Battlefords Chamber of Commerce inducts new chair

Rye noted the chamber has a couple of projects and some new initiatives that will be coming out shortly that she is eager to get started on.

The first effort she’ll be involved in is the chamber’s Power Hour event, coming up in March.

“That will be our main focus right away,” Rye said.

Rye acknowledged the work of outgoing chair Kayla Petersen over the past year.

“Kayla has been a wonderful example and a mentor to me. I hope to follow in her footsteps,” she said.

Keith Martell, Chief Executive Officer and President of First Nations Bank of Canada, was the chamber’s guest speaker at Tuesday’s event. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Linda Machniak, the Chamber’s chief operating officer, remarked that Peterson has made great strides for the chamber on various initiatives.

“Kayla [Petersen] has done a lot of work for us this year,” she said. “In real estate, she is so busy with her own work as well, so we appreciate what she’s done.”

One of the bigger projects Petersen has been involved with during her time as chair was overseeing the chamber’s new online Battlefords Relocation Guide that was completed in 2023.

On the incoming chair, Machniak said Rye is passionate about the Battlefords and wants to encourage people to “come here, explore, be part of the community here, and do business in the Battlefords,” so she’s glad to see her moving into the role.

“It’ll be another busy year as always,” added Machniak.

Focus on growing business

Keith Martell, the Chief Executive Officer and President of the First Nations Bank of Canada, was the chamber’s guest speaker at the event.

He discussed the importance of developing successful businesses in Saskatchewan and specifically Battlefords to keep the economy strong.

“We need an environment for economic development,” Martell said. “We need schools that deliver an education that’s competitive with other places in the world. We need cultural activities that are competitive and can attract people. We need to have safety issues, health issues, and all those issues addressed. For government, that is their responsibility.”

He noted the challenge for Saskatchewan and the Battlefords is that they have small populations, and there’s a high cost to transport goods.

Martell mentioned one of the ways the Battlefords can attract people and their dollars is when visitors come here from outside the area in the summer months to go to the lake area. Because of this, he thinks the area should really promote what it offers.

“You have to focus on the advantages within your region, the fact that we’ve got wide open spaces, the fact that we do have natural resources, which can get further developed, and value-added to sell to other parts of the world,” Martell said.

He recommended what he calls “economic leakage,” to help expand the market for goods and services outside the region and city to increase sales and boost the local economy.

“[It’s] important for your economy not just to be self-sufficient locally, but to drive economic goods and services out into the region, into the province, the country, and the world,” he said.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Battlefords Chamber of Commerce inducts new chair

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