Highlights from the June 13 meeting of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce:

*Jaren Prokop and Vijay Shalini are this year's recipients of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce's bursaries.

*Estevan Drag Racing Association president Jim "Frosty" Forrest was the featured member speaker. Forrest promoted the association's first program of the year, which will happen on June 24 at the Estevan Airport. He noted that this year will be the 10th that the association will be running races at the airport. Forrest said the association is in the final stages of a business and construction plan for their new facility, which will be north of the Estevan Motor Speedway and the Trackside Motocross Association tracks.

*Executive director Michel Cyrenne said there is some concern with the personal exemption limit increases for cross-border shoppers. Since Estevan is a border city, the new laws do have an impact on the business community. The Chamber has also joined a group that wants to know why products are more expensive in Canada than the U.S., despite the near parity for the two countries' currencies.

*President Dennis Bode encouraged Chamber members who need help filling job vacancies to attend the Workwest Career Caravan in Toronto later this year.

*The Souris Valley Museum's Pioneer Day Camps from July 9 to 13 and July 23 to 27, and their Discovery Day Camps August 8 and 9, are all booked up, according to curator Katrina Howick. The Hands on History Fridays will return in July and August. People will be able to participate historical activities.

*The Pure Energy Motorsports Weekend will be August 24 to 26. The Speedway will have programs August 24 and 25. The motocross association will race August 25, and the drag racing association will race the following day. There will also be a show-and-shine on Fourth Street on the 25th. Tourism coordinator Kevin D'Souza said they are encouraging downtown businesses to have sales in conjunction with the show-and-shine.

*Sixty-eight per cent of booths in Spectra Place are sold out for the Estevan Showcase business expo. Events manager Rebecca Howie said they are ahead of last year's pace. The Ikon Centre (formerly known as the Lignite Miners Centre) will be the site of larger booths. Howie said they will also have draws and other activities to draw people to Showcase.

*Estevan Woodlawn Golf Course head pro Brian Dueck and greenskeeper Bob Currie were the guest speakers. They discussed Woodlawn's recovery from last year's flood that forced the golf course to cancel most of the season, and the reconstruction of the course's back nine holes. (Please see p. 29 for more on Dueck and Currie's speech).

*The Chamber will not be having a meeting during the summer months. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 12. The guest speaker has yet to be determined.