Town of Erin hopes to relaunch chamber of commerce

Councillors are hoping town support can revive Erin’s shuttered chamber of commerce. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, council voted to have staff investigate the feasibility, cost and viability of supporting a relaunch of the Erin Chamber of Commerce on a 12 to 18-month trial basis, excluding any labour costs.  

In a telephone interview, Mayor Allan Alls said Erin’s previous chamber of commerce shut down three to four years ago due to lack of participation and leadership.

“Most of the businesses in Erin are owner-run and they don’t have a lot of time to participate,” Alls said. “But I feel that if we include the whole Town of Erin — initially it was not, or if it was, I don’t believe it was recruited enough — I think we put some horsepower behind it, we could get it going again.”

In terms of what kind of support the town might provide the new chamber as part of the proposed trial, Alls said he didn’t know at this point.

“We’ll see what’s required and the (town's) CAO is going to take it on as a project,” he explained. 

At Tuesday’s meeting, Alls told council a chamber of commerce could benefit local businesses in all areas of the town in ways current, more narrowly focused economic development agencies like the Erin BIA and the Let’s Get Hillsburgh Growing Committee can’t. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity to give the business community much more support,” he said. 

Coun. Michael Robins liked the idea, but said without money for labour, he wasn’t sure how the issues with lack of volunteers and leadership that prevented the previous chamber of commerce from succeeding could be addressed.  

“Now I fully support referring it back to staff for a report,” he said. “And I’m hopeful but sceptical that without any investment in an actual person that’s going to provide leadership to the endeavour that it’s going to work.”