Highlights from the January 9 meeting of the Estevan Chamber of Commerce:
*The meeting was the first for Ken Rowan as the Chamber's new president. Dennis Bode was the president for the past two years, and Rowan applauded the work that Bode had done as president.
*The annual Estevan Business Excellence Awards will be handed out at Spectra Place in June. The event serves as a celebration of local business achievement. Sponsors are needed for some awards.
*The Chamber's annual general meeting will take place in March. A date and a keynote speaker have yet to be finalized. The initial date was March 27, but it won't be happening because community development manager Michel Cyrenne will be on a business trip to China.
*An informational session on the Chamber's China trip will take place on January 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the Days Inn's Taylorton Room. Cyrenne is one of several Chamber representatives from across Canada, and the only one from Saskatchewan, who will travel to China in March. He'll attend several meetings, meet with leaders and tour various cities. There will be an opportunity for local business people to travel to China in late October to learn more about China.
*Estevan MLA Doreen Eagles was the meeting's guest speaker. She discussed several of the highlights from the Saskatchewan Growth Plan that was released by the provincial government last October. Eagles discussed projections for population growth and skilled labour needs, as well as spending for health care and education. She also applauded local business leaders for their contributions towards the province's growth and the strength of the provincial economy.
*The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 13. Mayor Roy Ludwig will be the guest speaker.
