The Castlegar Chamber of Commerce is encouraging all members to take in a 'meeting of the minds' on Tuesday, April 10 at the Fireside Inn.
Members of the local commercial organization are urged to attend, "express their views and concerns in the business climate, and become part of change in West Kootenays by providing feedback."
Special guest will be NDP MLA Jagrup Brar, a man, perhaps known for a high profile experiment conducted over the past January, when the MLA spent a month in the figurative shoes of a welfare recipient.
Jagrup Brar was elected as the MLA for Surrey Fleetwood on May 12, 2009. He served as MLA for Surrey Panorama Ridge from Oct. 28, 2004 until the riding boundaries were re-drawn.
Jagrup serves as Opposition Critic for Small Business. Jagrup has also served as Opposition Critic for Healthy Living and Sport, Small Business and Revenue, Employment and Income Assistance and as Critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety.
Born in India, Jagrup was a member of the Indian National Basketball team and earned a master’s degree in Philosophy. He then moved to Canada to study at the University of Manitoba where he earned a Master's degree in Public Administration, MPA. Jagrup moved to British Columbia from Winnipeg fourteen years ago. Since then, Jagrup and his family have put down strong roots in Surrey.
An involved member of his community, Jagrup is a dedicated local volunteer, and has taken time to help a variety of local organizations providing services to young people, seniors, the homeless and new Canadians.
For over a decade, Jagrup worked in the public and non-profit sectors, assisting professionals with career development and working with employers to develop strategies to recruit a highly-skilled, multicultural workforce. As the Executive Director of the Surrey Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society (SEEDS), Jagrup trained new entrepreneurs to develop and launch successful small business ventures.
Jagrup is married and lives in Surrey with his wife Rajwant and their children - Noor and Fateh.
-Pamela McLeod
Executive Director