There were five directors sworn in at the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting.
The Chamber held its AGM on Thursday, March 24, at the Badlands Community Facility. New board members elected at the meeting include Tunji Bello of Riverside Physiotherapy, Shelley Rymal of The Sage Shoppe, and Lana Phillips of Bikes and Bites. Re-elected for another term were Christine DeMille of Wanderlust Boutique & General Store and Shannon Wade of Hi-Way 9 Group.
It has been a tumultuous time for everyone as the world navigates its way through COVID-19. The last AGM was held virtually.
“The last two years have been tough on all of us and I know we are not out of the woods yet but I am optimistic for our future. I am excited to finally be able to take part in in-person events again. I’m glad we are able to be hosting the AGM in person and see each other face to face. We have already set a date in June for the Business Excellence Awards, after a two-year hiatus, with hopefully many more events to follow, said Martina Morrison in her President’s Report.
“With all the many ups and downs this year, I am proud to say the DDCC staff did an amazing job adapting to the ever-changing public health regulations and restrictions.
They networked, although mostly virtually, and were able to continue to provide excellent support to our members,” she said.
In her report, executive director Heather Bitz told the Chamber its membership remained consistent over the last year with 243 members, with 23 new members joining. One highlight this year for the Chamber was the expansion of the Building Enhancement Grant program.
“We partnered with the Town of Drumheller and Community Futures Big Country to pool our funds to provide $35,000 in grant funds to 10 businesses. The grant funds were used by local businesses to enhance their building exteriors or interiors by modernizing and improving appearances,” said Bitz.
One casualty last year was the Business Advocacy Group.
“In November, after much discussion amongst the committee and Board of Directors, the decision was made to dissolve the committee. While unfortunate, the absence of our advocacy committee does not mean we will stop advocating for our members. Rest assured, our advocacy efforts will carry on through our staff and the Board of Directors,” said Bitz.
As restrictions eased, the Visitor Information Centre and the World’s Largest Dinosaur began to make a comeback.
Tourism Service Manager Debbie Schinnour reported Tyra, the World’s Largest Dinosaur, reopened June 10, 2021. With only being open for six months and with capacity restrictions in place, 74,873 visitors made the climb which was a 15 per cent increase over 2020 visitation.
In 2021, the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre counselled 22,706 visitors in person, via email, or by telephone. With physical distancing and capacity restrictions hampering operations, we saw a decrease in traffic at the Visitor Information Centre from 2020.
