At our recent Annual General Meeting on October 3, Chamber President and CEO Loren Remillard addressed attendees with a message from The Chamber in preparation for the upcoming season. In effort to reach you and the rest of our membership, we are publishing our message below.

Let me get right to the point – something big is coming. 

We all know the challenges Winnipeg is facing—crime, housing, economic growth, infrastructure, DEI and accessibility. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re real issues demanding action. Today, I want to focus not on where we are, but invite you to where we’re headed as a Chamber, and as a community. 

This year, we begin an exciting new chapter for The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. We’re not just aiming to stay relevant in a world that’s constantly changing. We’re positioning ourselves as the catalyst for change our community needs. And this transformation is built on three core pillars. Place, program and people. 

Our transformation begins with our new place. We’ve already moved into our new office at 200 Portage Avenue, at the iconic intersection of Portage and Main, in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. This space is more than just a new office. It’s a launchpad. Designed with collaboration, creativity, community, inclusivity and accessibility at its core.  

We’ve created a place where our members can connect not just with us, but with other like minded organizations. Sharing our halls with CentrePort Canada, World Trade Centre Winnipeg and Manitoba Environmental Industries Association means we’re better equipped to solve the big challenges facing Winnipeg, whether it’s economic development, environmental sustainability, or community leadership. 

And this is just the beginning. Our new office is now an open, welcoming space where members can drop in, connect and share ideas. Whether you’re there for a meeting, an event, or just to say hello, we want you to see this as your space. Where you make connections, spark innovations, and shape the future of our community. 

With this new place acting as the foundation to build on, the next step in our transformation is about reshaping the value we deliver to you, our members.  

We’ve always been here to provide value for our members, but we know the world is changing, and how you want to access value has changed too. So, this year, we’re reimagining our programs to give you more networking opportunities, education, and advocacy, to help grow your business more than ever before.  

You asked us for more diverse learning opportunities, so this year, we created and kicked off our new At the Table series, bringing you face to face with the experts and leaders in commerce, tech, politics and culture to answer your most important questions, and give you direct access to key decision-makers who are shaping our community locally and globally.  

You asked us for low-cost, high-impact opportunities to build your network throughout our city. So, this year we’re launching BIZ Connect, a new way for you to connect with Chamber members – potential clients, partners, and mentors – to build new relationships. 

You asked us for leadership development. So we’ll soon be expanding our Leadership Winnipeg program to offer even more opportunities for personal and professional growth. We want to help develop Future Leaders who will shape our community, and this is a key part of that vision. 

You asked for more opportunities for those small business leaders, who don’t always have the time or the money to attend every event. So, we’re rolling out a new menu of digital member value, from revamping the content and frequency of our digital newsletters, to creating entirely new member content across mediums like articles, videos and podcasts, such as The Chamber Connects Podcast.  

It’s not just about staying up to date on the latest member news.  

Now, it’s about meeting you where you are, whatever type of business you run and working together to find new, accessible ways to provide you and future generations with valuable networking, education and advocacy from your home or home office.  

So, you too can have a chance to grow your organization and our community. 

Because finally, it’s about transforming people. This year, our Chamber is more diverse and reflective of our city than ever before. Our leadership, our staff, and our members come from all walks of life, bringing together different lived experiences. This diversity is our strength, as it allows us to better serve you and the broader Winnipeg business community.  

Together, we’re not just reacting to challenges; we’re leading the charge. Our approach to policy and advocacy is about setting the agenda as our members define it, not waiting for government and policy makers to do it for us. And all of this isn’t just us sitting in a room, but constant engagement with our members from one-on-ones, in-person engagements and surveying. Since 2023, we’ve had over 200 focus groups, so we know the action we take is informed by your priorities. 

This proactive mindset is reflected in everything we do, from workforce development to economic growth – we’re looking ahead. We’re working to prepare you for the future. Automation, AI, data-driven decision-making, these aren’t just trends. They’re the future of business, and they affect every person in our community. We’re here to help you navigate that future. 

To our members, thank you for your resilience and commitment over these last few challenging years. You’ve stuck with us and grown through thick and thin, and that speaks volumes about your dedication – not just to this Chamber, but to Winnipeg’s business community. You kept Winnipeggers employed, and you kept the heart of the city beating when things were tough. You have my deepest gratitude. 

I want to leave you with just one call to action.

Expect more from your Chamber.  

Year after year, we’ve been named as the leading business organization in our province by senior decision-makers, but that’s not good enough for us, so we’re working to beat last year’s success. We’ve invested in our place, our program and our people. We’re ready. Now we’re going to change our city. 

Something big is coming, and it starts today. 

Thank you. 

Loren Remillard

President and CEO

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce