Report on Chamber activities
The Chamber has been involved with several on-going projects over the last year, including the Community Calendar, maintaining signage at the ferry landings, quarter mile, and south lookout, sending out a newsletter to facilitate networking in the business community, and operating the visitor centre.
Projects for 2016 included granting a bursary to a Nakusp Secondary School student who plans on studying business, tourism, or hospitality, holding an open house at the visitor centre during Chamber Week 2016, taking part in the province’s 10-year Destination Development strategic planning sessions in Castlegar and Nakusp, and sponsoring Canada Day celebrations parade and activities in the park.
Visitor Centre report
One highlight from the Visitor Centre’s report was that international travel was up by 12 per cent, but they found most people are gathering information about their trip online. As a result, visitor centres across the province are down in visitation by 1.2 per cent. Nakusp has bucked that trend. Because the village is small and in an isolated area, and the Visitor Centre is easy to find and isn’t completely reliant on self-service, the centre has seen an increase in visitor numbers by seven per cent.
Look ahead for 2017
In the coming year the Chamber is hoping to run an all-candidates forum for the provincial election in 2018, and Cedra Eichenauer will be sent to attend the BC Chambers Executive Conference in Invermere.
At the end of Susan Kostuch’s presentation on the Chamber’s look ahead to 2017, it was officially announced that she would be stepping down as president of the Chamber. Kostuch was told not only would she be missed by the Chamber, but by the members of the community as well.
Kostuch said she and her family were reluctant to leave, but were leaving to be together as a family. She was given a round of applause by all those in attendance of the meeting.
Election of board members
In order to be on the board, a person must be a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
There were no objections to any person becoming a board member. As such all members were elected by acclamation and sworn in by Tom Zeleznik the Chamber’s liason to the Village of Nakusp.
The new board consists of Ali Raskob as president, Barbara Ross as vice president, Carmen Strachan as treasurer. Directors are Aidan McLaren-Caux, Shirley Kosiancic, Jennifer Cross, Joanne Cowan, Carla Poulin, and Lynda Tamasi.