Neepawa Business Community Encouraged to “Be an Ambassador” For the Town

The AGM for the Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce not only conducts the annual business of the chamber and of its sister organisation Neepawa Tourism, but invites guest speakers and presents community awards, turning it into a celebration of community. 

Rrain Prior – Local Journalism Initiative

MC Amanda Naughton-Gale, manager of the Neepawa Community Ministries Centre, opened the meeting by thanking the business community for their support of the food bank and the organisation’s other efforts to support those in need in the community. In a year that saw record highs for food bank use, she called the Neepawa and Area business community “second to none in supporting those in need in our community.”

Guest Speaker Bill Hogan, Executive Director of Community Futures Westman, shared their successes in the area as well as across the country as part of a wider network of organisations. Known primarily for their loans program, Community Futures also provides services such as business startup counselling, business plan assistance, and financial statement analysis to strengthen the business sector.

“We like to think of ourselves as pathfinders,” said Hogan. “If we don’t have all the answers for you, we try to find the ones who will.”

As well, attendees heard from Davelyn Salta, whose startup business Gentle Bucket Cleaning Service won Best Pitch at last year’s What’s the Big Idea entrepreneurial event along with several other awards. Salta had inspirational words for anyone wanting to start a new business in the area, saying about the Chamber of Commerce, “Your belief in small businesses like ours is really empowering.”

Business of the Year for 2024 went to Kinley Thomson Chartered Accountants Inc for their efforts in helping foster economic growth in the community. The business is a big financial supporter of many community events as well, and volunteers time to offer financial services to over 30 local nonprofits.

Both the Neepawa and District Chamber of Commerce and Neepawa Tourism presented their annual reports, recognising the ups and downs of 2024, and swore in their new boards of directors. A late snowstorm that hit the annual Chamber Fair caused an overall financial deficit for the organisation this year, but other programs were financially stable.

MC Naughton-Gale closed the evening by noting that the work of both of these organisations benefits both individual businesses as well as the entire community, and it can’t just be on the backs of the same few people year after year. Attendees are encouraged to “take time to be a tourist in [their] own community” and be an ambassador for all that Neepawa has to offer, whether while on the front lines of service businesses in the community or when travelling elsewhere across the province or country.