Quinte West Chamber of Commerce October 30, 2020
Board of Directors 2050
Dear Board Members,
On behalf of the 2020 Board of Directors, I hope you have enjoyed opening up the time capsule we prepared for our 70th Anniversary. It has been a challenging year for our organization as we worked to support our local business community through this first Global Pandemic. We hope this is the last one and that going forward all countries worked together to make sure this never happens again. The Covid-19 Virus has affected every country of the globe but fortunately, here in Canada and more specifically, here in Quinte West we seem to be managing so far to control the economic and social impacts. We are 8 months into the shut downs and restrictions and everyone is getting used to wearing masks but not sure at this point when it will be over as a vaccine is still in development. Reflecting back on the events and changes we have experienced this year, it gives me pause. We are so far from where we were; the world has truly gone through a transformation. We interact entirely differently than we did just months ago and this has given us the opportunity to reflect on what is important to us personally and within our professional lives.
Currently, our organization represents 440 member businesses and organizations. We are stable and relevant and have great partnerships in place to ensure this area continues to be a great place to live and an attractive place to start a business. Since our incorporation on October 30 1950, we have been a stable organization that has left our fingerprints all over this community. We have been involved in the startup of numerous iconic events and organizations, many of which have grown well beyond our original vision. We get involved, when needed, to help make things happen. We collaborate with others to move our community forward and then willingly step aside when no longer needed. This allows us to focus on the next thing our community needs, to look for opportunities to make Quinte West just a little bit better.
As we observe the 70th anniversary of the Quinte West Chamber of Commerce, I think it is important to celebrate our resiliency as an organization during what has been, arguably, the most trying period that we have faced during those years. We kept our members up to date on the constantly changing landscape of government programs to assist business to get through the closures early on and then, as we moved through the subsequent months, provided up to date information on protocols for our workspaces during the different stages of reopening. We are not done yet; there is still much work ahead. We will be here to provide information, resources and support when our membership needs it.
We will recover. Things will look different. In the future, when others open the time capsule the Chamber is putting together for 2020 they will see that this pandemic was a huge catalyst for change. The fabric of our lives, our community and our businesses are forever altered. Change is inevitable and the Chamber will be here to provide guidance and leadership through it all.
Yours sincerely,
Lori Denis, 2020 Board Chair
