Brent Cameron

Government does a lot of high-level activity to create the conditions for business to thrive. But economic development, in its truest sense, comes from people who invest in an idea, who invest in themselves – with hard earned money and sweat equity. They are the ‘experts’ in economic development, and they prove their expertise with every morning opening, every customer served, and every employee they hire.

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Local business people in Sharbot Lake joined to form a Business Group that has provided great opportunities for networking, mutual support and advocacy for local initiatives.

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But we need to help support and encourage business throughout all of Central Frontenac, not just Sharbot Lake.

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Chambers of Commerce have a long standing tradition of support and promotion for business. They do this through:

 

• advocating business-friendly policies on behalf of their members;

• providing a chance for local business owners to meet and share ideas; and

• to pool their resources in group arrangements for everything from insurance and benefit plans to ad hoc cooperation on things like shared purchasing

 

Chambers of Commerce reflect the interest and focus of their members. As such, their purpose is in helping member businesses survive – and thrive.

 

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) – the umbrella organization for the province – represents 135 groups with a combined membership of 60,000. For those in OCC affiliated groups, there are affinity programs, including preferential rates for shipping, office supplies and group insurance plans (For examples, see: http://www.occ.ca/affinity-programs/).

 

The Township has an important role to play in Economic Development, but Chambers of Commerce are able to fill an important gap in promoting and supporting local entrepreneurs.

 

The creation of a Central Frontenac Chamber of Commerce will require organizational support, from gathering local businesspeople together, to assisting in the process of drafting founding documents (a Constitution and By-Laws), as well as navigating the process of incorporating as an independent not-for-profit entity. The Township can play a vital role in helping advance this work. (The process for establishing a Chamber is listed at: http://www.chamber.ca/resources/establishing-a-chamber-of-commerce/)

 

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I support working to lay the foundation of a new ‘Central Frontenac Chamber of Commerce’ – a group run by local business, for local business. Like other Chambers, it would elect its own officers, control its own membership, and develop ideas and proposals for growing our local economy – ideas that speak to their experience and knowledge, ideas that speak to the reality of meeting a payroll and keeping the lights on.