26
27
CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - OCTOBER 2013
Carolynn Cancade
T
HI S YEAR , THE
Brandon
Chamber is celebrating a monu-
mental accomplishment: the Chamber
is 130 years old. The Brandon Chamber
represents over 800 delegates, repre-
senting over 600 different business
types, sectors, and sizes.
CIO had the opportunity to con-
nect with Carolynn Cancade, General
Manager for the Chamber, to learn
why the Chamber has been so success-
ful since its incorporation on May 14,
1883.
How has the Chamber influenced
business issues in Manitoba, and what
have those issues been in the last 2-3
years?
The Chamber movement is based
on grassroots involvement of passion-
ate volunteers who identify research
and advocate for issues that will affect
our local business environment. Here
are only a couple of the major issues
we have been tackling over the past
several years:
Increased immigration policies at
the Provincial level have made Bran-
don a cultural melting pot which has
helped our population grow and ex-
pand. However, housing concerns and
pressure on the education and health
systems has strained infrastructure
and resources. The Chamber is active-
ly consulting with local and provincial
governments to see where the private
sector can assist with these macro is-
sues.
Advocacy efforts have been tar-
geting municipal governments (City
Council and the School Board of Trust-
ees) to ensure that wise and prudent
choices are being made with regard to
fiscal management and overall value
for our tax dollars
We were instrumental in advo-
cating and marketing for regular air
service to and from Brandon. In Sep-
tember of 2013, our first WestJet flight
landed in Brandon with daily service
to and from Calgary. This will be a
“
game changer”!
What are some of the challenges
that you see on the horizon that Bran-
don businesses will need to address,
and those that the Chamber is already
advocating on?
A positive recent development
is the increase in the oil exploration
and development that has been taking
place in the southwest corner of the
province and the radiating effects that
is having on towns in that area and
Brandon. The activity is bringing jobs
and the need for value added services,
but it is putting additional pressure on
local workforces and infrastructure in
the area. The Chamber will continue to
focus on issues that affect the Brandon
and area business community.
What has made the Brandon
Chamber so successful for as long as it
has been?
The Brandon Chamber of Com-
merce is an independently funded,
grassroots, member driven organiza-
tion that thrives on volunteerism and
a sense of community responsibility.
The volunteers that get involved with
the Chamber activities and leader-
ship feel a real sense of ownership for
the impact the Chamber has locally. I
think that has been the secret to the
long term success of our Chamber.
Why is Brandon such a great
place to do business?
Brandon was born from the ex-
pansion of the Western Frontier at a
major junction of the Canadian Pacific
Railway and the Assiniboine Riv-
er. That hard working, entrepreneurial
frontier spirit is still the powerful force
BRANDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
