The president of the Port Sydney, Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce, Peter Matthews, has agreed to step away from further discussions regarding a possible merger between his chamber and the Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce. The merger would see the two come together under the new umbrella name, Muskoka Chamber of Commerce.
All of the Muskoka-area chambers were invited to explore the idea of merging under one name, but in late 2016 all but Port Sydney and Bracebridge dropped out of the discussions.
Matthews has since been asked to remove himself from further discussions amid rumours that he is dating the manager of the Bracebridge Chamber, making some people uncomfortable with what could be perceived as a conflict of interest. When asked about his relationship with a member of the Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce, Matthews said it wasn’t any of our business.
Port Sydney chamber director Bonnie Passmore does not believe Matthews’ relationship is a conflict of interest and said Matthews has gladly agreed to step away from any further discussions with Bracebridge. She said he brought the relationship to the attention of some of the board members in November, but because talks were still in their early stages, no one really thought anything of it.
The reaction in the community to the idea of the Port Sydney, Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce merging with Bracebridge under the name Muskoka Chamber of Commerce has not been all positive. When asked what Passmore thought of joining forces with Bracebridge, she said: “One of the appeals of a larger chamber entity would be that we would be able to service all our respective individual businesses with more resources, including hopefully better funding.”
Passmore said if negotiations continue the two chambers would negotiate and operate as equals and added that she does not like the word ‘merger’.
To me that word [merger] is as if we’re being absorbed by Bracebridge. That’s not how I see it. I see it as one big Muskoka Chamber and then there would be individual pods underneath that. Board Director for the Port Sydney, Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce Bonnie Passmore
She said she lives in Port Sydney and, when the idea was first introduced, she too was concerned but voted to proceed to investigate the opportunity. “I said we’re not losing our identity here. And that’s how people feel in Port Sydney. They’re not interested in becoming a subsidiary of Bracebridge, but under the right auspices, which is yet to be determined, if it was a Muskoka Chamber with separate entities locally focused and operating, this to me would provide a basis to move forward.”
In terms of using the term “Muskoka Chamber” when there are only two chambers on board, Passmore said: “We’re hoping that in time, when people see that it’s working by benefiting businesses, that other chambers will join.”
Still there are those who are adamantly against the use of the name ‘Muskoka’ as part of any new chamber. The Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce has asked the group to cease and desist from using the name. “At this point I think that’s a legal position upon which I am not qualified to comment. I have no idea as to whether it can go forward as Muskoka Chamber or not,” said Passmore.
Is it fair to call yourselves the Muskoka Chamber of Commerce with just two of Muskoka’s five chambers represented, we asked. Passmore said it is fair, “only because everyone was invited. All chambers were invited at the same time. I mean this goes back a year, it’s not just recent.”
She was also quick to point out that discussions have been exploratory in nature. No decisions have been made.
It is critical for all parties to remember that this is all in the early stages of negotiation and I am unsure of the final results as our member businesses need to benefit and be happy with the outcome. To that end, our members will have a chance to vote in early April whether to proceed with negotiations and on what basis. In order for me to agree to promote what is being proposed, I need to feel more confident that our member businesses are satisfied and happy with the process.Bonnie passmore
Passmore added that ensuring time will be taken to ascertain the best possible outcome for Port Sydney is also critical.
Councillor Jason FitzGerald, who represents the Port Sydney area at Huntsville Council, was in support of granting the Port Sydney, Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce this year’s $5,000 fee-for-service request at Huntsville Council’s February 27 meeting. He argued that the chamber is small and needs the funds to operate. He also said that moving forward, the chamber should be able to demonstrate what value the Town is getting for its money.
In a follow-up discussion with Doppler, FitzGerald said the idea of merging with Bracebridge does not have the full support of the chamber’s membership and said there is already a group that represents all of Muskoka. He also said there’s a visitor’s centre on Hwy 11, which markets the whole area. “I like the fact that each chamber represents its municipality or area,” he said, reiterating that he does not believe the chamber has consensus from its membership to move forward with an amalgamation. “If there’s benefit there I think that’s fine, but it seems to me that the membership does not support the amalgamation or the partnership,” he said. A meeting with the board and its membership is expected to take place on April 4, at which time the issue will be discussed. “It remains to be seen,” said FitzGerald, referring to whether talks of a merger will continue.
We tried to reach former president and board director Gord Haig, who is rumoured to have resigned from the board, but he did not return our call.
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Their is definitely a conflict if there is a relationship and he has done the right thing by stepping aside. Unfortunately he should have never been involved in any discussions and all board members should have been made aware of any relationship before talks began.
For an area that is part of the Town of Huntsville, why is joining with Bracebridge even a consideration!? As someone who has lived in this area for 19 years, I’m against that move!!