Wallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce

WALLACEBURG & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 152 Duncan Street; Wallaceburg, ON; N8A 4E2 Phone: (519) 627-1443 Fax (519) 627-1485 Website: http://www.wallaceburgchamber.com Email: [email protected] 3rd Quarter—July to September 2004

A Message from President, Kevin Cavanagh

Volunteers are the driving force behind most community organizations. For a volunteer, community based organization to remain healthy, it needs to have regular turnover of volunteers within it’s board to keep things fresh, share the responsibilities and allow for personal development. Without ro- tating duties and moving people through the ranks, members will become bored and participate less. The true lifeblood of an organization is it’s ability to change and bring in new blood and fresh ideas. The healthiest groups will plan ahead for the natural succession of board members.

Most people who are looking to devote some free time to worthwhile community causes will choose a group that has direction, financial stability and like-minded, motivated colleagues. It is also easier to participate with a group that has a positive attitude, wants to learn something new and have a little fun along the way.

Inside this newsletter, Tina has published your chamber’s newly formed strategic plan. This plan is the result of Governance and Strategic Planning Training received by your board of directors earlier this year. In reading this document, it should be apparent that your current board of directors has all of the elements that you are looking for in a volunteer experience. With regard to our financial situation, your chamber will show a surplus this year. Our plan is to continue to build on a newly established reserve fund while continuing to do good works within the community.

If this sounds like the kind of volunteer board that you would like to belong to, then please consider applying to the board of directors of the Wallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce. IN THIS ISSUE To apply, compose and submit a simple resume to Front Message from the President the chamber office outlining who you are and what qualities you would bring to the 2005 cham- Page 2 Mission Statement & Strategic Plan ber board of directors. The next round of accep- Page 3 Business After Hours tance to the board will be held at our to-be- Page 4 2004 Golf Tournament Photos announced General Annual Meeting in November Page 5 2004 Golf Tournament Photos 2004. Let’s have some fun rebuilding our commu- Page 6 Benefit Facts nity! Page 7 Community Living Page 8 Welcome New Members 2004 OFFICERS & BOARD DIRECTORS WALLACEBURG & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT Kevin Cavanagh Mission Statement: Haycock-Cavanagh Funeral Home (519) 627-3231 The Wallaceburg & District Chamber of Commerce shall be a cohe- VICE PRESIDENT sive force for business interests by: Sandra Parkin a) Representing Wallaceburg & District Businesses to Govern- Bank of Nova Scotia ments, Community Interest Groups, Businesses and other (519) 627-2268 Chambers of Commerce; b) Promoting Wallaceburg & District Businesses and Community; SECRETARY Janet Reaume c) Providing a Forum for Business Interaction, and Minnie’s Distinctive Gifts d) Providing Membership Services (519) 627-7494 Strategic Plan: TREASURER Steve Outridge 1. To build relationships with and to define and sort the functions Bailey Kearney Ferguson LLP (519) 627-1448 of various groups within the community in order to foster business opportunities. The priority will be to divide community Directors responsibilities through the sharing of information and coordi-

Roger Regnier nation of strategic plans. Maverick Canada Ltd. 2. To increase the communication of Chamber activities by featur- ing the benefits of membership, current community and busi- Dave Ewald ness issues via the Chamber Newsletter, fax and electronic me- David Ewald Life Insurance Agency diums. The priority will be to improve welcome packages and suggestion mechanisms for input and evaluation by the commu- John Lawrence nity. St. Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology 3. To become skilled emissaries within the business community in order to encourage and help retain business. The priority will Tracy Sylvain be to match people in need of help with people or agencies in a Wallaceburg Animal Hospital position to be of assistance. 4. Continue to increase and improve networking opportunities Mary Dixon within the community. New Vision Optical 5. To encourage the benchmarking of the perceived growth or de- Paul Marier cline of business within the community. Paul & Cathy’s No Frills 6. To encourage increased visibility of roadway signage.

Ken Sehgal Super 8 Motel

Al Bechard Jo-Lyn’s Express Yourself

Marg Gurd Royal Bank (Wallaceburg)

David Katzman Community Living Wallaceburg

READY TO SERVE Staff 62 McNaughton Ave., County Fair Mall Wallaceburg, ON N8A 1R9 Open 7 days a week—24 Hours

Page 2 October 26, 2004 November 23, 2004 December 14, 2004

Host: Host: Host:

TO BE 602 Wellington Street 1050 Old Glass Road Wallaceburg ANNOUNCED Wallaceburg 6:00-8:00 PM 6:00-8:00 PM

Sponsors: Sponsors: Sponsors:

Message from the BAH Chair, Tracy Sylvain

The Wallaceburg Business After Hours took the events out of town for the last two months. This was an exciting change for the beginning of summer. The Mitchell’s Bay Marine Park hosted the June event. This was an exciting evening with great food catered by Laurie’s Catering. We had a great sponsor turnout, all catering to the water theme. The sponsors included: Rob Stanley, Mitchell’s Bay Hunting & Fishing Guide, Compass Canoe & Kayak, Wallaceburg BIA, Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Rosaire Cartier- Coldwell Banker, Municipality of Chatham-Kent Tourism, Bob ‘n Buoys Bar & Grill, Ma- ple City Marine and Chatham Downtown BIA. The evening was well attended and the weather was beautiful. It was nice to see the sun set over the bay! July’s host was the First Nations Bank of Canada on Walpole Island. This was a first for the Business After Hours to be hosted on Walpole. It was a great opportunity to meet the new chief, Dean Jacobs and his counsel. Pat Auger, Cindy Mills and their staff did a fabulous job on informing us on Walpole trivia. The food was great as well. The Penalty Box provided the great food along with traditional Fry Bread. The pies supplied by Leona’s Bakery were delicious! Thanks for the great networking opportunity and we look forward to coming to Walpole again. Hope to see you at the next two events and hope your summer is going well!!

Page 3 CHAMBER’S 2004 ANNUAL

Hyde, Hyde & McGregor Team Tom McGregor, Mike Mrkalj, Wayne Schnaubel & Kurt Bryson

Golf Committee Chair, Paul Marier

Martin Insurance Brokers Team Kevin Pearson, John Martin, Scott Ewing & Dave Robinson

Courier Press Team Tom Cogghe, Karen Moran, Virginia Smith & Travis Hooper

Phone: (519) 627-8522 Fax: (519) 627-9126 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. J. Robin Southgate 302 James Street Website: www.wah.infovet.ca Vice-President Wallaceburg, Ontario N8A 2N5

Tel: (519) 627-2241 Kurt A. Fellner Fax: (519) 627-5441 Cell: (519) 627-5424 COME AND SEE US AT OUR NEW LOCATION Associate 1-800-265-5266 Email: [email protected] 30 McNaughton Avenue, Wallaceburg, ON N8A 1R9

Page 4 GOLF TOURNAMENT

Wallaceburg Bookbinding Team Karen Matak, Gerrit Dykhouse Jolene Matak & Paul Eddleston Oaks Inn Team Matt Ellis, Deb Thomas, Rob Burnett & Shawn Hedden

Sobey’s Team 1 Stuart McFadden, Tammy McFadden Mike Childs & Fran Childs

Hillerich & Bradsby Team Randy McNeil, Sindy McNeil, Derek McNeil & Deb Richardson

Sobey’s Team 2 Mark Davis, Sue Baert Jane McGee & Brian Leneve Giant Tiger Team Dwayne Good, Mary Good Bob O’Brien & Michelle O’Brien Page 5

Benefit Facts

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PLANS: A BIG BENEFIT FOR SMALL FIRMS

If you’re running a small business, you know the effort that goes into hiring new employees. It’s critical that you find the right people and bring them up to speed as We at G&K Services Canada can pro- quickly as possible. vide your company with all its uniform But what do you do if something in an employee’s and facility service needs.

personal life starts to drive their productivity off the rails: Uniforms Shop Towels marital issues, family problems, financial concerns or sub- Mats Exec. Wear stance abuse? You know that looking for someone new is a Smocks Aprons lengthy and expensive process, so what are your options? Lab coats Coveralls One great way to protect your investment—and give Please feel free to call for your free the employee a hand—is an Employee Assistance Program estimate at: 1-800-265-5669 (EAP) through your group benefit plan. An EAP lets employees and their dependents consult with a range of profes- sionals, in complete confidence. The cost of an EAP is very modest, less per employee per year than most help-wanted ads, and certainly less than the cost of interviewing and training new staff. An EAP program typically includes introductory materials for employees, to make them familiar with the breadth of confidential services they can access. They’ll of- ten receive wallet cards with the EAP’s toll-free lines. These Why not consider putting an ad or offer an initial point of contact, 24 hours a day, to connect an a flyer in our quarterly newsletter. employee with the professional in their area best suited to address the employee’s concerns. As an employer, you probably don’t want to be in The Chamber Newsletter is dis- the awkward position of offering advice on personal matters. tributed to all businesses in North An EAP lets you gracefully and productively refer employees to help. An EAP can generate high satisfaction ratings Kent as well as members, politi- from employees, helping address their personal problems, cians, area media and some other and keeping a trained employee productively at work for your small firm. chambers in Ontario & Michigan.

Benefit Facts presents information to help you manage your employee benefits. Brought to you by your Chambers of For more information, please con- Commerce Group Insurance Plan® agent, representing tact the chamber office at 627- Canada’s premier group plan for small and medium sized business. 1443 or by email at [email protected] . DAVE EWALD, B.Sc., Ch.B.A.

David Ewald Life Insurance Agency Limited 257 St. Clair St., Chatham, Ont. N7L 3J8 Phone: (519) 360-6822 Fax: (519) 352-2995

Page 6 Supported Employment: Creating a larger labour pool By Andrew Jeffs Supervisor, Community & Employment Services Community Living Wallaceburg

Effective recruitment and selection of employees plays a major role in the success or failure of any business. Finding and selecting individuals that will contribute to the overall success of the organization is paramount.

Recruitment involves generating a large enough applicant pool for a job that will provide the employer with the required number of candidates for selection. In a smaller community such as ours, attracting enough qualified people to select from can be difficult and retaining them even harder. But what if you could create a larger labour pool from which to select? Wouldn’t that increase your chances of selecting the right person for the position?

At Community & Employment Services we assist people with disabilities to train and prepare for employment. These individuals are then ready to enter the labour market and join your applicant pool. We pre-screen potential employees thus saving you time and money by recommending only those individuals suited for the position. By utilizing the employment services of Community Living Wallaceburg you have greatly increased your chances of hiring and holding onto an employee who is a good match for your position.

Lowering your staff turnover by procuring and retaining safe, reliable, productive employees who will meet your needs and contribute to your overall success makes great business sense.

Creating a larger applicant pool is just one way employment services can assist your business. We also offer job coaching, training incentives and ongoing support for you and your staff. For more information on employing individuals who have a disability please contact Andrew Jeffs at 627-0777 extension 577.

Copies & Printing WENDY MCCOY ACCOUNT MANAGER Sarnia Branch Chatham Branch 212 Queen Street 1041 Dufferin Avenue 210 Lochiel @ Vidal 121 Heritage Rd Suite 10 Chatham, ON N7M 2H1 Wallaceburg, ON N8A 2V9 Sarnia ON N7T 4C7 Chatham ON N7M 5W7 Tel: (519) 383 6411 Tel: (519) 351 8747 Phone: (519) 436-0112 Phone: (519) 627-0758 Fax: (519) 383 8805 Fax: (519) 354 5282 Fax: (519) 436-0139 Fax: (519) 627-2902

Email: [email protected] Website: www.kellyservices.com Kelly Services (Canada) Limited [email protected] We Make It Easy To Do Business With Us!

Page 7 ETQ Power (Canada) 360 Queen Street; Chatham, ON; N7M 2H6 Telephone: (519) 358-1067 Fax: (519) 358-1913 Contact: Mr. Ray Johnson Sr., President ETQ Power (Canada) a variety of generators, welders, trash pumps, power washers and more. They are in the wholesale small machinery business across Canada.

J & A Whitson Farms Ltd. R.R. #4; Dresden, ON; N0P 1M0 Phone: (519) 683-2309 Fax: (519) 683-1369 Whitson’s Farm Market is open 7 days a week from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm. They specialize in fruit baskets, assorted food trays of vegetables/cheese, and specialty crafts of all types for the home and office. There are homemade pies, cookies and chocolates. Located at the corner of Highway 78 and Highway 21 in Dresden.

E-commerce: What makes a good on-line store? The best commercial Web sites make every effort to put their customers and visitors at ease. Customers are not likely to make purchases if they have reservations about who they are dealing with, or if they don’t know return policy details. • When developing content, keep in mind that for most visitors your site is the only contact they’ll have with your business. Visitors need to know about the business. Such things as who you are, where you are located? How and when do you ship? It is essential to try to anticipate as many on-line customers’ questions as possible, and answer those questions on your Web site. Make it easy for potential customers to contact you. • Make your website as user-friendly as possible, ensure that it is well organized and easy to navigate. Categorize your products in such a way that customers can find what they are looking for with the fewest number of clicks. Customers should never be more than three clicks away from making a purchase. • Create a site map to give customers more than one way to navigate. A site map is similar to a table of contents in a book. It shows at a glance how the site is organized. Each heading in the site map should be clickable so the customer can go directly from the site map to the topic of interest.

For more tips on how your business can add value and customer assurance to your Web site, take advantage of the Selling on the Internet and Web Site Evaluation services offered by Student Connections (SC). Visit www.studentconnections.ca or call toll free 1-888-807-7777. Student Connections provides small and medium-sized businesses with a wide range of practical, customized Internet training and e-commerce solutions. An Industry Canada initiative under the federal government’s Youth Employment Strategy, Student Connections allows business to benefit from the expertise and assistance of bright young future business leaders while providing them with valuable work experience.

Have you priced the Chamber of Commerce Group Benefit Program?

We offer various drug & dental plans, critical illness, disability, life insurance and business overhead. Our benefits are pooled with 25,000 other firms so you don’t get a shock at renewal time. Plans are available for a one person group up to a 50 person group. It pays to compare Call Dave Ewald at 360-6822 Fax: 352-2995 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ewaldinsurance.on.ca