Guest: Tamara Vrooman, VanCity
What role do financial institutions play in shaping the community we call home?
Tamara Vrooman, the past President and CEO of VanCity Credit Union, says, “We think about the kind of society and the kind of community and the kind of economy we want to create. We think about the allocation of capital, who gets money and who doesn't. It's probably one of the most powerful determinants of the future.”
Vrooman goes on to say, “If we give capital to a small business or a group of entrepreneurs locally, as opposed to allocating capital to a multinational that may just be coming here for a few years and moving on, it makes a profound difference to the quality of life and the future structure and viability of our communities. So we think banking's vitally important to communities and society, not just economies and finance.”
We invited Jock Finlayson and Ryan Berlin to join us for a Conversation That Matters about BC’s economy and why BC’s population dropped by more than 40,000 people.
We invited Scott Jacob of Jacob Bros. Construction to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of the construction industry in BC.
We invited Ajay Patel, the President & CEO of Vancouver Community College, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the skilled trades job opportunity in BC and how we can meet it.
We invited Ken Kalesnikoff, Co-Chair of the Canadian Forest Sector Transformation Task Force, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about a path to recovery in the forestry sector.