The Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce, which has hundreds of members in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sept. 28 to elect a new president for the year, hear financial reports, and honour long-serving members of the Chamber board.
Don Howe, the owner of Moose Jaw Tim Horton's franchises, was appointed to a one-year term as president of the Chamber of Commerce during the AGM, held downtown at Grant Hall.
Outgoing president Ryan Hrechka, a partner at law firm Grayson & Co., thanked those gathered for their support and said his year as Chamber president had flown by.
"I am blown away by how quickly (this year) has completely disappeared on me," Hrechka chuckled. "It's been a great privilege to me to have been given the opportunity to serve the Chamber and Moose Jaw as your president for this past year. It has been a rewarding experience and I want to thank (Chamber of Commerce employees) Heather (Bergdahl), Rob (Clark), Darby (Fiddler), and the board for their commitment to the Chamber, their donated time, and for all their hard work to ensure we had a successful year."
The Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce audited financial statements were presented by BTN Chartered Professional Accountants. They reported there are no discrepancies and the organization's financial statements are accurate.
In reviewing the year, Hrechka noted that as of Sept. 28 the Chamber has 590 members, which is the highest number ever.
Business developments in 2022/23 included new stores on Thatcher Drive such as Winners, Popeyes, and Tommy Guns Barber Shop, Hrechka said. He continued, listing the $800 million Great Plains Power Station, now nearing completion; a new apartment complex is on the way in the West Park area; the groundbreaking for the new joint-use Westheath school took place in May; Young's Equipment has expanded its Moose Jaw investment with new construction; the CRM crumb rubber plant is nearing completion; the 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championships were held in Moose Jaw for the first time; the new Brandt Industries trailer manufactuing plant; and the North 49 Foods sow processing plant is on the way.
"All these great accomplishments can't be done with just one," Hrechka. "All this happened because of you, the members of the Chamber business community and citizens of Moose Jaw. The City showcased exactly why Moose Jaw should be the place to do business.
"This year has been immensely valuable, interesting, and fun for me, and I hope that it has been a benefit to the Chamber. I wish Don the best. I know him to be a reasoned and thoughtful person and I look forward to his tenure as president."
Howe was sworn into his position by Clive Tolley, mayor of Moose Jaw.
"It is my pleasure and honour to be the 2023/2024 Board President of the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce. On behalf of the board of directors I'd like to thank Ryan for all his work over the past year," Howe said after being sworn in. "I look forward to the year ahead as your board president, working closely with the staff and the board to continue to be the voice of the industry and community."
Howe's first acts as president were to award Chamber board members Kylie Sonmor and James Benn for their six years each serving on the Chamber's board.
Following lunch, Chamber AGM attendees heard from Maryse Carmichael, who has been Moose Jaw's City Manager for four months, and Kevin Doherty, former MLA and provincial finance minister and current VP of Prairie Sky Strategy.
The Moose Jaw Express will summarize their remarks in a future article.
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