28.08.2025 CanCham Update for August, 2025
28.08.2025

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Dear CanCham Members and Friends,

The Canadian elections of April, 2025, Trump’s tariffs, and the recent visit to Latvia of Canadian PM Mark Carney have set the stage for CanCham activity in the foreseeable future. The Embassy of Canada to Latvia has stated its top two priorities:

• support of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in their leadership role with Task Force Latvia (TFL) as part of the NATO commitment to Latvia’s security,
• The development of stronger commercial and trade relations between Canada and Latvia.

The CanCham’s role is to assist the Canadian Embassy and the CAF by introducing Canadian entities to Latvian service and equipment providers. We do this through strategic partnerships with an emphasis of developing personal relationships mostly through in-person meetings as reflected in our event programs and various networking instruments.

CanCham’s upcoming events include:

• Thursday, September 4th, 2025 at 18.30 – CanCham Corner – Informal Networking, Wellton Riga Hotel & SPA, Vaļņu iela 49, Restaurant Tapas Tapas, Register here, more info
• Monday, September 22nd, 2025 at 18.30 – Strategic Partnership Seminar (members only), ZOOM
• Monday, October 13th, 2025 at 18.30 - Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner. Special guest speaker: Colonel Jim Smith, Commander, Task Force Latvia
• Monday, October 27th, 2025 at 18.30 – Procurement Seminar luncheon with the CAF/TFL
• Monday, November 10th, 2025 at 18.30 – Women in the Military, in recognition of Patriots’ Week
• Monday, December 8th, 2025 at 18.30 – CanCham Christmas
• Monday, January 26^th, 2026 at 18.30 CanCham Annual General Meeting.
• February, 2026 - Procurement Seminar luncheon with Defence Construction Canada (DCC) and companies providing construction related services.
• April, 2026 - Development of commercial activity between Canada and Latvia, in cooperation with the RTU Riga Business School and Prof. Jonathan Calof of the University of Ottawa
• Additional potential events:
  • CanCham Corner at the new RTU Riga Business School location at Ķīpsala
  • Meet & Greet with the Toronto-based representative of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency Ilze Lacgalve

Past events this year included:

• Thursday, January 9th, 2024 – CanCham Corner. Report
• Monday, January 27th, 2025 – CanCham AGM.
• Monday, February 17th, 2025 – Military Procurement. Report
• Friday, March 14th, 2025 - “More than a Dance”. Canadian Embassy supported the premiere of the documentary “More than a Dance” in Latvia.
• Wednesday, March 26th, 2025 - Business Networking Luncheon with Dr. Jonathan Calof in Riga. Report.
• Monday, April 28th, 2025 - Show & Tell. Report. Presentations are posted in the CanCham web site.
• Monday, June 9, 2025 - Canada: new government, renewed priorities. An update with H.E. Brian Szwarc, Ambassador of Canada to Latvia. Report.
• Tuesday, July 1st, 2025 - CanCham’s Canada Day BBQ. Report.

Those who are not familiar with CanCham, please refer to our brochure. We would be pleased if our members and friends shared it with their friends, and encouraged them to join the CanCham community.

Please follow https://cancham.lv/ for news and event updates.