Following the SADC presentation at the Brauwerk Hoffman Brewery, the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce held its first networking event since restrictions began to lift.

“The point of this one is really a campaign to sensitize people to the benefits that the chamber has for its members and potential members, because even our people who are members are not taking full advantage of everything that we have to offer,” said Jessica Forgues, director general of the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.

“We decided to host this and have our guest who’s . . .

coming this evening to really speak about what is available and how to best use it to get the most for your money being part of the chamber,” said Forgues.

Some of the benefits outlined at the event included access to Chambers of Commerce group insurance plan, an Esso gas card that allows businesses and their employees to save four cents per litre at the pump, a retirement plan offered through the chamber and a business support program that offers resources and help for member businesses relating to human resources, accounting and legal matters.

Forgues said that many businesses, whether members of the chamber or not, were not aware of the benefits.

“A lot of times people say, ‘Well, why should I join the Chamber of Commerce? What do I get out of it?’ Well, besides solidarity and networking, and sharing of ideas and concerns, there’s also benefits that can be derived from being a member of the Chamber of Commerce,” said Todd Hoffman, president of the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce.

Patrick Hureau of Score Financial Services based in Montreal was the guest that was presenting the benefits.

“The chamber program is a non-profit organization that is present in over 900 chambers across Canada and was created in 1970, ‘’ said Hureau. “It’s for the benefit of chamber members. Currently, it covers over 30,000 companies and more than 165,000 people across Canada. The mandate before everything is to make sure that people get stable long term premiums.”

Hureau said that the non-profit group insurance plan was one the biggest benefits of being a chamber of commerce member.

“We try to make people understand that if they take good care of their staff, and maintain their human capital, it’s more important even than the maintenance of machinery. If machinery breaks, it’s easy to buy another one. If human capital breaks, you have a problem,” said Hureau about the importance of giving employee benefits.

Hureau concluded by outlining how smaller Chambers of Commerce such as the one based in the Pontiac are far more oriented towards helping their members, which is something he doesn’t necessarily see from larger, city based chambers, which he said is a big advantage for businesses in the area.

The president of the Pontiac Chamber also emphasized how business working together in common cause is one way to develop the area, especially after the shocks to the lumber and agricultural industry over the previous decades.

“In the last 10 years the Pontiac has been redefining its place in business and looking for business models that would work,’’ said Hoffman. “It seems to be that it’s more in the agritourism, and that’s where there’s a lot of untapped potential. Because geographically, we’re quite a vast region here within the Outaouais and we’re very sparsely populated. We’re almost like a big park or playground that’s not being utilized.”

Register or subscribe to read this content

Thanks for stopping by! This article is available to readers who have created a free account or who subscribe to The Equity.

When you register for free with your email, you get access to a limited number of stories at no cost. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to everything we publish—and directly support quality local journalism here in the Pontiac.

Register or Subscribe Today!