It was lengthy, but also filled with information and entertainment.
The annual general meeting of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce, formerly the Estevan and District Board of Tourism, Trade and Commerce, took nearly five hours to complete last Wednesday evening, but covered a lot of territory. (See related reports).
Chamber president Dennis Bode noted that this year's meeting, held in Spectra Place, brought home the importance of working co-operatively in a community since the new event complex would not have been built so quickly and efficiently without it.
RM of Estevan Reeve Kelly Lafrentz also pointed to the spirit of co-operation that exists among the various economic development partners in the region and expressed thanks to the local committee that was struck to boost the number of physicians for Estevan and singled out the committee's manager, Bridget Bittman for additional recognition for her untiring efforts in helping the committee bring more doctors into the city.
"I also want to thank our premier who is here tonight for providing accessibility. We get to see the ministers and deputy ministers and the people in the various agencies when we need to see them, and that helps move things along," said Lafrentz.
Estevan Mayor Gary St. Onge noted how the co-operative spirit existed in the city, especially in the business community and acknowledged how the chamber of commerce took on the additional tasks of operating the local tourism portfolio along with their regular work with the commercial and service sectors.
"I thank all the businesses for your confidence in this city and this Spectra Place is a fine example. You raised $8 million and supported this project from the first day," St. Onge noted. "Because of you, the local boom in business, in the oil sector, will continue."
Michel Cyrenne, executive director for the C of C, highlighted some of the many events that were hosted by the chamber in the past year including Showcase, EBEX Awards and the Cultural Collage among others. He also noted the additional support provided to the Souris Valley Museum in terms of $26,000 in capital inputs while still leaving the chamber with a surplus of about $40,000, an amount that was confirmed by Byron Mack, representing the accounting firm of MNP who audited the C of C's financial statements.
One of the significant motions that made it to the floor for a vote was the name change which allowed the Estevan Chamber of Commerce to return to its former easily identifiable name while scrapping the clumsy moniker of Estevan and District Board of Tourism, Trade and Commerce. That vote passed unanimously.
The toast to the chamber and businesses was provided by Rod Beatty and the blessing was offered by Major Len Millar of the Salvation Army who implored the 260 or more people in attendance to pay homage to their chamber of commerce as they work on "being agents of change, while remembering the past."
The prime rib dinner that was served in the main bowl of Spectra Place with floorboards designed to cover the ice surface, was followed by keynote messages from Premier Brad Wall and Imperial Oil's strategic initiatives manager Chris Hodgson.
