History of the Chamber

The Fort Frances Board of Trade was formed by Mr. James Paul and incorporated under the Boards of Trade Act in 1909. The organization came to be called the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce in around 1928 and remains registered under that name today. Over the 105 years of its existence, the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce has been active in a wide range of activities relating to the various social and economic needs of the district.

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business for the Fort Frances area. We are excited about what the Chamber has accomplished in the past and will continue to grow and serve the community in the future. We continue to seize opportunities for the area and stay ahead of the curve in promoting economic vitality and quality of life through business and community development. We are focused on a prosperous future while remembering and maintaining the best from the past. As one of the organizations that focuses primarily on the needs of the business community, we strive to provide unique opportunities to promote and develop your business.

We exist to make our community a better place to live, work, and play. We provide an avenue for the business people in our community to create a positive business environment. We also provide the local business community with a vehicle to promote their region to the outside world – either for tourism or business investment. We then serve to help people find their way when they arrive.

We are headed by a volunteer Executive and Board of Directors who are elected annually. In addition to the elected representatives, the Board reserves seats for appointees from the Town of Fort Frances, Rainy River Future Development Corp., Business Improvement Association, Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing Ne-Yaa-ZHing Non-Profit Advisory Services, Couchiching First Nation, and Ministry of Energy, Northern Development, and Mines. At the present time, we employ a full-time Chamber Manager.

We have a membership of 100+ businesses throughout the Rainy River District. This membership has been steadily growing over the past few years and is anticipated to continue in this fashion.

Our Board of Directors meet monthly to help formulate and review various policies, proposed actions, programs, and projects so that the best interests of the Chamber and community can be accomplished through concerted action. The Board also provides the personal leadership, enthusiasm, and support necessary to help coordinate and build an effective organization geared to solving community problems and to evaluate and act on issues that come before them.