Growth in Havelock Chamber   

Havelock Chamber

We are heading toward the end of 2022 and the Havelock Chamber has a lot to look back on with pride and a lot to look forward to as it continues to grow. We can all be proud of the successful partnership with the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, the Kawartha Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and the Millbrook & District Chamber of Commerce that resulted in a successful application for a Shop Ontario grant. The grant money funded the Hometown Holiday promotion campaign last winter, with spots on local TV, radio, print, and significant social media exposure. As a result of that campaign, Chamber membership surged. 

The renewed activity led to regular meetings in the spring, the election of new directors Laurie Goldsmith, Dave Sharpe, and Phillip Jolicoeur to the board. Rae McCutcheon, long-time president of the chamber (one of the original founding members) has moved into the Past President position and director Paul Stevens is the new president. 

The general member’s meetings paused over the summer and resumed in September when the chamber faced a new challenge. The effort to update the chamber’s website came to a sudden standstill when the service provider announced they were going out of business. Fortunately, a new provider with an extremely supportive technical section is lined up, and work on a new website is progressing.

Recognizing that a healthy business environment in a small-town needs support from multiple places, the Havelock Chamber has actively sought participation from community organizations and individuals. In addition to memberships from long-term members of the business community, the chamber is seeing interest and increasing membership from new businesses and small start-ups, often owned and run by people new to the area. 

Success in small rural communities requires an “all hands on deck” approach. The Havelock Chamber is proud to be a strong member of the growing Havelock-Belmont-Metheun crew.