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“It was unique in its formation and was Art jokes city sta§ o ten inundated the “We could find areas of common ground
copied by the national plan (Canadian Chamber with pages of minutes from its where we could convey our side of the
Chamber of Commerce).” meetings, making it nearly impossible to story without blasting opinions out in
Creating the plan also gave him valuable review them in time to present a report at news articles.”
insight into what the Chamber did for board meetings. Deb le t the Chamber in the late 1990s to
businesses and a ter being elected to the “I think they purposely swamped us with work with Art at BGM, where they soon
board, found himself moving up the ranks paper,” he laughs. “We became the critics married. Art and Deb sold BGM in 2006
to serve his first term as board president of municipal politics, and that’s not to but stayed on an additional three years to
in 1978, followed by a second term in 1991- say we also didn’t criticize provincial and manage the transfer of ownership.
1992. federal politics as well.” “You can only carry on in business for so
“I think the general public maybe has Deb says at the time, there was not much long,” he says, adding being part of the
never really appreciate the scope of trust, especially in regional government, Chamber was, and remains, a great way to
the Chamber and its relationship with following Cambridge’s amalgamation. be part of the community. “You really get
provincial and national Chambers to have “With the amalgamation, I think people to know what’s going on in the city and its
more clout and knowledge in certain were on edge because they thought relationship to other communities.”
government areas,” he says. “Chambers they were losing their identity,” she says,
are a voice and a very powerful voice noting the businesses in the Chamber
throughout the country.” were a very cohesive group following the
Closer to home, Art says the Chamber, amalgamation. “Trust was built over time.”
particularly in the 1970s, kept a very close Art agrees.
eye on local government and served on
its Government Relations committee. “The Chamber was considered advocates
“I sat on that committee making sure the for business in a big way and that was
the role we played, but it became more
city didn’t screw up,” he jokes, adding harmonized as time went on and we
how Chamber sta§ and board members realized we didn’t need to be such
o ten attended city council meetings and big critics when municipalities did
reported back to the board. something,” he says.

www.cambridgechamber.com Spring 2024 7