Message from the Executive Director: A Year In Review

On the heels of our 2025 AGM, it is my privilege to reflect on the past year and share the progress we have made together.

2024 was a transformative year for our Chamber, as we reaffirmed our commitment to our four strategic pillars: advocacy, connection, education, and promotion. These pillars are the foundation of our work, and I want to take a moment to highlight our accomplishments and the path ahead.

Advocacy: A Voice for Local Business

Housing affordability remained our primary advocacy focus. We released a housing backgrounder, participated in provincial roundtables, where we discussed the challenges our business community faces from a small-town perspective including workforce development, attracting and retaining young people and housing affordability. And we have worked closely with the Muskoka Community Land Trust to support a mixed-use development in downtown Bracebridge.

At the local level, we maintained regular discussions with the Mayor, CAO, and Economic Development staff, ensuring that the business community’s concerns were heard and addressed. With provincial and federal elections on the horizon, we will continue to provide unbiased election information and host all-candidates meetings to help our members make informed decisions.

Connection: Strengthening Business Networks

Last year, we hosted 12 networking events, averaging 49 attendees per session. We carefully scheduled events at different times to accommodate various business needs.

Key events in 2025 include:

30th Annual Chamber Awards Gala (Pearl Theme) – April 3rd at Leon’s Auditorium, Muskoka Lumber Community Centre.

Annual Golf Day – Planned for May or June.

Beyond events, we continue to facilitate business partnerships and connections. With the decline of traditional media, our newsletter has become a vital resource for members. We encourage businesses to subscribe to stay informed.

Looking ahead, we plan to expand our outreach by visiting our members in person, onboarding an intern through the FedNor program and strengthening cross-Chamber collaborations, including continued joint events with Muskoka Lakes Chamber, Gravenhurst Chamber, and expanding to include an event with the Huntsville Chamber.

Education: Supporting Business Growth

Providing valuable resources to our members is a top priority. Over the past year, we have shared educational content, webinars, and industry insights to help businesses thrive.

A major initiative for 2025 is our partnership with HR Covered, offering Chamber members access to over 1,000 HR-related documents, including templates for job postings, memos, and checklists—all at no cost.

Promotion: Showcasing Our Business Community

In 2024, our promotional efforts resulted in:

117,000+ people reached on social media, a 500% increase from the previous year.

41% increase in Facebook engagement and 100% growth on Instagram.

We also expanded advertising opportunities, including:

• Newsletter ads

• Digital screens in the Visitor Information Centre

• Customizable ad options for Gold members, continuing the map and expanding to the digital options.

Additionally, Oktoberfest continued to boost tourism and local businesses. With Bracebridge’s 150th anniversary in 2025, additional funding has been secured to make this year’s event even bigger.

Upcoming Change: Visitor Information Centre Relocation

This year marks one big change in particular. We are anticipating a move of the Visitor Information Centre, where we operate from the Bird Mill Mews, just above the falls to the old Carnegie library building. With this move comes a sentimental weight, moving from a building with memories since the 90s, but it also brings a physical component of moving the furniture, digitizing documents and setting up the new Visitor Centre to ensure it provides the same or more value to visitors, and in turn the businesses supported by them. We ask for and appreciate your patience when this move happens and are excited for the future possibilities that come with a new space.

Acknowledging Contributions & Looking Forward

Last but certainly not least, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to our board members, volunteers, and staff whose hard work and dedication make all of this possible.

To our members, thank you for your trust and partnership. Your success is at the core of everything we do.

I also want to recognize the board members who have served this year but will not be renewing their terms:

• Louise Asselbergs, our former Treasurer

• Rahim Premji, the Chair of our Advocacy Committee

• Connor Ryan, the Chair of our Membership Committee

• Sara Landry

These board members have made significant contributions, from helping shape our advocacy efforts to securing support for our Golf Day and Gala. We sincerely thank them for their service.

I also want to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning board members:

• Emerson Blackman

• Kevin McKinnon

• Marc Baudendistel

• Sarah Smith

• Andrew Luciani

• Barry Hammond, our Town Council representative

A special thank you to Nicolette Rushton, who has been an exceptional President throughout my tenure. Her guidance, leadership, and unwavering support have been invaluable. While I may occasionally have questions—some better than others—Niki is always there with thoughtful advice and a steady hand. I deeply appreciate her dedication, and I know the Chamber is stronger because of her commitment.

Thank you to all of our members once again for being here today and for your ongoing support. Here’s to another successful year for the Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce!