Lynne Lavery
SHAWVILE – The Pontiac Chamber of Commerce’s (PCC) annual general meeting was held November 14 at the Little Red Wagon Winery. Twenty-one members of the association, including board members, attended. The setting was one of a holiday party, with Simon Clarke’s “Touch of Class” playing music and buffet-style food served.
Lynne Lavery
SHAWVILE – The Pontiac Chamber of Commerce’s (PCC) annual general meeting was held November 14 at the Little Red Wagon Winery. Twenty-one members of the association, including board members, attended. The setting was one of a holiday party, with Simon Clarke’s “Touch of Class” playing music and buffet-style food served.
After a time for networking, Mireille Alary, president of the association for the past 5 years, declared quorum, then announced her resignation, saying it was “time to pass the torch”. She spoke of the benefits of membership in the PCC including training, marketing help and local business purchasing policies. She also noted
various workshops and other activities held over the past year: the 2018 AGM
at L’Ancienne Banque in L’Isle aux Allumettes; the provincial election forum in September 2018 in conjunction with CHIP radio; a general meeting outlining the new cannabis laws in October 2018; and the federal election forum held this past October, again, in conjunction with CHIP.
Alary also spoke of two changes made to the associations’ by-laws. The first reduces the minimum number of board members from 8 to 6, with a
maximum of 12; with Alary’s departure, there’s one vacant seat on the board. The second change removes the requirement for a minimum of 10 board meetings per year. She said that the ease of email communication has made it unnecessary to meet as often in person; the new bylaw reads “The Board of Directors shall meet from time to time [as needed] to carry out the business of the Chamber.”
Larry Coleman, PCC treasurer, presented the 2018-2019 financial report, showing a surplus of $3,098 for the period. He also thanked Alary for her work over the past 5 years saying she had “worked for the benefit of the Pontiac.”
No nominations or election of new board members was held, although the Chamber is actively looking for new members; anyone interested should contact a member of the board: Todd Hoffman, Larry Coleman, Ron MacKillop, Winston Sunstrom, and Isabelle Gagnon. The board will meet mid-January 2020 to finalize positions for the year.
