A Chamber of Commerce’s objective is to enhance opportunities for its members. The Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC) is focused on addressing business issues affecting GLBT business owners and professionals, as well as giving an economic face to our community. Currently the CGLCC has nearly 1200 members through its affiliate network. The established GLBT Chambers and Business Associations in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and BC and are working to encourage new groups recently formed in Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada.
“In 1999 I became involved with the Ontario Gay and Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce that was encouraged to form by the Quebec Gay Chamber of Commerce,” R. Bruce McDonald told Gaycalgary.com. Mr. McDonald co-founded the organization with Darrell Schuurman. “In my consulting work, I traveled frequently across Canada and in the US. In 2000, I began making contacts with other similar organizations and GLBT business leaders throughout North America. The discussions focused on the idea of forming a national organization to link the current Canadian groups and foster groups in areas of the country, where no current business groups exist. As I traveled meeting people across Canada they all echoed the same theme: ‘Great idea, let us know when you have it up and running.’”
Over the next few years McDonald spent time gathering information and making contacts within Canada. In April of 2003, he was invited by the Greater Phoenix Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to the first US GLBT Chamber and Business Conference, where he met the two founders of the newly formed National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) [from the USA], Chance Mitchell and Justin Nelson. Over the course of the weekend McDonald discussed with them how they started the NGLCC and how things were progressing. Nelson and Mitchell invited McDonald to attend Equality Forum, the world’s largest LGBT Human Rights event and festival. At the event McDonald met a number of wonderful people, and returned to Toronto.
“I happened to meet Darrell Schuurman at an Ontario Gay & Lesbian Chamber Of Commerce meeting the following week. I met him for lunch two weeks later to discuss forming a Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. I was booked to go to Washington DC the next day to meet with the US Chamber and begin to get more information to begin the process in Canada. I asked Darrell to come with me and he did. After our meetings with our counterparts in the US in early June 2003, we began the process. We hired a lawyer to prepare the Federal incorporation documents and set to work on a business plan.”
The plan came to fruition on August 1, 2003 in Montreal, when the formation of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and a project to promote Canada as a “Gay Friendly travel destination internationally.”
In addition to the CGLCC Tourism (www.travelgaycanada.com) the organization has had two other initiatives and is looking forward to other projects.
“We have launched a workplace initiative, which developed a training program for business organizations. The program deals with anti-homophobia training and gay friendly customer/client services. This program is now ready for delivery and will set the national standard for training in this area for Canada. We also have launched supplier diversity, which is our pilot project for this program, and it will begin this fall. The CGLCC will set the standards and certification requirements for Gay and Lesbian owned businesses to be certified as ‘Diversity Suppliers,’ for those corporations recognizing LGBT in their Diversity Procurement programs. IBM Canada is leading the way in this area and are providing [support] for the development of this program.”
McDonald touted the positives about the CGLCC’s existence.
“A focus on LGBT business is the only way to give the community an economic face and a say on issues affecting LGBT business and Professionals. Many mainstream chambers have applauded our efforts in areas like our tourism initiative, as they do not have the resources to concentrate on a niche market like LGBT Tourism. But, realize a program in that area will benefit everyone in the community, by bringing in investment and tourism dollars for the whole community. The LGBT community is a valuable component in our cities and provinces. We contribute substantially to the tax base and it is time that we work with government and industry to ensure reinvestment in our community.”
McDonald will be in Alberta in the fall to discuss Alberta branches of the CGLCC and believes Calgary can benefit greatly by establishing its own chapter.
“Alberta, and Calgary in particular, has a large and emerging gay population, but it is struggling to be heard and recognized within this conservative province. By businesses and individuals uniting, they can put an economic face to the LGBT community, a face that is for the most part completely overlooked by government. Calgary and Alberta need to see and hear, that gay business plays an important part in the economy. This will help in the fight, on all fronts, for true LGBT equality within the province.”
The question then is how can the community of Calgary and other cities form their own Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce?
“The CGLCC is here to help as much as possible, but it really needs to be driven from the local community. Individuals and businesses need to first acknowledge the need and desire for a Chamber, and then commit to working to ensure its sustainability. All it takes is a few dedicated leaders to take that first step and show the initiative. With a strong leader, and assistance from the CGLCC and other provincial chambers, it can be a relatively simple process to get a chamber running. In a city like Calgary, there is no shortage of talented people who can assist in the success of a chamber, and [there are] numerous individuals that would reap the benefits of a chamber. I look forward to speaking to interested parties in Alberta later this year.”
The Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
#37, 552 Church Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 2E3
(866) 300-7556
www.cglcc.ca.
www.travelgaycanada.com
