Business

Telus has launched a new fundraising campaign to support the expansion of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice to Abbotsford.

Cascade Aerospace, one of Abbotsford’s largest companies, is opening its doors to the business community on April 27. Members and guests of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the 230,000-sq.ft. facility.

Recognizing that healthy and vibrant not-for-profit organizations keep communities strong, Envision Financial has partnered with Vantage Point to bring the innovative Leaders Lab program to the Fraser Valley. Leaders Lab is a four-month training program for executives and board members looking to improve their knowledge of good practice in not-for-profit management. Ultimately, the program goal is to inspire and build leadership in the voluntary sector.

McDonald’s is pleased to announce that Sid and Daphne Johnson have been named the newest owner operators in the Abbotsford community, taking over four McDonald’s restaurants from Chuck Vertes, who will continue to operate restaurants in Aldergrove.

A winner of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce’s new business of the year Business Excellence Award is the new chamber president. Patrick Giesbrecht took over the position on Wednesday from outgoing president Pat Sapielak. Giesbrecht started the business Pacific North Advertising, and for which he won new business of the year in 2005. He sold the business in 2007, and now operates Pacific North Marketing.

Columbia Cabinets in Abbotsford is helping to raise money for relief efforts in Japan. The manufacturer offers rebates on all the cabinet products it sells to the approximately 190 dealerships and 600 designers it has in the U.S. and Canada. Columbia is now allowing those rebates to be designated to the Red Cross, with the company doubling the amount.

Most Abbotsford and Mission residents have seen the corridor-widening improvements along Old Yale Road from Marshall Road to Dina Place. Those are among the 12 road improvement projects ICBC invested in for Abbotsford and Mission in 2010.

The Abbotsford News has won five Suburban Newspaper of America (SNA) editorial awards, and is also nominated for a Canadian Community Newspaper honour.

Gregg Saretsky wants to let you in on a few secrets, five to be precise. Saretsky, president and CEO of WestJet, will be speaking on the topic of Engaging Employees: WestJet’s 5 Secrets to Success when he visits Abbotsford on Wednesday, March 23. Saretsky is the second speaker in UFV president Mark Evered’s Leadership Lecture Series.

The Fraser Valley Chambers of Commerce business showcase is back for a fourth year on April 6 from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Tradex. Event organizers expect more than 1,000 people to attend the tradeshow and almost 200 businesses to exhibit.