Businesses in Glendon will be getting a boost, thanks to the formation of a unique committee. The first of its kind in Alberta, the Glendon and District Business Alliance will operate similarly to a Chamber of Commerce.
Businesses in Glendon will be getting a boost, thanks to the formation of a unique committee.
The first of its kind in Alberta, the Glendon and District Business Alliance will operate similarly to a Chamber of Commerce. However, instead of being its own entity, the alliance will be under the umbrella of the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce.
"I'm extremely excited about it. Especially being in partnership with the Bonnyville chamber, I think it's really going to help in terms of finding ways to highlight our business community," said Julie Kissel, co-owner of Glendon Motorsports and chair of the new business alliance committee.
The idea is being put into play after the former Glendon Chamber of Commerce dissolved about five years ago. For a small community, trying to operate a self-sufficient chamber became too much of a burden as they were unable to hire staff and, instead, it was run by volunteers from the business community. Recently, Kissel, along with past-president Robyn Ducharme, and former executive director Tanya Oliver, have been looking into how to make a similar group viable in Glendon.
"I think it's a good time right now to have someone who can champion for our businesses to promote what we have - we have some great little businesses in the village," noted Kissel.
For the Bonnyville chamber, the partnership comes naturally. As it's name suggests, executive director Andrea Yaremie said their job is to help support and advocate for businesses around the area. This new directive is giving them the opportunity to branch out, while growing their membership base.
"We're here to serve not just Bonnyville, but the MD and the communities that are within it. The idea just came about with the focus of wanting to help support and promote businesses in Glendon."
Yaremie added, "The unique thing about it is the partnership is going to enable the chamber to grow and have more business involvement from the Glendon community, but also be mutually-beneficial for them to have the support of the chamber. Whether it's putting on events, promotions, or different opportunities."
This type of initiative is new for the Alberta Chambers of Commerce - it is the first time a chamber will essentially be overseeing a second chamber for a smaller community under it. By being under the Bonnyville chamber, the Glendon business alliance will be able to tap into any events, programming, and supports that are already currently being offered.
With the hope it's going to be a successful endeavor, Kissel expressed that they'd like to be a role model for other small communities in the province, setting a standard for them to reach out to their larger, neighbouring chambers to start similar partnerships.
The initiative has been in the works for a few months, with the first meeting taking place in April. Come June, they had solidified a memorandum of understanding, and just last month the group officially established the Glendon and District Business Alliance. Still in its infancy, the committee has seen interest from business owners in the village.
"It was a good response from the business community. The committee so far is at that point where they're saying 'if you want to be a part of the committee, great.' They're welcoming business members from the community to be part of the committee, which is going to be directing the initiatives and events going on. There's a chamber presence at those meetings as well," explained Yaremie.
So far, they only have a handful of businesses interested in joining the committee. In addition to recruiting those in the village, the business alliance is also hoping to focus on bringing in farming and ranching operations.
"In the past, I don't think chambers have really focused too much on the farming community... Now, with the government involved a little bit more with farming mandates, it might be beneficial to them because the chamber has a lot of political connections," said Kissel. "It might be more important than ever for farming communities to become involved with the chamber."
To get their name out there, the Glendon and District Business Alliance will be hosting a kick-off event on Oct. 20, where they will be looking for new members and reveling upcoming initiatives.
"We still have to have a few meetings, a strategic meeting to define what we want to do. We're hoping to have a Christmas business event, and then we have a few other events we're just throwing out there. There's a few things in mind," Kissel noted.
The kick-off event will be held in Glendon, however the exact local has yet to be confirmed.
For more information on the Glendon and District Business Alliance, or to inquire about membership, contact the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce at 780-826-3252.
