Elk Point and District Chamber of Commerce looked back on “an excellent year” at their 2011 annual general meeting, with president Sandy Smith topping a lengthy list of accomplishments with the win of the Alberta Chamber of the Year award for the under-100 membership category.
“The completion of the Visitor Information EcoCentre brought to a close a five-year project,” she noted. “That was phase one, and now we are expanding to include the partnership with Lakeland College as a site for the testing of solar and wind power. We watched the installation of the wind turbine tower, and hosted the visit from Premier Stelmach, who officially opened the building.”
Tours of the facility and seminars on green energy options are planned for this year, and Smith says the operating budget for the coming year includes funds for “longer hours for our summer employee to meet the increased demand.”
During the year, the chamber also hosted Danny Hooper and comedian Jimmy the Janitor in a pair of successful fundraisers for the Visitor Information EcoCentre, continued the longstanding traditions of the Canada Day pancake breakfast, the Christmas Extravaganza and the Christmas lighting and decorating contest, and built a mini-EcoCentre playhouse to be raffled, she noted.
The chamber’s 2011 goals include support of the tax incentive plan and renovation incentives brought forward by economic development coordinator Bob Bezpalko, Smith said, “and I would like to see the chamber come forward with more business attraction and retention ideas, and also strongly support downtown main street beautification.”
Smith, who called herself “the eternal optimist,” also presented a projected budget for the coming year, showing increased revenue from grants and fundraisers for an encouraging profit on the bottom line.
Smith and the rest of her 2010 executive, vice president Debra McQuinn, treasurer Geoff Hyslop and secretary Vicki Brooker, were all returned to their positions by acclamation.
Membership fees for 2012 will remain at $100 for a second year, and meetings will remain at noon at the Empress Restaurant on the first Wednesday of each month, and at 7 p.m. at the Visitor Information EcoCentre on the third Wednesday.
With the annual meeting formalities taken care of, the chamber got to work on upcoming events.
Smith met with the new owners of the meat processing plant. Gary and Diane Proskiw have opened Lakeland Premium Packers and Processors and are “very happy to get involved” with the barbecue lunch the chamber is planning to host at the Visitor Information EcoCentre in conjunction with the Elk Point Trail Riders Vintage Snowmobile Show and Shine. The chamber will also serve hot chocolate and will have tickets on the playhouse available.
The chamber is moving ahead with the TD Bank Group sponsorship of the EcoEducation Room. Bob Bezpalko displayed the designs for the signage. TD representatives will be in attendance for the room’s official opening on April 6 at 11 a.m., and will be invited to join the chamber for their noon meeting which follows.
The chamber has been in contact with the media manager for CN Rail, who has offered to look in the company’s archives for photos, etc., and who indicated he would like to attend the opening. Members agreed that he would be welcome to attend.
Bezpalko noted that he is “begging and pleading” for more photos and memorabilia to decorate the facility, and anyone who has such items and would be willing to contribute or loan them is invited to contact him.
