There's a Chamber of Commerce meeting tonight ... and it could be the last one for a little while if interest levels in the business organization continue to slip.
The meeting is taking places at 7 pm. at the Ramada Hotel meeting room. It's a follow-up meeting to the group's annual general meeting that took place at the end of September. But due to a very low turnout from the business sector and no interest from the few people in attendance to join the board's executive, a vote to shutdown the Chamber was tabled to the followup meeting.
If the second meeting sees the same poor response, the current directors of the business association are prepared to shut down the Chamber’s operations until the interest comes back.
How about a rest?
A decision to permanently dissolve the organization was thought to be unlikely at last month's first attempt at the AGM as the hope was that a short rest would trigger a rejuvenated comeback.
Leading into Monday night’s meeting, current Chamber of Commerce President Lina Yadlowsky is cautiously optimistic that the organization can be saved in the 11th hour — but said it would take a serious commitment from the community.
“What can the Chamber do for you? The honest answer nothing until you do something with the chamber,” she said. “It’s a team — the membership and chamber — working together, to establish a network that trusts each other’s interest to benefit from effective growth for our community. This just doesn’t happen on a wing and a prayer. It takes time, money, energy, oh and did I say time? The decision is yours.”
If the organization does take a hiatus, it won’t be the first time. Several short breaks — the last one for almost two years from 2014-16 — have been part of the organization’s long local history that began in 1921 as the Lac La Biche Board of Trade.
Even if the decision is to temporary hang a closed sign on the business organization’s door, Yadlowsky hopes the community will see the importance of reviving the group.
“With how tough things have been for us all with the economy and such,” said Yadlowsky, the owner of the family run, local safety business Multi-Test, “volunteering is the last thing or worry we need right now but this is so important to keep it alive.”
Monday’s meeting is at the Ramada Hotel meeting room. The 7 pm meeting has seating ready for more than 50 people.
