Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce

The first meeting to form what was to become the Chamber of Commerce was held on March 22, 1883. The founders incorporated the Chamber as "The Kentville Board of Trade" on December 6, 1895 under Part 1 of the Federal Boards of Trade Act. Its territory was the Town of Kentville. The Chamber adopted new By-laws on October 25, 1967. From 1972 to June 8, 2000 the Chamber operated as "Kentville and Area Board of Trade" without official name change. Following a strategic planning initiative in 1999, the Chamber adopted new By-laws effective December 6, 1999. To better serve businesses in eastern Kings County, the Chamber made the following changes effective June 8, 2000:
 
·    adopted the name "Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce",
·    continued under Part II of the Boards of Trade Act, and
·    changed its territory from the town of Kentville to a service area covering the eastern part of Kings County, including the Village of Canning, the Village of Cornwallis Square, the Town of Kentville, the Village of New Minas, the Village of Port Williams and the Town of Wolfville, bounded as follows:
 
                   On the North by the Bay of Fundy;
                   On the East by the Minas Basin;
                   On the South by the Counties of Hants and Lunenburg; and
                   On the West by a line running from the point where the west  road limit of Highway 12 intersects the boundary between Kings County and Lunenburg County northerly to the Bay of Fundy at the western limit of the Hamlet of Harbourville including that part of the Village of Cornwallis Square lying west of such line.
 
The Chamber's long-standing official mandate is to promote and improve trade and commerce, as well as economic, civic and social welfare in the Eastern Kings County area. The Chamber has been a representative and voice of business to government - federal, provincial and municipal - in matters that effect or are of interest to the business community. The Chamber has also been active in promoting and assisting worthwhile projects in the community as a whole.
 
While the Chamber's activities have changed over the years, the focus has essentially remained the same. Some of the Chamber's activities through the years have included the following:
 
-           organizing seminars for members
-           producing tourist folders and tourist maps
-           operating the tourist bureau in Kentville
-           producing an industrial survey and history of Kentville
-           promoting electric light service, naming and paving of streets, highway signage, fixing of public holidays, daylight saving time, and the Experimental Farm
-           producing a Town directory of businesses
-           undertaking park beautification projects
-           lobbying for a second Cornwallis River crossing, a regional hospital, Minas Basin ferry service, use of Camp Aldershot, preserving Grand Pre as a national site and greater use of the Waterville airport  
-           circulating a quarterly newsletter
-           honouring visitors and members with awards, such as "Tourist of the Week" and "Key to the Valley"
-           organizing a major Christmas promotion for retail businesses
-           lobbying against abandonment of dayliner service, the closure of the Cornwallis Inn, government patronage, casinos and shopping malls
-           assisting with Junior Achievement projects
-           advertising overseas for businesses to emigrate
-           presenting briefs to governments and Royal Commissions
-           co-sponsoring the Nova Scotia Horticultural Exhibition
-           holding quarterly and annual meetings with a diverse range of speakers from the Governor General of Canada to provincial Premiers, Ministers of Government, political party leaders, economists, tax specialists, farmers, university presidents, local business leaders and representatives of a variety of organizations
-           presenting entrepreneurial scholarships
-           Host an annual Business Awards banquet
 
Two projects of note are the Apple Blossom Festival and the Group Insurance Program.
 
Each May, the Annapolis Valley Apple Blossom Festival leaves few lives in this region untouched. Few are aware that the Festival came into being in 1932 at the instigation of our Board of Trade.
 
One of the big advantages and one of the most popular benefits of belonging to the Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce is the group insurance plan that is available to its members. Introduced in 1970, the plan was designed as a service to companies unable to quality for traditional group insurance because of their size. Now the program is open to individual and corporate members of the Chamber - whether you work on your own or have a number of employees.
 
The Kentville and Area Board of Trade celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1995. As the Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce, we have now embarked on our second century. The current Board of Directors felt it necessary for the Chamber to reaffirm its focus and provide some direction for the next period of time. Thus, this Strategic Plan which the Board hopes will provide a blueprint for its activities in the foreseeable future.