Chairman’s New Year Message

Dear Members and Friends,

On behalf of the Canadian Chamber’s Board of Directors and Supervisors, I would to thank you for your continued support and patronage to the Canadian Chamber. This year has been another successful year for the Chamber, both in terms of activity and membership.

Our signature event, Celebration Canada, drew 9,000 people this year, benefiting from being able to hold the event in the same location the past three years: the Hakka Cultural Park. We hope to hold the 2016 party at the Hakka Cultural Park again and I look forward to seeing you there!

This year also marks two new key initiatives for our Chamber: the establishment of the Small Business Committee and its Small Business Network; and our first ever MacKay Gala Charity Ball.

The Small Business Network is a new initiative where the Chamber is reaching out to support and bring together small businesses owners (or those interested in starting small business in Taiwan) and provide them with a forum to share ideas, network with each other, and learn from expert speakers. Our monthly Small Business Network meetings have been well attended and we are planning on introducing a new Small Business Membership category into our Chamber membership structure to recognize the special status of small businesses.

The first MacKay Gala Charity Ball was held this year and we are already busy planning the second one for 2016. The event is a tribute to a great Canadian, whose legacy is well known and respected in Taiwan.

By working with MacKay Hospital, and through the generous participation of sponsors, we were able to raise money for the hospital. We hope that this event will become an annual event and take its place among the other well-established balls and galas of Taiwan.

On a personal note, I would also like to thank our members and the Board of Directors for letting me serve again as acting Chairman, following Allan Read’s return to Canada this past summer. It is always an honour and a privilege for me to be associated with the Chamber and the good work it does! I will not be running for Chairman at our Annual General Meeting in January, but I certainly plan to remain involved!

The Chamber’s Board of Directors and committee members are always looking for new people to get involved and I encourage anyone who is interested and has time, to join us in this very worthwhile cause.

Finally, I wish you all a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Leo Seewald
Acting Chairman, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan

A Letter of Thanks to Our 2015 Celebration Canada Sponsors

Dear All,

On behalf of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, I would like to express our sincere thanks for your support of this year’s 2015 Celebration Canada.

As the event continues to grow and become even more successful, I would like to emphasize how much your sponsorship support means to us. This year we had over 9,000 attendees, and we are proud that this event remains the largest Canada Day celebration outside of North America. Without your support this event and the Chamber itself, could not continue to operate.

We also hope that you pleased with the exposure you gained from participating in this year’s Celebration Canada and that you will consider sponsoring again next year! If you have any suggestions on what we can do better next year, please do not hesitate to let us know!

Thank you again and we look forward to seeing you at our other Canadian Chamber of Commerce events!

Best Regards,

Leo Seewald
Acting Chairman, Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan