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Start-up Week Okanagan

Startup Week – 10 Days of Awesome

The second annual Startup Week Okanagan offers a unique convergence of music, education, art, entertainment, business and technology. With over 30 events over 10 days, fostering creative growth, community connections and showcasing the tremendous professional talent in the valley, Startup Week Okanagan 2014 is ten energy-fueled days of action!

With nearly thirty different events happening over 10 days, navigating the Startup Week Okanagan schedule can be a daunting task. Let us present the comprehensive guide to Startup Week Okanagan, with events tailored to your interests. Check out these events if…

…you are a living, breathing human over the age of 19:

…you are interested in spending the day at Big White and calling it “networking”

…you want to learn from some of the most exciting entrepreneurs around

…you want to make a difference in the world

…you have an idea for a startup and don’t know what to do next

…you want to learn to use technology to benefit your business:

…you are fanatic about good design:

…you like video games

…you like art with a technology and/or gaming twist

For more info on all of these events and more, check out the Startup Week Okanagan website.

or contact:

Brea Retzlaff

Community Manager  |  Accelerate Okanagan
250.870.9028 ext.2114 | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
www.accelerateokanagan.com  |  www.twitter.com/accelerateok
Kelowna Innovation Centre, 1405 St. Paul Street, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1Y 2E4.
Our mission: to increase the number of technology companies that start and grow in the Okanagan.


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CFDCCO supports Okanagan Valley Labour Market Outlook Survey

January 29, 2014


You may have been invited to participate in a survey about the labour market outlook being conducted by R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. on behalf of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. A representative will be visiting your region and contacting your organization in January or February to complete an interview with you in-person, by paper, by phone, online, or by fax. The project is funded by the:
• Okanagan Valley Economic Development Society;
• Okanagan College;
• University of British Columbia Okanagan;
• Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia: Labour Market Partnership; and
• Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (a function of the Regional District of Central Okanagan).

The Okanagan Valley is experiencing a change in economic climate and demographic shift, which brings unique opportunities and challenges to businesses that operate in the region. Your opinions will help us understand the labour market trends so that the future supply of labour will meet demand in order to grow and maintain a strong regional economy. Information you provide will be used to:
• Forecast demand and supply of labour in the region from 2015 through 2019;
• Identify sources of labour by major occupation;
• Identify gaps with respect to labour supply and training programming;
• Help inform policies and programs to respond to labour market gaps; and
• Inform the development of education and skilled training over the next five years.

Your opinions are important and the Regional District of Central Okanagan and its partners strongly encourage you to participate. Your participation is voluntary, and will not affect your relationship with the Regional District. Individual data pertaining to any organization or person will not be published and will be treated as anonymous. The information you provide will be used for research purposes only and will be administered under the applicable federal and provincial privacy laws.

As a thank you for your time, you will be offered a $10 Tim Hortons gift card when you complete the survey in-person with our interviewers. You may also enter your name in a draw for a chance to win one of two super prizes. Your name will not be linked to your responses.
1) Return flights from Kelowna to Vancouver, one night accommodation and two tickets to
a 2013/14 Canucks season game; or
2) A spa package at Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon (to be redeemed by June, 2014).

Within one week after receiving this information package, our interviewers will visit your business or contact you by phone to identify the person most knowledgeable about human resource in your company to complete the survey and discuss your preferred method for providing the requested information. This includes an opportunity to complete the survey inperson with one of our interviewers when we visit your region in January or February. The interview will take approximately 45 to 60 minutes to complete. We would ask that you complete the survey by March 1, 2014. You may complete the survey:
• In-Person: Either complete the survey with an interviewer who will drop by your business or schedule an in-person visit by calling R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd.
toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code

Monday-Friday: 8:30am to 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm to 8:00pm


• By Phone: Call R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. toll-free at 1-888-274-1700 with your access code to complete the survey over the phone.
• On Paper: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, complete the survey, and return it to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. using the enclosed postagepaid envelope.
• By Fax: Ask for a paper survey package from our interviewer, fax the completed survey to R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd at 1-888-384-2774 (toll free).
• Online: Visit okanagan.malatest.net to complete the survey online with your access code.

For questions about the survey, please contact Ben Chou from R. A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. at 1-800-665-5848 ext. 426 (toll free). To verify the legitimacy of the survey, please contact
Corie Griffiths, Business Development Officer at (250) 469-6280 from the Regional District of Central Okanagan.

Thank you for your participation in this important study that will help build a stronger Okanagan Valley economy.

Sincerely,
Robert Fine,
Executive Director
Economic Development Commission
Regional District of Central Okanagan

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Create a Happier Family & Improve your Relationships, Community and Life by taking the Family Day Challenge!

Join in on BC’s second annual family day by taking the ultimate Family Day Challenge! This event reminds us to reflect on how we spend our time with our family and in our community and is perfect for families with kids aged 3-12.

 “We’re excited that our event will help build stronger relationships in our families, our communities, and the world,” say Jeff Hoffart of ED-ucation Publishing and Jessica Lahrs of Story is Yours. “We also care about giving back and all profits from the event will go to The Bridge Youth and Family Services and help support youth and families in our community”. 

 The Salvation Army is a proud sponsor for the event and has been serving families in the Central Okanagan of British Columbia since 1919.  Major Toni Cartmell shares, “Our mission is to support families with the many pressures that are present in today’s culture, in a way that nurtures healthy choices.  We do this by resourcing parents and children body, mind and spirit, with the tools that they need that will help them live fulfilling and purposeful lives.”

 In addition to the event experience and giving back to our community, a $25 Family ticket also includes:

  • a Fun and Meaningful 2014 Personalized Family Action plan and the resources to start making positive change today
  • over $50 of gifts and resources, including a personalized action plan, a family board game, an autographed copy of the A is for Action: The ABCs of Taking Action children’s book, and surprises from our amazing sponsors

Date:  Monday, February 10, 2014 (Public Holiday - B.C. Family Day)

Location: Kelowna Elks Lodge (205-2040 Springfield Road)

Register at www.FamilyDayChallenge.comfor a two hour interactive experience on BC Family Day, with a choice of four available start times. Registration is open until February 9th; There are a limited number of tickets, so register early for your preferred time. Got questions? There is a short video o our site that should answer them all! If not, feel free to call Jeff at250-869-2199

This is truly a community event thanks to our proud Platinum sponsors, Story is Yours, ED-ucation Publishing, and The Salvation Army, as well as our Gold sponsors, UrbanFare, Just Be Friends, Kelowna InstaPrint, Valeo Health Clinic, ZelaWelaKids, and the Elks Lodge.

About The Bridge Youth and Family Services

The Bridge Youth and Family Services Society, a non-profit, charitable organization, has been developing and providing innovative and quality programming for children, youth and families in the Central Okanagan of British Columbia since 1969. The Bridge Youth and Family Services Society works to enhance the lives of all citizens of our community and is committed to helping children and youth become healthy adults, and building healthy and positive relationships within families and communities. 

www.thebridgeservices.ca

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CFDCCO and Women's Enterprise Centre Staff support Soup Sisters

soup Sister dec 18

Staff from Community Futures and Women's Enterprise Centre are warming hearts... one bowl at a time.

Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers is a non-profit charitable social enterprise dedicated to providing comfort to women, children and youth through the making, sharing and donating of soup.

Anyone can be a Soup Sister and a Broth Brother . Simply join us in one of our soup-making sessions that will provide hundreds of litres of soup to women shelters and programs for youth in crisis right across the country!

The concept is simple. Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers are year-round programs where participants pay a $55 registration fee to participate in a soup-making event at a local professional kitchen under the guidance of a chef facilitator. Each event produces approximately 150-200 servings of nourishing soup that are delivered fresh to a local shelter. Events are social evenings with lively conversation, chopping, laughter and warm kitchen camaraderie that culminate in a simple, sit-down supper of soup, salad, bread and wine for all participants.

The Soup Sisters organization does not profit from the $55 participation fee as ninety-five percent of the $55 participation fee goes to the culinary partner. Soup Sisters is actually a customer of the Culinary Partner and afforded all the benefits of good service, fresh ingredients and operational excellence as any customer would receive. This ensures that the finest ingredients possible are used every time for the soups we provide to women, children and youth.

Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers was founded in 2009 by Calgarian Sharon Hapton who had a very simple belief in the power of soup as a nurturing and nourishing gesture that could make a tangible difference. Hapton believed that two of societies most prevalent issues, domestic abuse and youth homelessness would benefit from the care and warmth that comes in a bowl of soup. A powerful message that says 'we care' is now being delivered to over 25 residential shelters across the country through home-made delicious soup made with the finest ingredients.

Hundreds of community people are coming together across the country to produce over 8000 servings of fresh and delicious soups for women, children and youth each month. Since March of 2009, over 250,000 containers of soup have been delivered to shelters from East to West, and there is a growing network of over 9500 Soup Sisters and Broth Brothers participants across the country.

Our monthly events operate at a break even in order to remain accessible to everyone. As we meet the demands to provide home made soup across the country our rapid growth requires donations. Your contribution is a valuable investment in our communities that generates tangible action through real results. Please go to our Soup Support page to find out all of the simple ways in which you can donate. Soup Sisters is a registered not-for-profit organization and donations over $25 are eligible for a tax-deductible receipt.

http://www.soupsisters.org/kelowna.php

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