North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce celebrates 130th anniversary

The North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 130th anniversary Thursday with its members, dignities and other guests.

The chamber started in the late 1890s when a group of business owners banded together to discuss their concerns. They wanted to network and work together.

The North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 130th anniversary Thursday with its members, dignities and other guests. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

Today, the chamber continues to advocate for the business community.

"If we have a strong business community, we have a strong community as a whole," said chamber president and CEO Donna Backer.

"We’re also an opportunity to create an atmosphere or a network for businesses and community to feel like they belong to something."

The chamber started in 1895 and is one of the oldest in the country. It's one of 45 chambers that helped establish the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

"We’re looking out for clean, healthy and prosperous communities," Backer said.

She said the chamber has evolved over the years. Today, it advocates on behalf of members to all three branches of government for continued support.

Kerri Dunn, director of sales with Homewood Suites in North Bay, highlighted the chamber’s collective reach compared to that of an individual company.

The North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 130th anniversary Thursday with its members, dignities and other guests. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

The North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 130th anniversary Thursday with its members, dignities and other guests. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

"The chamber has always been an integral member of the business community for small- (and) medium-sized businesses in particular," Dunn said.

"We participate in the Chamber Perks app. So our reach gets to other chamber members as well outside of our region.”

The Northgate Shopping Centre is also another member. Marketing manager Emily Gautier said the chamber has helped the mall connect with people in the community.

"There are so many members and we can help them. They can help us," Gauthier said.

"Along with marketing, it's great for me to meet people for our leasing team."

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Mayor Peter Chirico was the chamber’s president and CEO from 2017-2022 and called it a "conduit" between the city and businesses.

"COVID-19 was a very tough time for many businesses," Chirico said.

"We saw how the chamber could be effective through that period and make sure that our business members, who were hit in a lot of different states of trouble, were able to get help and assist and be able to point them in the right directions they needed. So, I would say that that is one of the highlights."

The chamber has 650 members, ranging from not-for-profits to mom-and-pop shops to bigger corporations. Backer said moving into the future, the goal is to continue to grow its membership and at the same time, manage its current stock.

"When we’re working together, we’re always stronger," she said.