Chamber News

Chamber staff were out in the community at a number of great events every day this week. 

 

On Monday afternoon we attended an “Estate & Legacy Planning” workshop hosted by four members, Active Wealth Management, Burke’s Funeral Home, O’Flynn Weese LLP & Welch LLP where they each presented tips & suggestions to assist attendees in better planning. It was a great example of members working together to highlight their services to an engaged audience. 

 

Tuesday found Rosi up in Bancroft attending the Bancroft Chamber’s Business Symposium with keynote speaker MP Mike Bossio. He was followed up by three different panel discussions, “Show me the Money” with panelists from BDC, CFDC and Launch Lab discussing where is the money that businesses can access and what do you need to qualify; “Hidden Gems” with panelists from Loyalist College, ECOTB, and Hastings County discussing what services can help your business best, what support are you looking for and what is your weakest ling; and “Seeing Through the Smoke” with panelists from Bodystream Medical Marijuana Services, the OPP, a local pharmacist, and an HR representative discussing what are the responsibilities of the employer, will the rules around marijuana differ from protocols around alcohol and work, what are the disclosure requirements around medical marijuana, and how does marijuana impact an individual? It was a very informative and well attended event and we would be interested in knowing if our members would be interested in having a similar type of event in Belleville? The event ran from 7am to 12pm, which allowed business owners to attend without missing a full day out of the office. Tuesday evening was the monthly Quinte Women in Business event which Rosi attends on behalf of the chamber sharing our advocacy work and role of the chamber within our community and promoting the benefits of Chamber membership.

 

Wednesday saw staff at the Clearview Training luncheon with funding service providers Meta and Community Employment Services. Discussion focused on the training courses that Clearview provides for business and non-profits and the process of applying and securing funding through the Canada-Ontario Job Grant program which can cover up to 83% of employee training costs. A unique service that Clearview provides is their Equine Assisted Growth & Learning programs which provide a range of hands-on activities with horses that is ground-based (no riding), leading a horse requires the same skills that make you successful in leading your team of employees. The evening was our April Meet & Connect held at The Richmond Retirement Residence, with over 60 members and guests in attendance. Many had never been to a mingle or hadn’t been in quite some time, so it was a great evening for re-connecting and building relationships. General Manager Monique and her team conducted tours throughout the evening and provided excellent hospitality to their fellow Chamber members. Following our event, Rosi stopped in at the Trillium Woods Open House on her way home. The club house was packed, and attendees were excited to hear about the upgrades that have been made to the course in the off season, and to see the unveiling of a new golf APP (Golf Courses of Quinte) and online booking and account services. Steve McCurdy was also proud to announce that this year will be Trillium Woods 20th Anniversary!

 

Thursday found the staff #wearingjerseysforHumboldt and attending city hall for Belleville’s time of silence, reflection and prayers for the families. It was amazing to see the support of our entire business community for #Humboldtstrong throughout the day on social media. That evening staff attended the 4th Anniversary Celebration of Belleville’s commitment to the Canadian Coalition against Racism and Discrimination. It was an evening of multi-cultural entertainment and guest speaker Sue O'Sullivan, former Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, created an evening which brought our community even closer together. Mayor Christopher welcomed the group stating, "We understand the benefits that come from having a strong mix of cultures, backgrounds, experiences, languages and education in our residents."