The 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce has the amazing task of promoting business, industry and a sense of community within an area that almost sells itself.
The chamber covers Gananoque and the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, including the villages of Seeleys Bay, Lyndhurst, Delta, Lansdowne, Mallorytown, Rockport and Ivy Lea and all points in between.
The formal object of the 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce is to promote and improve trade and commerce and the cultural, civic and social well-being of the district served by this organization.
The chamber has a long history within the town and adjoining regions. In fact, it recently celebrated its 75th anniversary year. Today, the chamber works to promote a variety of business from country inns to stylish restaurants and from factories to fishing lodges.
The 1000 Islands region is still growing in popularity. The chamber receives requests for its Visitors Guide every day from all parts of the globe. Guides are sent out to places such as Bangladesh, Switzerland and even the Czech Republic. People everywhere are talking about this tiny piece of paradise, it truly is an international destination.
The Visitors Centre on the lower level of the chamber of commerce is teaming with information to aid in welcoming people as well as helping them discover the 1000 Islands through providing information on accommodations, events, festivals, activities, restaurants and more.
Thank you for taking part in the 1000 Islands Gananoque Chamber of Commerce online experience, please request a visitors guide and feel free to browse on the website.
Be prepared to be drawn in by the magic of the 1000 Islands!
A LOOK BACK IN TIME
Chamber of Commerce History: From the February 9th Edition of the Gananoque Reporter:
75 Years Ago...
"On Monday evening, Mayor A.L. Lott placed before a public meeting at the Town Hall his proposal to form a Chamber of Commerce in Gananoque. It met with unanimous support. It is envisioned that the Chamber could study and advise council on such matters as a swimming pool for children, the building of a new bridge across the Gananoque River, the securing of the best men as councillors and other matters as their object the welfare and advancement of the town. It is agreed there are obstacles to be overcome but enthusiasm is high and the spirit and dedication of those who attended the meeting will see it becomes a reality".
GANANOQUE GARNERS NATIONAL MEDIA ATTENTION
"Welcome to Gananoque"
By JACK KOHANE
The Toronto Sun
GANANOQUE - Ontario lakeside towns are sure to cure the blues all year round. In a province whose Iroquian name means "glittering lakes," this is where pre-history, history, and geography are all inextricably moored together by a proximity to water.
For Gananoque, on the eastern-most lip of Lake Ontario, water and land meet spectacularly in the Thousand Islands. Just minutes from the U.S. border and located halfway between Toronto and Montreal, life has its own rhythm here.
With a resident population of about 5,000 and a photogenic wharf that has launched countless seafaring legends, Gananoque hosts about 300,000 visitors annually, lured by the islands, picturesque shorelines and a quintessentially small-town Ontario charm.
Waterpower turned the wheels of Gananoque's industries as early as 1792. By the early 19th century numerous mills, a tannery, tool manufacturing plant and harness factory thrived, earning Gananoque
The main industry today is tourism, with more chartered ferry cruises than fishing boats. Fine dining rooms and enchanting accomodations are the current stock-in-trade. The nickname "The Birmingham of Canada" after the British city noted for its bustling industrial base.
To fully take in the grandeur of the Thousand Islands and Gananoque's unique position at the headwaters of the St. Lawrence Seaway, try the (boat cruise) that covers most of the major islands, including Millionaires Row, Smugglers Cove, Tom Thumb Island, and the famed Boldt Castle.
For ramblers, the town's walking tour starts at the majestic Town Hall. Built in 1831, and one of the finest examples of neo-classical architecture in Ontario, the edifice is now completely restored and refurbished as a heritage building, its beautiful furnishings representative of the mid-1800s.
Along the walk there's also the trademark bridge that spans the Gananoque River. First built in 1806 and destroyed by raiders in 1812, it was converted into an iron bridge in 1876. Farther on, there's the industrial canal originally constructed in the late 18th century to power industry ~ it's still in use today by Granite Power Corporation.
On the town's outskirts, visit the superb Victorian-era estates of early industry barons.
THE BENEFITS OF A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
What is A Chamber of Commerce Anyway?
by Andrew Wynne Williams
B.C Chamber of Commerce
Most communities in Canada have a Chamber of Commerce, and those who belong take great pride in their membership. They put stickers on their cars, certificates on their walls, and pins on their lapels. They advertise their involvement for all to see. But those who do not belong often ask why. The answer is because they are proud of being part of an organization that plays such a key role in the community.
That begs the question - what is that role? The official description is:
A Chamber of Commerce is a voluntary organization established to promote civic, commercial, industrial and agricultural progress of the community and district which it serves and to work for sound legislation and efficient administration at the community and all levels of government." (yawn)
The simple version says so much more. The Chamber exists to make any community a better place to live. Period. A Chamber of Commerce provides an avenue for the business people in a community to create a positive business environment. It also provides the local business community with a vehicle to promote their region to the outside world - either for tourism or business investment. It then serves to help people find their way when they arrive.
The Chamber provides an opportunity for those who create local jobs and drive the local economy to work with government and the public to build a better community. The community Chamber works closely with the municipal and regional governments. The provincial government on issues of mutual concern to all chambers, and the Canadian chamber serves a similar role at a national level. The chamber speaks for the business community at public hearings, to the media, and behind closed doors.
When a business joins the Chamber they can learn about rising government issues that affect business, and add their voice to the chambers' efforts to address them. Equally important is that the Chamber can then support them on the issues that concern their business. When a business joins the Chamber, they help make their community - and their business - healthy and prosperous.
Because Chambers are business organizations there are less altruistic benefits to membership. There are excellent networking opportunities at monthly luncheons and other special events. A Chamber provides businesspeople the opportunity to get to know their peers in the local community. They can interact with them, make contacts, and give their business greater exposure to those who are likely its clientele.
Chamber newsletters keep business up to date on what is happening. Not just on government issues but on community events and chamber activities. They also provide an excellent avenue for advertising directly to the most influential businesses in the community.
Because the Chambers are business organizations they provide a number of benefits strictly geared to the business community. One of the key services is training. They can provide learning opportunities and seminars that help small business to operate more efficiently. Whether it is computers or accounting (or both) the chamber can, at the very least, point a business in the right direction to get the information they need.
The collective nature of a Chamber allows access to tangible financial benefits as well. Group insurance programs are an excellent example. A group of businesses accessing insurance for things such as medical, dental, and disability can access much better rates than an individual business. The greater the number of participants, the more stable the risk for the insurer - and hence the better rates.
Group buying power also provides access to better long distance telephone rates. The same holds true for preferred merchant rates on major credit cards. A business saves a great deal over the course of a year when it gets a rate of return on credit cards that is .2% better thn if it did not belong to the chamber. Sometimes, these savings alone will cover the cost of membership!
These are not the only benefits. Chambers also feature deals on hotels, on rental cars, on couriers - and this list is growing. Chambers are service organizations so they are always looking for new ways to better serve their membership.
This brings us back to our original question. Why join the chamber? It seems clear now that there are far more reasons to join a chamber than there are not to. In the long run however, whether you join to have an impact on your community or to gain more direct benefits, it seems that belonging to your Chamber is simply good business.
