Tuesday E-mail - January 11, 2011

Chamber Happenings:

E-Business Seminar - February 23rd

Following the great response from the December 1 “Social Media, Don’t be Left Behind” event plans are underway for a more in-depth follow up. This is a event not to be missed so mark February 23rd on your calendar and stay tuned for more details in the next few weeks.

Chamber Business Breakfast

On Wednesday January 5th the Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Breakfast with Tony Clement” at the Log Cabin Inn. Over 60 business owners/operators and community leaders attended this event to meet with Minister Clement and discuss current issues.

Minister Clement appreciated the opportunity and mentioned “It was a pleasure to hear the views and news from the Chamber and it’s members as I am doing my best to hear from as many grassroots business leaders as possible. You are the bedrock of our economy and your work will help drive the economic growth, research, innovation and job creation that the region will need for future success.”

“Grassroots” Roundtable

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, met on Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 with Parry Sound business leaders as part of a series of consultations the Minister will be holding with Canadians on the government’s upcoming budget.

The Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce was pleased to have facilitated the event which included a cross section of business owners from the area allowing them to have open and frank discussions with Minister Clement.

Minister Clement stated that “We are fortunate in Canada to have returned to growth faster then many of our G7 partners” and those attending the meeting felt guarded optimism for the
upcoming business year.

Chamber Annual General Meeting

The Chamber’s Annual General Meeting was held last night at the West Parry Sound District Museum. We would like to thank the members who were in attendance and welcome everyone into the 113th year of operation for the Parry Sound Area Chamber of Commerce.


What’s Happening in our Business Community

10 Digit Dialing - January 15th

A reminder that you only have until this Saturday January 15th to update all of your business contact information to include the 705 area code.

New Funding announced in support of Small Business Growth

The Federal Government announced last week a boost in support of small business growth in the Parry Sound Area. The support money will be funneled through our local Community Business and Development Centre in the form of repayable loans, equity and loan guarantees. Great news for our local business community.

OMHA Top Ten Lists

Parry Sound was recently named on three top-ten lists in the OMHA’s annual Top Ten edition of Hometown Hockey magazine. The BOCC was named the sixth best minor hockey arena in the league while the Town of Parry Sound was named second OMHA centre to play in. The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame also made the cut as the sixth best attraction to see on the road.
This great achievement is a nod to all the support our community and local businesses give to minor hockey in our area. Congratulations to everyone involved in supporting our local passion for the game of Hockey.

Facebook and your business

If you run a business, you should be on Facebook. A simple statement but why? Follow the link below to read a great article on the benefits of Facebook for businesses, why you should have your business listed, why you now need more than just a website for online presence and the importance of engaging with your customers.

Click Here to read the informative article


What’s Happening with our Members

Airport Expansion Funding

During last weeks funding announcements, Minister Clement also announced funding for the airport expansion project. Congratulations to the airport and all the best throughout the duration of the project.