Squamish is set to make its mark in Shanghai in September with as District of Squamish council approved a plan to send Mayor Greg Gardner and a staffer to the China Harmony Tour II, a seven-day forum featuring high-level meetings with senior officials from Canada and China.
Initially, the proposal set forth by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Kevin Ramsay recommended a four-person delegation that would include two council members and two staff at a cost of $6,800.
"This is a unique opportunity and to replicate this type of event would be extremely difficult," said Ramsay at Tuesday's (July 6) council meeting.
The program takes place Sept. 12 to 18, 2010 and includes dinners with Canada China business council and Genesis Capital Investments.
They will spend a full day at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo and meet with Canadian consul general Nadir Patel, trade commissioner Jordan Reeves, East China British Columbia trade and investment managing director John MacDonald, international exchange and co-operation director at the china executive leadership centre Xuexhu Bai and several more.
"It will increase economic development prospects for the District of Squamish," said Ramsay.
Coun. Bryan Raiser was "more than willing" to be one of the council members to attend.
"I think it's an incredible opportunity and we should capitalize on the occasion," said Raiser. "I don't know how who goes will be decided but I for one would love to attend."
When Ramsay clarified it was the mayor who should select the attendees and Gardner said he was uncomfortable with that responsibility.
"I'm not comfortable deciding who goes and who doesn't," said Gardner. "And I can support using the conference budget but I have some difficulty dipping into other budgets."
The cost for the entire trip is $2,900 per person, including taxes, and the tour takes place the same week as the UBCM, so council members who went would not incur their $1,600 budgeted for this expense.
This leaves $1,300 unaccounted for and Ramsay suggested taking this from another budget line, such as the council travel budget, the CAO travel budget or economic development fund.
Coun. Corinne Lonsdale had several reservations about the initiative and thought there should be some predetermined value coming back from such extravagant expenditures.
"There were some delegations from the Lower Mainland who went to Japan last year and have they seen any investment since then?"
She also pointed out that lunches, taxis and the visa weren't covered.
"So I assume there would be money for per diems on top of that amount," she said. "Why don't we identify two or three key figures from the conference and invite them here?"
The price includes all airfares, insurance, breakfasts and dinners, forums, presentations, sessions with local officials and special guests and accommodation in four to five star hotels.
"We sent Coun. Heintzman to [the 2006 Winter Olympics in] Torino and as far as I can tell we saw no direct benefit from that," said Lonsdale.
Coun. Patricia Heintzman attended the 2006 winter Olympics, paid for by the district, with two other Squamish delegates, Chamber of Commerce manager Denise Imbeau and Capilano College's Casey Dorin.
Heintzman said she thought the Shanghai would be very valuable and defended her trip to Torino.
"I believe there was absolutely value in going to Torino and that valuable information was brought back that was incorporated into the way we handled hosting the Games," said Heintzman.
She pointed out the trip was very much focused on economic development said it should be viewed as such.
"They've been able to put together an agenda with these high level business people and leaders," she said. "We all know where the economic growth is happening in our Pacific rim China."
Heintzman was in Shanghai over Christmas and attended the Shanghai World Expo whose focus is "better cities, better lives."
Coun. Paul Lalli said he saw value in creating these relationships with China, but cost was a major factor.
"Taxpayers funding staff to go, I can support, but funding council? If a councillor wants to go I think they should pay the difference between the UBCM money and the actual cost," said Lalli.
Coun. Rob Kirkham said he could support staff going but not councillors.
"We may not see immediate results but I could foresee some long term benefits," he said.
Lonsdale followed by saying she would reluctantly support the two-person delegation but only if the money comes from the economic development fund.
Lalli made a motion to send the mayor and one staff member as the delegation. Kirkham seconded the motion and it was carried unanimously.
Lalli also moved to have the funding come from the economic development budget. Lonsdale seconded it and the motion was carried unanimously. Coun. Doug Race was absent.
Raiser was not satisfied with the outcome.
"Why do we need to cut it in half? If the budget is there why not use it?" he said.
Ramsay said that "incrementally there's more value in sending two more people, if there were six spots I would recommend sending six."
Raiser made a motion that councillors should be allowed to use the UBCM money and subsidize the rest to be able to attend.
"Conference budgets are for that purpose," he said. "I don't think crying taxpayer dollars is a good reason not to spend the allocated money."
No one seconded the motion and it was defeated.
Gardner said there are a number of foreseeable benefits and goals they hope to accomplish from attending the China Harmony Tour II.
"There will be meetings with a variety of people from the Chinese government but perhaps more importantly from representatives of Chinese businesses," he said. "So what our takeaways from this will be is an understanding of what the goals of Chinese investors are and their objectives what types of investments are they looking for?"
He said another takeaway will be learning how they do business.
"I've had a little bit of experience in this actually, its quite a bit different from the way that we do business they see governments as a business partner and traditionally in North America governments are not in the business of being in business.
"We need to understand that and we need to understand what is acceptable to us and how far along that road we are prepared to go in the District of Squamish."
Also of use is making direct contact with people in the Chinese government who will facilitate business investments and direct contact with people representing Chinese investors.
"This is actually a key component to it. We will be there with other representatives of Canada and having that networking so other people from our side of the ocean who are dealing with Chinese investors can be very useful to exchange ideas and talk about the opportunities."
Gardner said he has been in preliminary discussions for a number of months with a mainland Chinese resident who is interested in major investment in Canada, potentially Squamish.
He wouldn't go into detail, saying the matter was confidential.
Sea to Sky MLA Joan McIntyre will also be joining the delegation of interested corridor participants.
At the Economic Development Committee meeting on June 25, Gardner said it behooves Squamish to pursue economic opportunities with Chinese investors.
"[Canada] has now been designated as a destination for Chinese tourism and an acceptable place for Chinese investment," said Gardner, "and I believe we should capitalize on that."
Members decided to put forth a recommendation at council to host a workshop with the Leadership Sea to Sky group to prepare for economic development opportunities with China. Ramsay said a similar workshop was hosted recently in Whistler and considered a success for establishing groundwork for potential investments.
The committee recommendation was carried unanimously at the council meeting on Tuesday (July 6).
