About

More than 100 years ago, Samuel C. Dobbs, former President and Chairman of Coca-Cola in the early 20th century, began his crusade to promote responsible advertising. As a result, he founded an organization based on his grass roots concept of ''truth in advertising'' which would later become the Better Business Bureau. About forty years later, Calgary businessman John Rawlinson and the Calgary Southwest Kiwanis Club collaborated to create a BBB-minded project in August 1954. With the help of 118 charter applicants and organizations, they set out to ''curb racketeers and create public confidence''. In October that year, the Province of Alberta officially incorporated them as a society. In May 1955, they opened shop in the basement of a downtown Calgary building and in June 1956, Calgary was officially incorporated as the newest Canadian BBB. In 2009, BBB expanded its boundaries. To accurately reflect the change, the new title of BBB Serving Southern Alberta and East Kootenay was born. A satellite office was opened in Lethbridge to better serve Southern Alberta communities such as Medicine Hat. Today, BBB has more than 4,000 locally Accredited Businesses. BBB continues to reach out to the public through consumer education programs and introduce innovative, interactive online software such as Scam Tracker. From handling complaints to customer reviews, mediations and arbitrations, investigations, and scam alerts, BBB advances marketplace trust and fosters trustworthy connections between businesses and consumers.