By Anne McCulloch
’With two chambers of commerce vying to be the voice of Ottawa businesses, Centretown business organizations say a single, united chamber is beneficial for dealing with an amalgamated city.
But the chambers of commerce representing the former municipalities, the Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce (GOCC) and the Transition Business Alliance (TBA), say they are leaving it up to their members, Ottawa businesses, to decide how they want their voices heard by city council.
Gerry LePage, executive director of the Bank Street Business Improvement Area, says Centretown businesses would benefit if one chamber of commerce were formed by using it to teach suburban businesses about the importance of the Centretown economy, society and culture.
“I’d like to think it will help make Centretown even stronger as the focal point, the centre of the larger expanded city,” says LePage.
The Ottawa Board of Trade, which changed its name to the GOCC on Jan. 18, represents about 600 businesses, most of which are located downtown. On Jan. 10, it proposed to the TBA that all eight Ottawa-area chambers amalgamate with the GOCC.
The TBA, a committee of the directors of the chambers of commerce formed about a year ago to represent businesses during amalgamation, turned down this proposal and voted to become a permanent board.
Since the Ottawa Board of Trade withdrew its membership, the TBA represents about 1,500 businesses, most of which are located in the suburbs. This leaves downtown businesses with no representation in the TBA, unless they join suburban chambers.
Peter Harris, executive director of the Preston Street Business Improvement Area, says he hopes the chambers work together to form one organization.
“It was all the boards, the business community, that kept pushing for one city. They have to follow this direction. They have to have one organization now that we’re one city. They’d look like they’re dinosaurs.”
GOCC president Gail Logan says her organization updated its name because “board of trade” was used over 100 years ago in port communities.
“The reason for ‘Greater’ in our name is to ensure that businesses throughout the region understand that we can represent their interests and their needs and we can provide service and be an advocate for them in the new city,” says Logan.
TBA chair and Gloucester Chamber of Commerce president Tom Hussey says chambers are maintaining their identity for area issues while working together on common issues. “We are a much bigger group with a much bigger voice,” he says.
LePage and Harris agree one chamber of commerce would help Ottawa businesses overcome their focus on the immediate concerns affecting their areas by creating more dialogue between businesses in different parts of the city.
But there is a drawback. Decisions made by one chamber of commerce would be broad because members would only support decisions favouring their immediate area, says LePage.
“Centretown is no different,” he says. “What might be good for Kanata is not necessarily good for Centretown and vice versa. It’s a very segmented geographic area.”
Just like in municipal amalgamation, businesses will consider many models for one chamber, says LePage.
Hussey and Logan agree Ottawa businesses will decide whether one chamber of commerce will address their concerns to city council. Neither organization is seeking to expand its membership beyond routine recruitment, say Hussey and Logan.
“The businesses in this community who either belong to the former Ottawa Board of Trade or belong to one of the local area chambers will decide where they want to invest their money, where they feel they’re getting the best service and best bang for their buck,” says Logan. “Let the market dictate.”