Duane Hicks
Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce kick-started its 2008 strategic planning process with a session on Tuesday, and will present its tentative findings to the general membership for approval next month.
Chamber manager Dawn Booth said yesterday about 15 Chamber members attended Tuesday’s planning session, which took place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the museum and was facilitated by local economic development officer Geoff Gillon.

The objective of the session was to determine the Chamber’s priorities and future actions, and put them together in a five-year plan.
“We did discuss a lot of information,” noted Booth. “There was a lot of great discussion taking place between the 15 members that were there. Lots of issues came out and there were action items.
“All in all, it went well.
“Our plan is that we will draft a plan from the information we gathered [Tuesday] and then send it out to all our Chamber members so that they do have the opportunity to have input on it, and provide any feedback or direction they think is necessary” she added.
While the report will include more details, Booth said the planning session resulted in the identification of six different objectives for the next five years.
These objectives include:
•lobby all levels of government (municipal, provincial and federal);
•improve the Chamber’s image;
•increase membership;
•increase the Chamber’s role in tourism;
•be proactive in diversifying Fort Frances’ economy; and
•celebrate the Chamber’s 100th anniversary in 2009.
Under each of these items, those at Tuesday’s session identified barriers to the objectives, as well as possible solutions or actions to take to overcome those barriers, said Booth.
“We really spent a lot of time figuring out what the role of the Chamber is in the community,” she remarked.
“Our last strategic planning session was back in 2003 and much has happened since then, all of it good,” Chamber president Christine Denby said this morning.
“I think that while we created five key areas [not counting the Chamber anniversary] to focus on, they all work together in terms of strengthening the role of the Chamber.
“I see the Chamber working toward becoming a more effective voice in terms of lobbying the Town of Fort Frances, working with NOACC, and the other levels of the Chamber at lobbying at the federal and provincial level,” she added.
“I'd like to see membership increased not just in terms of numbers but involvement as well,” noted Denby. “I would like for the membership to feel that they can provide input into issues that are important to them, so that we can be a more effective voice.”
Booth said she and Gillon will sit down and draft a plan, with the aim to have it ready for the Chamber board meeting on April 15. At that time, the board of directors either may approve the six objectives or ask for some retooling.
In either case, Booth hopes the report then can be presented to the general membership for its approval at a meeting April 22.
“We don’t want to let it go too long,” said Booth.
“I'd like to thank Geoff Gillon from the RRFDC for his participation and role as facilitator,” noted Denby. “Geoff kept us on track and stimulated some great ideas from a very diverse and dynamic group.
“Thank you, as well, to Pam Hawley for allowing us to use meeting space at the Fort Frances Museum,” she added.