At the recent meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Accreditation Council of Canada, the Council was pleased to be able to recognize chambers from across the country achieving or maintaining their accreditation.
Developed in 2004 by a team of chamber executives, in conjunction with provincial and territorial chambers and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the accreditation program is operated by an arms-length organization called the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada (CACC). The CACC is composed of Chamber representatives from across the country. The Council meets twice per year to review applications for accreditation.
To achieve accreditation, a chamber must meet minimum standards in critical areas pivotal to a Chamber’s success, including organization/governance, policy and advocacy and membership programs/services.
“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,” said Sheri Somerville, President of the Chamber Accreditation Council of Canada.
“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” said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
There are 66 accredited chambers in Canada. In this recent review, the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce (SK) was the only chamber receiving its initial accreditation.
The following 6 chambers of commerce received their reaccreditation for a further three-year period and were recognized for long-term accredited status having been accredited for a continuous period of 15 years:
- Red Deer Chamber of Commerce (AB)
- Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton (NB)
- London Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Ontario Chamber of Commerce
- Chambre de commerce de Val-d’Or (QC)
- Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce (NS)
The following 2 chambers of commerce received their reaccreditation for a further three-year period and were recognized for long-term accredited status having been accredited for a continuous period of 10 years:
- Burlington Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce (SK)
The following chambers of commerce were reaccredited for a further three year period:
- Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Oakville Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Parry Sound Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Port Hope Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Sarnia Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce (ON)
- Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce (YT)