New Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce Approved to Move Forward

MEDICINE HAT - The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Her Excellency, the Governor General in Council, approved the application by the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce to change its name to the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce, along with the change to the Chamber's district boundaries on April 12, 2024. The official boundaries now include the Town of Bassano, the City of Brooks, the Municipal District of Cypress County - which includes Wild Horse, Seven Persons, Elkwater, Irvine, Walsh, Dunmore, Schuler, Hilda, Suffield, Ralston, Veinerville and Desert Blume, the Village of Duchess, the City of Medicine Hat, the County of Newell, the Town of Redcliff and the Village of Rosemary.

Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce Board President Steve Heid commented, ‘We were pleased to hear of the approval by Her Excellency, the Governor in Council on this approval. There have been many hours contributed to working towards bringing the region together and embracing our strengths within the Southeast Alberta corner of the province. We are pleased with the relationships we have been able to foster in the Brooks-Newell region, and this recognition and change of name will only bolster those efforts to collaborate and represent the regional business community.’

Former Brooks & District Chamber of Commerce President, Chip Cheney, further added, ‘the Brooks and District Chamber of Commerce wanted to create a stronger business environment and support system for the Brooks-Newell region, finding a pathway to create greater connections and benefits for all communities involved. We are pleased to have the experience from the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce working with us to navigate these transitions and provide ongoing support and a voice to represent our business community.'

City of Brooks Councilor Mohammed Idriss, who was also a former Board member of the Brooks & District Chamber of Commerce, remarked, ‘This is an opportunity to revitalize our business community. We look forward to working with the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce on initiatives to connect, support and advocate for our community. Effective chambers of commerce are great venues to give a voice to businesses big and small, and we believe the new Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce, with the expanded boundaries and membership, will have more impact and will create a regional collaborative mindset, which in turn will benefit all involved.'

The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce approved the Petition for a Change of Boundaries and the Change of Name at its Annual General Meeting on November 30, 2023, following the motion for dissolution by the Brooks & District Chamber of Commerce in November 2023. Following the resolutions, the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce filed the necessary petitions and resolutions under Section 4 of the Boards of Trade Act to the Federal Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development to broaden its boundaries to serve Bassano, Brooks, Cypress County, Duchess, Medicine Hat, Newell County, Redcliff and Rosemary, expanding on its existing service area of Medicine Hat, Cypress County, and Redcliff.

'The Brooks-Newell region has been gracious in welcoming us into their region and providing us the opportunity to serve the area. We also know that the opportunity comes with great responsibility, and we are honoured to be able to serve in this capacity through our connections, support and influence we offer,’ stated Executive Director, Lisa Dressler. ‘We recognize we need to be responsive to the needs of our Southeast Alberta region and we are fortunate to have boots on the ground with Naomi Zacharias, a previous business owner in the region, as our Brooks-Newell Business Development Coordinator. It is important to have local connections and a local presence, and we are pleased to have someone in the region, with the extension of the full wrap-around support from our existing team members.’

The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce will now commence work on the many changes required to change their name, but will now be able to operate as the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce. This will be a monumental moment in history as the Chamber embarks on its 125th anniversary in 2025, under the new Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce name. Visit: www.SoutheastAlbertaChamber.ca to find out more and meet the team.