Welcome to the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce E-Newsletter: March 2010 Edition. We are pleased to announce that we had over 12,000 visitors at the 6th Annual Central Canada Outdoor Show this past weekend! Thank you to all of our members who participated in this show and thank you to our visitors who took a step with us into the Great Outdoors. Inside this edition you can view the talented winners from our first-ever Central Canada Outdoor Photo Contest. Registration is now open for the upcoming 16th Annual Business Awards taking place on April 17th at the Valhalla Inn. Don’t miss out on the early registration discount that lasts until March 12th. Have a wonderful March and welcome to Spring.

Harold Wilson Chamber President	Diversifying Thunder Bay For many communities, growing the economy and population growth are two sides of a coin; Thunder Bay has not seen population growth for a long time. One method is though attracting and retaining newcomers to our region. There are considerable economic benefits for attracting new residents, but challenges can be many. Two aspects of this will be front and centre the morning of March 24. Read More
	Board Profile: Bahram Dadgostar & Ron Hell Learn more about your Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Bahram Dadgostar (Lakehead University) and Ron Hell (Bearskin Airlines) are profiled this month.   Read More
	Ontario Chamber of Commerce Northern Ontario has factored prominently in recent outreach and lobbying efforts by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC). A couple weeks ago, Trevor McPherson, the OCC’s Director of Strategic Initiatives, spent a few days in Thunder Bay, meeting with business and community leaders. Trevor was in town as part of an ongoing outreach effort to gather program insight for the Ontario Economic Summit (OES) and to foster new relationships with OES stakeholders in the region.   Read More
	16th Annual Business Awards Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce Nominations have CLOSED for this year’s awards. We have a wonderful slate of nominees this year. A full list of nominees will be on the Chamber website after the official judging has taken place on Saturday March 6th. Business Awards registration for the event is now open. Once again we will be offering an EARLY BOOKING registration rate…don’t miss out on this great savings. Download Registration Form
	New Chamber Show Announcement The Chamber is pleased to announce its newest event– Prosperity Northwest...Business Building Business. One full day of networking in a trade show environment with valuable seminars. Don’t miss this opportunity to develop and foster buying relationships with representatives from manufacturing and service sectors, mining, technology, First Nations, energy, health, government services and more. Read More
	Photo Contest - Central Canada Outdoor Show The “Outdoor Photo Contest, the newest feature at the Central Canada Outdoor Show “ was an overwhelming success. Nearly 400 entries were received consisting of a wide array of portraiture, wildlife, and landscapes. The top 35 photos were printed and on display and other entries were displayed digitally throughout the weekend for over 12,000 attendees. Announcement of winners took place Saturday 3:30pm. View the Winning Photos
Sponsorship Opportunities Call 624-2626 or email events@tb-chamber.on.ca	Save the Date - Annual Chamber Golf Classic The 25th Annual Chamber Golf Classic, proudly sponsored by TBayTel is taking place on Thursday August 19, 2010 at the Whitewater Golf Club. The Chambers "FUN" tournament is a great day of networking that this year includes 9 holes of golf & cart, lunch, dinner, contests and prizes. You can enter as a foursome or as an individual and you don't have to be a great golfer to have a great time. Read More
	TBCC High School Scholarships High School Scholarships are being offered again in 2010, and are in their 18th year.  All candidates must be secondary school graduates from Thunder Bay planning to attend a Post-Secondary Institution in Thunder Bay the following school year in a business-related course.  Applications will be available at all the high schools, in the Chamber office.  Please call 624-2626 or download application here.
	Chamber Group Insurance In life, timing is everything. It’s the same thing with employee benefit plans. As an employee befefit plan sponsor, one situation that you want to avoid is dealing with “late applicants”. Read More
	Good News If you have an announcement, anniversary, new employee or any news that you want to share with the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce membership, make sure you get the word out by sending us your submission.   Read March's Good News Submissions
	Advertising Opportunities with the Chamber The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce has many publications and communication messages throughout the year that you should consider as opportunities to target your message. With over 1000 members this represents a substantial market. If you need to have your message heard in the business to business community within Thunder Bay and District we may have the marketing vehicle you need at a very cost effective price.   Read More