of accessing care through a mixed system are widespread, with three quarters of respondents stating that private entrepreneurs can deliver healthcare services faster than hospitals managed by the government. This is up four percentage points from last year.

Countries like Sweden and France combine universal coverage with independent providers and deliver faster, more accessible care. When informed about how these health systems run, nearly two in three Canadians favour adopting such models.

The poll also finds that 73 per cent of Canadians support allowing patients to receive treatment abroad with provincial coverage, which could help reduce long wait times at home.

Common in the European Union, this ā€œcross-border directiveā€ enabledĀ 450,000 patientsĀ to access elective surgeries in 2022, with costs reimbursed as if they had been treated in their home country.

Thereā€™s a growing consensus that provincial healthcare systems are overly bureaucratic, with the strongest agreement in Alberta, B.C., and Quebec. The proportion of Canadians holding this view has risen by 16 percentage points since 2020.

Nor do Canadians see more spending as being a solution: over half say the current pace of healthcare spending in their province is unsustainable.

ā€œGovernments shouldnā€™t keep doubling down on what isnā€™t working. Instead, they should look at what works abroad,ā€ says Ms. Faubert. ā€œCanadians have made it clear they want to shift gears; now itā€™s up to policymakers to show theyā€™re listening.ā€

A sample of 1,164 Canadians aged 18 and older was polled between March 24thĀ and March 28th, 2025. The margin of error is Ā±3.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The results of the MEI-Ipsos poll are available here.

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The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.

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2025 Federal Election

POLL: Canadians say industrial carbon tax makes life more expensive

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By Franco Terrazzano

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released LegerĀ pollingĀ showing 70 per cent of Canadians believe businesses pass on most or some of the cost of the industrial carbon tax to consumers. Meanwhile, just nine per cent believe businesses pay most of the cost.

ā€œThe poll shows Canadians understand that a carbon tax on business is a carbon tax on Canadians that makes life more expensive,ā€ said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. ā€œOnly nine per cent of Canadians believe Liberal Leader Mark Carneyā€™s claim that businesses will pay most of the cost of his carbon tax.

ā€œCanadians have a simple question for Carney: How much will your carbon tax cost?ā€

The federal government currently imposes an industrial carbon tax on oil and gas, steel and fertilizer businesses,Ā among others.

CarneyĀ saidĀ he would ā€œimprove and tightenā€ the industrial carbon tax and extend the ā€œframework to 2035.ā€ Carney alsoĀ saidĀ that by ā€œchanging the carbon tax ā€¦ We are making the large companies pay for everybody.ā€

The Leger poll asked Canadians who they think ultimately pays the industrial carbon tax. Results of theĀ pollĀ show:

  • 44 per cent say most of the cost is passed on to consumers
  • 26 per cent say some of the cost is passed on to consumers
  • 9 per cent say businesses pay most of the cost
  • 21 per cent donā€™t know

Among those decided on the issue, 89 per cent of Canadians say businesses pass on most or some of the cost to consumers.

ā€œCarbon taxes on refineries make gas more expensive, carbon taxes on utilities make home heating more expensive and carbon taxes on fertilizer plants increase costs for farmers and that makes groceries more expensive,ā€ Terrazzano said. ā€œA carbon tax on business will push our entrepreneurs to cut production in Canada and increase production south of the border and that means higher prices and fewer jobs for Canadians.ā€

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