A busy meeting of the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce directors last Tuesday included a visit from a delegation representing Battlefords Victim Services.
The organization, with offices based out of the RCMP detachment building on 101st Street in North Battleford, provides a wide range of support services and information to victims of crime in the Battlefords. Some of the services offered include victim compensation, witness services, restitution, helping victims of domestic violence, aboriginal initiatives and assisting with victim impact statements.
The organization includes staff members and a number of volunteers who also assist victims on a one-on-one basis.
At the directors' meeting were co-ordinator Jenni Schwab, board chair Dianne Lauritzen and Battlefords RCMP inspector John Sutherland.
A main point of their meeting with the Directors was to seek out more representatives with business backgrounds on their own volunteer board, with the point made that the organization would benefit from having a cross-section of people from the community on that board.
The rest of the meeting focused on a number of familiar Chamber topics and initiatives. Among them was the attendance of president Ryan Moe, Executive Director Linda Machniak and others at the recent Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce AGM and Conference on Business held in Regina May 12-14. Speakers there included Eitan Sharir who spoke on the "culture of excellence," Phil Kirby who spoke on process and Gair Maxwell on branding.
Other items discussed at the Tuesday meeting, though it was not officially finalized yet, were the Chamber's intentions to hold the 21st BBEX awards in October at the Dekker Centre, as well as plans to hold their second annual Best Business Marketplace Expo planned for October. Packages were sent out to 2013 exhibitors and also to all Chamber members to consider participation in that trade show. A Chamber golf tournament was also planned for May 23.
Also brought up at the meeting was the Chamber-promoted China trip this September, which has a registration deadline of June 30.
Machniak noted many are interested, but the challenge was in actually getting people to commit to it. Only two individuals had committed so far, she said.
The recent handover of the tourism information function from the Chamber to Battlefords Tourism was also brought up. The Chamber's involvement in hosting the information centre ended May 1, with Battlefords Tourism taking over that function at the Battlefords River Valley Visitor Centre next to Highway 4 south of North Battleford.
According to Chamber executive director Linda Machniak, that new location was serving tourists as of the recent May long weekend.
