WORKSHOP SERIES
The Stayner Chamber of Commerce is pleased to offer our new Workshop Series to any Business in the Georgian Bay area!  The five workshops with their descriptions are listed below.  Please see the Stayner Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for all events and follow when they are coming up.  RSVP is required for all events!

1. April 1^st – Facebook/Instagram 101
2. April 30^th – Ellen Oelbaum - Stylist
3. June 3^rd – OPP Ontario Provincial Police & Round Robin Speed Networking (with Kim Chomiak STS coaching)
4. October 2^nd – Goal Setting, How to Manifest, Turning Dreams into Reality (With Charley Lewis Century 21 Millennium)
5. Bookkeeping and Accounting 101 (With Colleen Bannerman, Wasaga Tax and Accounting)
 
All workshops are $5 at the door and will take place at:
217 Gideon Street, Stayner
Council Chambers
7-9 pm
 

DUCK RACE
Duck Race Day is on May 4^th.  Businesses, please show support of the Kinsman event and join the fun by decorating your windows with a Duck theme!
 
This is another call out for a Chair of a Duck Race Chamber event. The Stayner Chamber did not participate in the Stayner Kinsman Duck Race last year because no one stepped up to chair the event.  We are really hoping to be involved this year but we need your help!  At the last meeting we discussed being involved in a simple way by having a Chamber tent in the park with popcorn and a face painter for the kids. We hope someone is interested in pulling this together for the May 4^th Duck Race at Centennial Kinsman Park.  Please contact President John Squire at staynerchamber@gmail.com if you can help!

 
MOTHERS DAY BASKET
DONTATIONS!  DONATIONS!  DONATIONS!
If you have something from your business that you can donate to the Mothers Day Basket, please contact Troy Disabato staynertornpages@outlook.com or Terry Duits forgetmenotflowers@hotmail.ca.  Tickets are available at Stayner Torn Pages or Forget Me Not Flowers in Stayner.  Buy your tickets to win!  The draw will take place on Friday May 10^th.

 
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AGM will take place on Saturday June 8^th, immediately before the Business Recognition Awards at St. Patrick’s Church Hall, located at 215 Pine Street in Stayner.

Up for election this year are the following Executive positions: 
President
Vice President
Director (3 year)
 
If you are interested in running for any of these positions, please advise President John Squire Sr. at staynerchamber@gmail.com.
 
 
BUSINESS RECOGNITION AWARDS
Fiona Fustacci has taken over as Chair of the Business Recognition Awards. The Awards event will take place immediately after the AGM on Saturday June 8^th in St. Patrick’s Church Hall, located at 215 Pine Street in Stayner.  Dinner will take place first, which will consist of Roast Beef, Chicken Parmesan or Vegetarian Lasagna with dessert trays and coffee & tea.  The Awards will be given out after dinner and there will also be entertainment by singer Michele Fustacci and tap dancer Kat Salvador from Kat’s Meow. DJ Nation will be spinning the tunes for the event.  Tickets are $35 and are available for purchase at Bardeau Insurance located at 206 Perry Street, Unit 5. 
 
Nomination forms for the Business Recognition Awards will be available soon on the Stayner Chamber website and will be posted on our Facebook page.
 
For more information please contact Fiona Fustacci at fiona.frustaci@outlook.com.

 
CANADA DAY CELEBRATION
Martina Ernst is working on the Canada Day event and is looking for volunteers to help pull everything together.  Think of the children! :)  If you are interested in helping with the Canada Day event, please contact Martina at mernst@starmetrolandmedia.com.
 

STAYNER ARTS FEST
The Stayner Arts Fest on July 6^th is shaping up to be a great event again this year.  As an amazing bonus, Clearview Township has awarded Stayner Arts Fest with $1,000 because it is a signature event in our area!  This additional money will be put towards more print and radio ads, posters, and rack cards, which will bring more people out to the event. 
 
Vendor applications are still being accepted. Please Contact Marion Spellman at 705-428-2043 if you are interested in being a vendor or for more information.

 
ELECTRONIC SIGN
For many years, the Stayner Chamber of Commerce has set aside money to accrue for the intent of purchasing a large electronic sign. This sing would replace the small community sign facing Hwy 26 in Station Park, which is currently changed by hand on a regular basis to promote the upcoming community events in our area.  Collaboration with Clearview Township to install the electronic sign has been ongoing but very slow moving due to the planning of the upgrades to Stayner’s downtown, now happening in the next few years.
 
It has been proposed that the Chamber transfer $30,000 for the electronic sign over to Clearview Township so they can build it during their upcoming downtown upgrades.  This will take the construction of the sign out of the Chamber’s hands but the Chamber would be acknowledged as the donor of the sign to Stayner and the community.
 
There were arguments about the sign on both sides at the last meeting with some believing an electronic sign will be ugly, not look historical, be distracting to drivers, and that the money could be better used elsewhere.  Then there were others who strongly felt the sign is important to have for Stayner’s community and that it has been in the works for a long time so should continue to fruition.  Despite the differing of opinions, all agreed that if the money gets voted to be transferred to the Township that an agreement be signed that allows the Chamber to be involved in the design process of the sign and to also have final approval of before the Township could proceed.
 
The proposed transfer of $30,000 to Clearview Township for the electronic sign will be voted upon at the April meeting.  This is a large amount of money to be relinquished by the Chamber so if you have an opinion on this proposal, please attend the April meeting to vote.
 
 
BANNERS
As mentioned in previous newsletters, downtown Stayner needs new banners.  The plan is to still collaborate with the Heritage Society for the Remembrance Day banners that will honour our local veterans, but we also discussed the need to replenish the current banners that have been damaged. The idea of business-sponsored banners was brought up again and concerns were raised about this idea because of banner placement.  Who chooses which banners go where?  A sponsored banner should not go up in front of a downtown business with the same specialty, but who decides, and how would this process be conducted? 
 
The Chamber is still looking into the cost of having new banners designed and whether the business sponsor idea will be feasible.


COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The Community Improvement Plan (CIP) grant available through Clearview Township is designated for “…façade and streetscape upgrades to local businesses to revitalize the community and foster economic development”.  However, there is a chance the Stayner Chamber may be able to apply for this grant as an organization to get funding for permanent fixtures and/or beautification of our downtown.  This idea will be discussed further and the application worked on as soon as possible for submission of funds in the year 2020.

 
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
We are still looking for a Volunteer Coordinator.  Many of the events that take place throughout the year would not be possible without the amazing volunteers that show up and give their time to help out.  The Chamber would love to have a master file of volunteers administered by a Volunteer Coordinator for the ease of accessibility for the event chairs.  If you are interested in helping with this important role, please contact Charley Lewis at charleysells@hotmail.com.
 
 
NEXT MEETING
Join us at the April meeting on Wednesday, April 17^th at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at 217 Gideon Street, Stayner.
 
 
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