The February meeting of the Carman and Community Chamber of Commerce was held on Feb. 13 at the Carman Memorial Hall.
The Chamber discussed several items but the main focus was how best to help the community after the recent tragedy in town and looked at ways to raise money or help out with the cause.
The Chamber was made aware that the family of the victims had ordered flowered crosses to be placed along the highway at the site where the tragedies occurred. The Chamber decided to cover the cost of these markers.
The Chamber of Commerce has also sent a letter of support to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as a gesture of gratitude for their heroic efforts as first responders during this tragic incident.
In other news, Richard Dyck, councillor for the Town of Carman, notes that town council had a meeting recently with Brandon Burley, the former mayor of Morden. Burley resigned from his mayoral duties and promptly became southern Manitoba’s new NDP cabinet leader.
Burley reminded town council that southern Manitoba is the strongest economic driver in the province, more than Winnipeg. He also has access to NDP ministers who are very eager to tour the area.
“We were able to share some of our concerns and focused on the healthcare staff shortages and some of the challenges that he sees and the NDP sees,” said Dyck. “We talked about road improvements because we had a promise six years ago before the Main Street Project was started that Main Street would be fixed north of the tracks within ten years and the intersection within five years, so we just wanted to remind them. Most importantly, we want more funding from the province, so we’re looking for more sustainability from them there.”
Jodi Winkler from the Chamber of Commerce notes they are looking for a few more membership renewals. There are still quite a few out there that haven’t paid yet, so if you’re a business that hasn’t paid your membership, please do so soon at your earliest convenience.
The Carman Restorative Justice group is welcoming any new members of its committee.
The golf committee is also dwindling, so they are looking for some new directors. The Chamber Golf Tournament is one of the biggest fundraisers of the year and is needed for the Chamber to survive.
The Chamber is also looking forward to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on April 9, its regular meeting day at the Boyne River Bistro.
Finally, the Carman Robotics Club at Carman Collegiate has been put on hold as the Manitoba Robotics Games aren’t being held this year. The Chamber had some success with the Robotics Club last year and is disappointed with the news, but is hopeful that they’ll be back making cool robots for next year.
