The Sundre & District Chamber of Commerce has a new president.
Connie Anderson was elected to the position during the chamber’s annual general meeting on the evening of Thursday, April 12.
The board agreed that the organization’s 1968 bylaws remained current, including the stipulation that a president could not hold that position for more than two, one-year terms, said former president Mike Beukeboom.
“I have been president for four years, therefore, I instantly became past-president,” he wrote in a group email.
“The chamber has in good faith, for decades now, basically done the best it could,” he said during an interview.
“We are all volunteers.”
An attempt was made in 2015 to revamp and update the bylaws, but the revised document, which had largely been drafted by borrowing from existing chambers of commerce and customized for Sundre, was in the end rejected by Corporations Canada. There were no further efforts to update the Sundre chamber’s “absolutely archaic” 50-year-old bylaws, he said, expressing disappointment in that decision.
“The new chamber is going to have to look at the bylaws,” he said, adding that process should start sooner rather than later.
“They have to be tackled.”
Even though the half-century-old bylaws are grandfathered, there is a lot missing in a modern context and the outdated document should not be considered "good enough," he said.
Before his time as president, Beukeboom said the bylaws had not been regularly looked over in detail, and that other past-presidents had also remained for more than the two, one-year terms outlined in the document’s executive structure.
But he remains optimistic about the horizon ahead and said the chamber has accomplished much, including assuming a greater leadership role in Sundre and the surrounding area.
“I am so very proud of that.”
Beukeboom also expressed confidence in the new president and said the chamber finds itself in good hands.
“I am looking forward to working with Connie to ensure a very smooth transition.”
The past-president said he thoroughly enjoyed his experience and expressed gratitude for all of the support he received along the way.
Perhaps the chamber’s crowning achievement in recent years was working with the Town of Sundre to update the development process to create a more business-friendly atmosphere in the municipality, he said.
“We started that conversation about three years ago,” he said, adding council and administration were receptive to the changes.
Whether an entrepreneur seeking to start a new business or a resident planning to build a new deck, the process has been substantially streamlined, he said.
“We’ve done a 180-degree turnaround,” he said, adding some businesses struggled with more cumbersome procedures when he first came on as president.
“The new process is fantastic. It puts us in strong light for new development.”
The chamber has over the past few years also ramped up efforts to play a bigger role in local leadership, engaging in conversations not only with the town but also neighbouring municipalities such as Mountain View County as well as provincial departments like Alberta Transportation, he said.
Beukeboom plans to continue being a part of the effort to pursue the possibility of creating a post-secondary presence in Sundre as well as an educational boardwalk.
“If there’s a role or voice from a past-president needed, I will definitely use that voice.”
He is also looking forward to next month’s annual Explore Sundre Adventure and Home Expo, which takes place May 11-12.
Although the new chamber executive will set its own priorities, Beukeboom hopes the conversation about a future secondary bridge will remain a priority. Even though that project could be 20 years down the road, he said being engaged in the process to determine the future plan that could impact Sundre for generations would be in the community’s best interest.
Additionally, the chamber’s past-president would like to see ongoing efforts to involve local youth leaders in the decision-making process.
“That’ll be critical for the future of this community.”
As the recently elected president, Anderson said Beukeboom had done an excellent job during his time as president.
The chamber’s board is comprised of 11 people, including the president, a vice-president who is now Jim Eklund, a secretary and treasurer, who is now Lois Warnock, as well as eight directors.
“There’s a lot of work ahead of us,” said Anderson, adding he looks forward to the challenge.
Anderson, who owns Integra Tire, has been a member of the chamber since he moved to Sundre but had not previously assumed any positions with the board.
He expressed an interest in continuing to pursue conversations to engage local youth leaders.
“It would be nice to have some younger people give us a voice so we can find out what they want and what they need so we can help them out.”
Additionally, the new chamber president said he wants to see Sundre thrive and intends to focus efforts on drawing in more businesses.
“With Candre coming, that’s a start. Let’s get some more.”
The Town of Sundre has come a long way in the last little while, he said, and the municipality seems to have become more business friendly, a trend he hopes to help maintain by keeping open the lines of communication.
