Small Business Month - Ministers' Virtual Luncheon
Brown bag it, get a grilled cheese out of the kitchen beside your office, or order in! We tried to make it a live event, but the world’s not ready for a real Chamber Luncheon quite yet apparently. Therefore, our stellar speakers have agreed to attend and present at this October 15 noon hour event virtually.
Minister Ravi Kahlon is in charge of BC Jobs, Economic Recovery & Innovation and will bring us up to date on policies and programs we might see from the current sitting of the legislature. He’ll also highlight Recovery issues and actions impacting Vancouver Island especially.
Minister Sheila Malcolmson is BC’s Minister of Mental Health & Addictions and MLA for Nanaimo. There’s great pressure on this portfolio considering the opioid and toxic drug crisis, social disorder, and rising mental health issues. The Minister will update us on the latest strategies and tactics her ministry is implementing, and what’s coming next.
This free event is presented by the Nanaimo Chamber for members and friends of all Vancouver Island & Gulf Island Chambers.
Minister Ravi Kahlon is in charge of BC Jobs, Economic Recovery & Innovation and will bring us up to date on policies and programs we might see from the current sitting of the legislature. He’ll also highlight Recovery issues and actions impacting Vancouver Island especially.
Minister Sheila Malcolmson is BC’s Minister of Mental Health & Addictions and MLA for Nanaimo. There’s great pressure on this portfolio considering the opioid and toxic drug crisis, social disorder, and rising mental health issues. The Minister will update us on the latest strategies and tactics her ministry is implementing, and what’s coming next.
This free event is presented by the Nanaimo Chamber for members and friends of all Vancouver Island & Gulf Island Chambers.
Minister Ravi Kahlon - Jobs, Economic Recovery & Innovation
Honourable Ravi Kahlon was first elected MLA for Delta North in May 2017. He previously served as the Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations, and Rural Development, where he championed the use of mass timber and innovation in the forest sector.
Born and raised in Victoria, Ravi was introduced to Field Hockey by his father and grandfather. He is a two time Olympian in the sport for Team Canada and has been inducted into the Delta Sports Hall of Fame.
Before he was elected MLA, Ravi worked in banking for seven years. He has been active in the North Delta community for many years as a volunteer on the boards of the Delta Parks and Recreation Committee and Men's High Performance Field Hockey BC.
He is also a certified coach and mentor to many young people in North Delta and spends time coaching field hockey and soccer.
Minister Sheila Malcolmson - Mental Health & Addictions
Honourable Sheila Malcolmson was elected as MLA for Nanaimo in 2019, re-elected in 2020, and is now the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. She is the Vice-Chair of the Cabinet Working Group on Mental Health, Addictions and Homelessness and a member of the Cabinet Committee on Social Initiatives.
Prior to her election as an MLA, Sheila was elected four times tot he Islands Trust Council, serving six of those years as Chair of the Islands Trust Council, where she championed fair ferry service, marine safety and oil spill prevention. She signed a government-to-government protocol between the Snuneymuyxw First Nation and Islands Trust - establishing a relationship of respect and cooperation in planning, land use management and heritage conservation.
In 2015, Shelia was elected as federal MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmith and was a leading advocate for women's equality and oceans protection.
Prior to entering public life, Sheila worked as a sea kayak guide in B.C.'s wilderness and ran a tourism management business for twelve years. She also worked for Energy Probe Research Foundation and the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, and was a board member for the Conservation Council of Ontario and the BC Sustainable Energy Association. Sheila holds a B.A. in Environmental and Resource Studies from Trent University.
Shelia lives on Gabriola Island with her partner Howard, a fisheries biologist and climate change researcher.
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