For the first time in at least half-a-dozen years, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce will have to hold an election to determine its board of directors.
That became apparent Tuesday at the Chamber’s annual general meeting, at which time it was discovered 11 people are vying for the nine spots on the board.
“It’s a surprise,” said co-ordinator Dawn Booth, whose been with the Chamber for the past six years. “Usually, we have just enough people to fill the positions, or we have to beg people to join.
“This is a positive thing for the Chamber,” she added. “It shows there’s definite interest in what we do—we must be doing something right.”
Booth said unless any of the nominees drop out of the running in the next couple of days, Chamber members can expect to receive ballots by the end of the week.
They then will have two weeks to vote and return the ballots, at which time the new board will be named and sworn in, likely by mid-December, noted Booth.
The current board consists of Ala Dulas (B93-FM), Brian Kahler (Brown Cow Productions), Louise Holzer (Royal Bank), Gus MacDonnell (IQON Financial), Cheryl McCallum (Cheryl’s Office on Wheels), Anne Renaud (Confederation College), Larry Syrovy (Rainy Lake Hotel), Debbie Williamson (Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary), and Amy Wrigley (Fort Frances and District Association for Community Living).
The only one not seeking re-election is Renaud.
The new nominees are Kathy Emes (Envision North), John Evans (BDO Dunwoody), and John Cummings (Norfab Building Components).
In related news, yesterday’s meeting saw the election of the Chamber’s new executive. This includes president Alan Tibbetts, first vice-president Gary Rogozinski, second vice-president Christine Denby, and treasurer Brian Kahler.
The position of past president is vacant.
Appointees to the board are Geoff Gillon (Rainy River Future Development Corp.) and Christine Jourdain (Couchiching First Nation), with Tannis Drysdale and Jane Gillon (Ministry of Northern Development and Mines) being ex officio members.
The Town of Fort Frances and Business Improvement Association have yet to appoint replacements for Mayor Glenn Witherspoon and Dan Cousineau, respectively.
Tuesday’s general meeting took place at noon at the Rainy Lake Hotel, where the guest speaker was newly-elected mayor Dan Onichuk.
Other business included a year-in-review report by Tibbetts and approval of the minutes from the 2002 general meeting.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
