The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce received approval for accreditation by the Chamber Network's national body. (battlefordsNOW/Canadian Chamber of Commerce)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Seal of approval

Battlefords Chamber of Commerce receives national accreditation

Dec 3, 2021 | 8:05 AM

Members of the business community received a vote of confidence from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

At the recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Accreditation Council of Canada, the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce was recognized alongside chambers from across the country achieving or maintaining their accreditation.

The accreditation program is operated by an arms-length organization called the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada (CACC). To achieve accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in critical areas pivotal to its success, including organization/governance, policy and advocacy and membership programs and services.

This approval lasts a period of three years, before said chamber would have to apply for reaccreditation. The review process happens twice a year.

“Accreditation is the acknowledgment that member chambers have been successfully evaluated against a rigorous set of national standards and have demonstrated excellence in chamber management,” President of the Chamber Accreditation Council Sheri Somerville said in a media release.

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“We are proud to recognize these chambers as examples of leading organizations making a difference in communities across the country – keeping ‘the voice of business’ loud and strong” Canadian Chamber President and CEO Perrin Beatty added.

Proud to receive the news

Linda Machniak, the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce Chief Operating Officer, said they’re thrilled to receive the seal of approval. It was a lengthy application process, which Machniak said would’ve taken a tremendous amount of time even if they had been focused on just that and nothing else.

“The material we have put together probably fills a four-inch binder,” she said. “A big thank you to our summer interns, I’m not sure we would have finished the project without their help.”

For members of the chamber, Machniak said this is important for them to know that the organization is meeting a national standard. The Battlefords is the lone chamber receiving initial accreditation this year, with 15 others nationwide getting reaccredited for another three years.

”They can feel confident that being a member of an organization that has the accreditation says that [they] have confidence in the work and the ability they have to accomplish the tasks at hand,” she said.

There’s also a confidence boost for staff. Machniak said it’s reassuring that they’re doing good work.

“The policies, practices, procedures, governance items,” she said, “everything is in place so employees can have confidence that we’re meeting that high standard.”

There’s a total of 66 accredited chambers across the country. The accreditation program has been in place in Canada since 2004.

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cjnbnews@pattisonmedia.com

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