The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A revenue shortfall may prompt the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce to go back to the basics. Instead of funding projects such as its proposed Peace Park at Hapnot Lake, the group might instead focus solely on its primary mandate Ñ supplying the three levels of government with business-related input. The Chamber's main source of revenue, membership dues, has declined in recent years as membership has shrunk to about 90 businesses and individuals. "Basically, I would say with the number of members we have now, we're not going to be able to go ahead with a bunch of projects that we have to provide the funding for as well as other kinds of assistance," said Dave Kendall, president. At yesterday's Chamber meeting at the Friendship Centre, Kendall asked the 14 members on hand whether the organization "should be doing some projects or if we should just be deciding that we're going to do away with the projects at least until our membership increases." Executive member Lois (Bunny) Burke said she believes that once the proposed Peace Park is complete, "we better concentrate on business and leave the projects to the service clubs." "We obviously need the extra money to operate on," she said. A handful of project ideas have been bandied about by the Chamber in recent years, including the Peace Park and a truck stop along the Perimeter Highway. Kendall said the Chamber is currently not in a position to be the major contributor behind such projects and would require assistance in the form of grants or partnerships with other organizations. Kendall called the current membership situation "probably a major concern." "Times are a little tighter, obviously, and I think some businesses are feeling that maybe the Chamber is going to do its work whether they're members or not," he said. "And while that may be true, I think to get your voice heard, I think you want to make sure you are a member." He spoke of possibly hiring someone to sign up new members on a commission basis and of making the Chamber more active to help bring more people on board. See 'New' P.# Con't from P.# Another idea brought up was to contact other Chambers of Commerce to find out what they do to attract new members. Kendall said the amount of community exposure the Chamber receives is not a problem, commending the local media for its coverage. "I think certainly the name of the Chamber and our message, if you will, is getting out there a lot more than in the past,"he said. "I know I've been getting calls on various things people have read." The Chamber's advisory committee will take yesterday's discussion into account as it works to shape the Chamber's plan for the upcoming fiscal year, which will begin next month.
