Tuesday E-mail - April 27, 2010

What Is The Chamber Doing For You?


Great Business After Hours Event at Canadore College

A huge thank you goes out to our most recent BAH host, Canadore College. On Wednesday, April 21st over fifty people took the opportunity to network, view the plans for the soon-to-be-constructed campus, and enjoy catered beverages and snacks from the Log Cabin.

The strength of the Chamber Network can be tangibly felt at events such as the Business After Hours gatherings and we encourage all of our members to join in on these excellent mixers.

Upcoming Business After Hour Dates:

• The Ridge at Manitou, May 19, 5 pm to 6 pm (pre-event golf is available – see details below!**)

• Big Sound Marina, June 25, 5 pm to 6 pm

• Delta Rocky Crest Resort, July 14, 5 pm to 6 pm

Please RSVP to info@parrysoundchamber.ca or call 746-4213 to confirm your attendance for any Business After Hours. We look forward to seeing you there!

**The Ridge at Manitou would like to invite Chamber members to join them for a round of golf prior to the BAH on May 19th for the great rate of $75 per person.**


Hands On E-Business Event

In follow up to the E-Business Seminar in February, The Business Centre and the Chamber of Commerce are offering a hands on learning opportunity dedicated to integrating social media into your marketing or customer awareness campaign.

Sue Sutcliffe, The Web Coach, can help you harness new and upcoming technologies to your advantage. The free three-hour seminar will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, April 28, from 1 pm-4 pm at the West Parry Sound District Museum. The content will be at an intermediate computer skills level. Few seats remain for this extremely interactive session, so please call today (746-4213) if you are interested in attending.
If you have specific questions about social media and marketing your business on the web (ie. how do I make a Facebook Fan Page), please include those questions with your RSVP.

Thank you all for your interest and dedication to ongoing professional skills development. Special thanks to our sponsoring partners, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade.


What’s Happening In Our Community?


YMCA Employer Panel

Who’s hiring now? The YMCA Employment Resource Centre at 60 James Street, Suite 303 will be helping prospective employees figure that out on Friday, April 30 at 1:00 pm.
Employer panels are held several times a year. Businesses are invited to present information about what their business does, what types of skills and people they are looking for, and to hold on the spot interviews with potential candidates. This week’s panel will include representatives from Home Depot, the Parry Sound Mall, Kellerman’s Resort, and Selkirk.
Everyone is encouraged to let unemployed or underemployed individuals that you may know about this opportunity.
Businesses interested in participating on the panel in future should contact Dawn Rouse at 746-8480.
These employment services are delivered by the YMCA on behalf of Employment Ontario.


An Evening with the Deputy Ministers

When: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Where: Design Exchange, Toronto
Tickets: $210 plus GST (Ontario Chamber of Commerce Member rate)

Launched in 2006, this is an annual evening of dialogue, discussion and sharing of ideas between business and community leaders and the leaders of Ontario’s public service.
Through a networking reception, hosted dinner Roundtables, and a Q&A period moderated by Shelley Jamieson, the Secretary of the Cabinet, the evening offers direct access to Ontario’s Deputy Ministers in an informal setting.
Each Roundtable is hosted by a different Deputy Minister, allowing an informal exchange of ideas, concerns and opinions with the DMs as well as with other business leaders at the table. Should guests wish to discuss issues pertaining to more than one ministry, they do so during the open Q&A period during which all the Deputy Ministers will respond to questions. Alternatively, some bring a colleague to join the discussions at another table.
Registrations are limited for this unique opportunity and they quickly reach capacity seating each year. The 2009 An Evening with the Deputy Ministers was a sold out event. For more
information on this OCC event, please contact Rosanna Ho at rosannaho@occ.on.ca.


What Are Our Members Doing?


Petal of Honor Award Winner

Congratulations to Kathrin Radu-Liesenfeld and the Pardon My Garden team who were recently awarded Teleflora’s Petal of Honor Award. Quality is considered to be at the heart and soul of the Petal of Honor award winning businesses. The award was created to help recognize florists with the ability to exceed expectations and exemplify exceptional customer service and satisfaction. Great job Pardon My Garden!