Chairman's Message: Reflections on challenges and achievements

By Dr. Don Rix (June 22, 2009)

Immediate Past Chair bids farewell

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The old saying about how time flies when you are enjoying what you’re doing has certainly been true of the past year for me. Very soon I will have finished my term of office as chairman of The Vancouver Board of Trade – and it has been a great experience.

I have met so many inspiring and engaged community leaders, made new friends and heard some great speakers at the numerous events I had the privilege to attend in my role as chair. Like so many other organizations, we have had our financial challenges this year and I am proud of the way The Board and the staff have handled those challenges.

As I prepare to pass the torch to the very talented and energetic Sue Paish, I would like to share with you a number of developments that have made this an exceptional year for me.

For as long as I have been involved with The Board, one of the things that has impressed me most about this organization is its tenacity in focusing attention on issues that affect the livelihood and well-being of all Canadians. This year was no exception as The Board continued in its campaign to address the serious impact that crime is having on our society and to bring this critical issue to the top of the agenda for lawmakers, the public and the media.

In March of this year, managing director Darcy Rezac and chief economist emeritus Dave Park led a mission from The Board to Ottawa to meet with MPs on both sides of the House of Parliament, senators, the head of Statistics Canada, the Justice Minister, MP’s, senators and the Justice Committee to drive home the message that we need to put politics aside and address this very real and present danger to the public with the urgency it deserves.

And we had success. Statistics Canada agreed not to refer to police-reported crime as "the national crime rate," – a point The Board has long contested, arguing true crime levels are a lot worse as only one-third of crime is actually reported to police. Statistics Canada also agreed Criminal Victimization Surveys, showing far higher numbers, should be conducted annually in Canada instead of every five years, provided funding needs are met.

Another area of great concern to Canadians where The Board is taking the initiative is health care, so look out for news of our upcoming world-class forum on health planned over the coming months.

Of course, the most rewarding development for me this year has been the establishment of the Rix Center for Corporate Citizenship and Engaged Leadership. Building on one of the core values of The Board of Trade, the Center provides a gathering point where leaders in business, together with our education partners, can emphasize the importance of corporate citizenship and community engagement. The Center also offers a physical location where others can come and learn and be inspired to become engaged citizens.

I am truly thankful to everyone, especially to our prestigious launch partners: UBC’s Sauder School of Business; Simon Fraser University’s Segal Graduate School of Business; the University of Victoria Faculty of Business, The Justice Institute of British Columbia, The Vancouver Sun and the National Post,who have all become involved in bringing the Rix Center into being. And I am grateful for the opportunity to establish a legacy that will enable The Board to continue on its mission …connecting for good^®.

BMO Bank of Montreal

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Website: www.bmo.com

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is one of the largest financial services providers in North America. BMO serves its 34,000 clients across Canada through BMO Bank of Montreal and BMO Nesbitt Burns, one of Canada's largest full-service investment firms; and in the United States through Chicago-based Harris. BMO Harris Private Banking has been selected as the best private bank and BMO InvestorLine is ranked as the number one online brokerage in Canada.

BMO Bank of Montreal has been a long-standing and integral part of B.C. since 1887. BMO employs more than 2,800 people in British Columbia — with 141 bank branches and six BMO Nesbitt Burns offices, not including locations in BMO Bank of Montreal branches.

BMO Bank of Montreal is the number two small business lender in Canada, with over 19% market share, and is committed to becoming the number one small business lender.