How to re-energize the Boissevain-Morton Chamber of Commerce has been a question for its members over the past year.  Tuesday of this week, about a dozen members met to decide on the future of their local chamber, to continue on with a handful of members, or to close it down.

After deliberating on what to do to revitalize the local Chamber, the committee has decided to continue to represent the business sector, however they are looking for new energy and ideas. 

President, Ken Hole, says he was very pleased with the consensus of those in attendance to continue on to represent the business sector of their community.  "I'm really happy about that we will proceed with our chamber.  We will do some homework and try and find some new avenue and new people to join us.  It was a great meeting today!"

Hole says they won't be having a monthly meeting as has been the traditional way over the past number of years, instead the meetings will stretch out a bit. "We'll have a meeting as needed," he explains. "There are lots of smaller groups throughout our community that are certainly interested in our community, but we haven't gotten them onto the Chamber side of things yet. But, hopefully in the future they will see the value in that and will become a part of us."

Not all business owners recognize the benefits of belonging to their local chamber.  The Chamber promotes the community as a whole to bring in tourism, to strengthen economic possibilities and opportunities.  One demographic in the Boissevain-Morton region that's worth pursuing is the ag sector and the insurance that can be provided to farming operations with employees.

"I would love to see a group of people come forward with a need for more insurance," explains Hole. "I'm looking at the rural sector who are hiring more people all the time to work on their farms and they can get insurance and insure themselves and their staff and be part of our Chamber at a very minimal cost."

The Chambers of Commerce Group Insurance Plan is a comprehensive group benefits program designed for Canadian businesses with 1-50 employees. Here are some key points about the plan taken directly from their website:

  1. Coverage: The Chambers Plan provides Health and Dental insurance for employees. It’s a reliable way to offer essential benefits to your team.

  2. Not-for-Profit: The program is developed by the Chamber of Commerce Insurance Corporation of Canada and operates as a not-for-profit initiative. Premiums cover claims and admin costs, and any surplus is reinvested to enhance features and maintain stable premiums.

  3. Value-Added Services: In addition to health and dental coverage, the Chambers Plan includes other benefits such as disability insurance, life insurance, and more.

  4. Stability and Simplicity: The Chambers Plan is known for its stability and simplicity. It combines accessibility, flexibility, and the stability of pooled benefits.  Many small to midsize businesses choose it because of its unsurpassed value and customer service.

 If you’re a business owner looking for more information on becoming a Chamber member and specifically about their insurance program visit their website HERE!

Ken Hole has been a member of his local chamber for about 40 years. He says the chamber has been key to many initiatives in the community, making it wonderful place to live in and raise a family, including the giant Tommy the Turtle statue that stands proudly at the south entrance of town waving his flags.   "The giant turtle started at a Chamber level and there has been a lot of promotion of the town over the past number of years and we just don't want to see that fail."