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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce is reviving two initiatives and developing a third as it prepares to start its annual membership drive.

Kirby Groat, the president of the Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce, says he's upbeat about the prospects 2012 holds for the Fort Simpson business community and the chamber's initiatives for the year including publishing a new edition of the visitor's guide to the village. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The chamber will launch the drive this month in an attempt to retain previous members and attract new ones. The chamber plans to mail a package to all registered businesses in the village with an application form and a description of some of the benefits that come with being a member.

Business owners are always asking what's in it for them if they join the chamber, said Angela Fiebelkorn, the chamber's secretary and treasurer.

For one, said Fiebelkorn, by becoming a member people get access to a range of free business and legal advice from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce as well as education courses.

"It's really the networking that's really handy," she said.

The Fort Simpson Chamber of Commerce also has its own initiatives. This year the chamber will be publishing a new edition of its visitor's guide to Fort Simpson.

"They're a very nice little book," said Kirby Groat, the chamber's president.

The guide was first developed in approximately 2003. A third edition of 5,000 copies was made in 2008. In addition to ads for local businesses Groat would like to expand the amount of information the new edition of the guide will contain about the community and the region.

"It's been quite successful," he said about the previous editions.

This year the chamber is also reviving the tourism radio channel. The channel, which hasn't operated in approximately three years, was designed to allow tourists to find out about the businesses in the community as they drive into Fort Simpson.

All chamber members will be encouraged to purchase space for an ad will be placed on a CD that will play continuously. Daniel Allaire, a chamber member, will be offering recording services for a fee so businesses can create an ad.

Groat said he hopes the CD will be at least 30 minutes long. The chamber is also planning to add extras to the radio station, including bits of information about the region and possibly notices about upcoming events and music by local artists.

To begin, the radio station will run for six months of the year centred around the summer, but if it proves popular enough it may be left on continuously and frequently updated with events, said Fiebelkorn.

"We're really inviting the community to step up and take part," she said.

The chamber is also in the process of developing a website that is expected to be completed by March. Everyone who becomes a member will have the option of having a page on the website for their business. The initiative is particularly targeted to smaller businesses because larger ones often already have a web presence, said Fiebelkorn.

Members will be able to log into the website and update it with sales their business is offering or local events. Paid advertisements will also be available for non-member businesses.

The website will also include information about the village and an advocacy area where members and community residents will be able to get involved in the chamber's initiatives.

"(It will be) the place to go to find out what's going on in Fort Simpson, that's our goal," Fiebelkorn said.

Looking at the year ahead Groat said he's upbeat about the chamber's future and the economic opportunities for the village.

"It looks really good for the business community," he said.

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