A proposal from Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce member Colleen McKee got regional business leaders talking at the Dec. 12 meeting.
McKee proposed holding a diversity training workshop for area business owners and employees.
“It would be about how to respond with people from different cultures and respecting their cultures, respect in the workplace, that sort of thing,” said McKee.
Concrete plans were not set during the meeting, but the response from attendees was overwhelmingly positive.
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt, that’s for sure,” said chamber member Tom Therien.
“We can always make it work. I think that the training itself is valuable. The better an understanding that we have, the more we can have an appropriate consideration,” said chamber member Kory Eastman.
Also on board with the concept was chamber past-president Dianne Russell, who suggested increasing the size of the proposed workshop.
“I like the idea of getting more people in the room,” said Russell, who chaired the meeting in place of chamber president Karen MacKinnon.
McKee and other members hope to hold workshops in March.
Committees
Russell said the chamber needed more volunteers to fill spots on various committees.
Russell reported that several committees are currently operating with too few members.
“There’s always a welcome for people to be part of this,” she said.
Five volunteers currently sit on chamber’s fundraising committee, while another seven sit on the special events committee. The speaker’s committee has three current members, while the Main Street committee has five names currently working.
The Economic Development Council is the only full committee, with all 12 spots filled as of Dec. 12.
Russell said one committee has been hit harder than the others, one that is a key revenue generator for the chamber.
“The one that we need help with is the membership committee,” she said,
Currently, there are three members on the membership committee – Russell, Mike Spencer and Laurence Gillespie. Chamber office manager Michelle Reid also works with the committee, but not as an official member.
“I can honestly say it’s three meetings per year, tops,” said Russell, adding that the committee is likely to only meet twice this year.
It is not clear if any of the vacant spots were claimed after the meeting.
