Seminar on competing in the Big Box marketplace to be offered in Fort Frances

Ken Johnston

Two guest speakers addressed the Rainy River and District Chamber of Commerce at its Annual General Meeting March 22, 2003.
The president of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce Tannis Drysdale of Fort Frances spoke about the strength chamber members have in getting their concerns heard at the provincial level.
Each year chambers like Rainy River can submit resolutions on issues affecting their community to NOACC. NOACC then looks at them and often passes them to the next level where the executive of NOACC brings those issues directly to the provincial government.
Drysdale said that there was a 56% success rate in getting action on resolutions last year after some 48 private meetings with key government personnel and cabinet ministers took place.
She pointed to the fact that the current Tory government has recognized the importance of NOACC in that the new Minister of Northern Development and Mines and the new Premier both chose to have their first meetings, after taking their new posts, with NOACC.
Drysdale also announced that once the provincial election is called she will take a leave of absence to work on the campaign of Cathe Hoszowski who has been nominated to run for the Progressive Conservatives in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding.
The second guest speaker for the night was Geoff Gillon of the Rainy River Future Development Corporation in Fort Frances.
Gillon emphasize that the chamber is a real positive force in the community. “I encourage other business people to join and get active. In a small community everyone has to pull together.”
Gillon said that RRFDC is in the development stages of a 3 year planning process and are working to bring a more aggressive economic development plan to bear for Rainy River.
Closer to home for the Rainy River area business community the RRFDC is working to bring J.H. Williams of the Retail Council of Canada to the area to hold a seminar on how small businesses can better deal with the “Big box store” threat. He encouraged Rainy River businesses to attend.
John Williams who works on the Ontario Retail Council will draw from his vast experience to help businesses develop strategies for success in the big box market.
RRFDC will also be working to try and implement some training programs for small businesses on things such as bookkeeping and better hiring skills.