« Haut-Richelieu: Partner in your growth. »

Word from our President - Board of directors and executive committee - Mission - Territory - Affiliation - Involvement - Reason of Being - Our collective challenges for the year to come - Actions - Services - How to become a member? - Coordinates

Member's Directory =>

Word from our President

Dear Members:

The team at the Chambre de Commerce du Haut-Richelieu is made up of experienced and dynamic administrators, all devoted to the economic development of our region. Without them, without you, without its partners from the milieu, we could not accomplish the mission which we have given to ourselves : to vitalize the economy of the city and the region, to the benefit of the population, its firms and businesses and the members of the Chamber of Commerce.

To achieve this, the Chamber has developed a certain number of orientations:

• DEVELOP the necessary strategic infrastructures and a clear service offering;
• ATTRACT CLIENTS and the regional resources collective wealth through proactive and dynamic promotional activities;
• SUPPORT entrepreneurs, particularly merchants, in their professional and business development.

To date, the desire to make these orientations a reality has led the Chamber of Commerce to intervene in the following areas :

• extension of Douglas Street and Autoroute 35;
• availability of manpower;
• realization of a convention centre;
• development of our public transportation infrastructures;
• setting up of a training program which responds to the needs of our firms and retail stores;
• following the production of a study on the shopping habits of consumers in the region and as a consequence, the development of strategies which encourage purchasing locally.

To be sure, this list is not exhaustive. Many other dossiers are also on the menu; but all have a point in common: the economic development of our region. In this difficult period for our firms, the Chamber of Commerce is conscious of the importance of unifying our resources in order to find the most appropriate answers to the challenges of our times.

Our thanks to our 575 member firms, our thanks for supporting us in our objective: make Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, city and region, a prosperous place to live and to work.

Claude Levasseur
President 2008-2009

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INCORPORATED ON NOVEMBER 26, 1894, HERE ARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU HAUT-RICHELIEU

OUR MISSION

DYNAMIZE the economy of the city and the region, for the benefit of the population, firms and the members of the Chamber.

THE CHALLENGES!

DEVELOP the city and region to their full potential;
MAINTAIN and ASSURE the growth of our strategic infrastructures;
PROMOTE and help in the visibility of the region;
WELCOME projects and development possibilities in a proactive manner;
ACT in close collaboration with our partners.

OUR TERRITORY

Henryville, Lacolle, Mont-Saint-Grégoire, Noyan, Saint-Alexandre, Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, Sainte-Anne-de-Sabrevois, Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville, Saint-Georges-de-Clarenceville, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Saint-Paul-de-l’Île-aux-Noix, Saint-Sébastien, Saint-Valentin, Venise-en-Québec.

OUR AFFILIATIONS

• Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec;
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce.

OUR INVOLMENT: A POSITIVE REPORT

In 2007-2008, your Chamber, in particular:

• Founded a Youth Committee with Justin Bessette as President, who was recognized as SILVER Personality in Quebec by the Regroupement des Jeunes Chambres de Commerce du Québec;
• Supported the development of a unified and dynamic  image of our region and launched the slogan « With Pleasure »
• Set up an extensive campaign to encourage local purchasing in collaboration with the members of the image committee of the City of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, BOOM FM and the Groupe Canada Français;
• In partnership with other organizations, realized a regional DVD which highlights the quality of life and the potential of our region;
• Prepared and realized a study on the consumption habits of the citizens of our region (Altus Géocom Report – April 2008);
• Promoted local artists through Christmas cards which featured their works;
• obtained the approval of the Provincial Cabinet of the decree concerning Autoroute 35;
• contributed to the efforts of the community to assure the extension of Douglas Street;
• Deposited its own brief to the Commission on the future of Quebec Agriculture and Food Agriculture, concerning the current Food Agriculture situation in our region;
• Promoted immigrant manpower as a means of assuring the availibity of manpower in the region, through structured information sessions;
• Organized a welcoming and integration evening for new arrivals to the region.

STRATEGIC PLAN: OUR REASON FOR BEING

The CCHR is a major spokesperson and in a position to represent ALL of the players on the regional economic scene;

The CCHR offers its strength as a regional intervenant to defend the interests of ALL of its members, YOUR INTERESTS ! ;

OUR COLLECTIVE CHALLENGES FOR THE YEAR TO COME

A Solid Action Plan

In 2008-2009, proud of its realizations, your Chamber will pursue its work through the following strategic actions 

• Assure the realization of the extension of Douglas Street;
• Pursue actions leading to the extension of Autoroute 35;
• Assure the progression and realization of the Convention Centre;
• Pursue phase two of the realization of a DVD promoting the commercial, industrial, touristic and employment aspects of our region;
• Propose to firms to promote their products and services to the population of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu so as to further support purchasing locally
• Offer managers an efficient approach in the planning and development of concrete human resource action plans
• Offer a pertinent training plan in the management and learning of second languages;
• Maintain an extensive range of services and activities designed for members of the Chamber and the entire business community;
• Favour working together and developing synergy between the various development agents.

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OUR ACTIONS

• Support of the promotion of firms, regional issues and the importance of investing in our region

• Right to be spokesperson for several projects:
• Right to be spokesperson to favour succession and local investments:
• CCHR supplements published three times a year in the weekly, Le Canada Français.
• Gala of Excellence recognizing performing firms and welcoming more than 650 guests annually

• Support of the advancement of regional and national matters

• Return of gasoline taxes to municipalities
• Draft law respecting the Public-Private Partnerships Agency
• Sale of used vehicles on non-dedicated lots
• Agreement respecting accessible routes for snowmobilists
• Bringing together of non-profit organizations
• Draft law respecting Conciliation of Work and Family

• Support of networking and continuous training

• Continuous training plan including segments of concrete and targeted training for entrepreneurs.
• Holding of networking evenings and « Speed dating »;
• Production of a cardex of more than 120 business cards of entrepreneurs;
• Cocktail evening with the President attracting more than 150 people annually

• Support of the development of Autoroute 35 and for the maintenance of the airport

• Responsible for the committee to extend Autoroute 35;
• Follow-up of actions since depositing of NAV Canada report

• Support of strategy in the retail sector

• Weekly E-mail of the Bulletin « la Chambre en direct »;
• Setting up of “oriflammes” project for the promotion of local purchases during the holiday period ;
• Member of the committee for permanent liaison with the Department of National Defense.

• Support of members

• Offering of scores of concrete and useful services ;
• Activities directed towards new members ;
• Several agreements for discounts offered to members;
• Promotion of member firms in the bulletin « Échos de la Chambre ».

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OUR SERVICES

The CCHR offers a wide range of services to its members, including :

Access to a Network

• give you access to a vast network of contacts among more than 575 members represented by 1 260 delegates;

Échos de la Chambre

• transmit to you, three times a year, l'Échos de la Chambre, an information bulletin dealing with subjects such as upcoming activities, recent regional news, commercial trends, etc.;

La Chambre en direct

• weekly transmit to you, by e-mail, La Chambre en direct, the internal magazine of the Chambre de commerce du Haut-Richelieu;

Insertion of Advertising Documents

• permit you to insert advertising documents in three annual mailings at costs of $ 250 per mailing - $ 600 for three mailings;

Free Advertising Insert

• provide you with a free advertising insert in one of the three annual mailings, when your firm becomes a member of the Chamber;

Membership Directory

• annually produce a complete directory of its members which is forwarded to the 575 members of the CCHR at the end of the month of January each year;

Seal of origin

• affix the seal of origin for exporting member firms of the Chamber;

Group insurance plan

• provide you access to a group insurance plan providing a complete range of services such as group life insurance, dental care, vision care and reimbursement of prescription expenses with the card ASSURÉ;

Preferential Rates for Credit Cards

• offer you preferential rates with financial institutions for Visa and Master Card credit cards;

Revue Commerce

• provide you with a free subscription to La Revue Commerce for a period of one year;
• A value of 24,95$

Global Payments Solutions

• propose a membership in Global Payments, a leader in the field of processing payments;

Promotional Assistance

• offer you promotional assistance in the organization of a press conference and the inauguration of a company;

Preferential Rates with Gouverneur Hotel

• give you access to preferential corporate rates for the rental of rooms in the Gouverneur hotel network throughout Quebec;

Preferential Rates with Bell Mobility

• provide you with preferential corporate rates for Bell Canada Teleconferencing services which permit three persons to hold a telephone meeting;

• offer Bell Mobility cellular phone packages at advantageous prices. Contact us to obtain your service code;

Preferential Rates with Shell Canada

• provide a reduction of $ 0,02 per litre on the minimum purchase of 500 litres per month of fuel (gasoline or diesel) throughout Canada, at Shell dealers;

Preferential Rates with Esso

• provide a reduction of $ 0,03 per litre on minimum annual purchases of $ 1,500 of fuel (gasoline and diesel) through Canada, at Esso dealers;

Help with commercial space

• provide assistance in finding retail space within the territory of the Chamber;

Athena Energies

• offer you the possibility to quickly benefit from budgetary stability in your natural gas expenditures through Athena Énergies, at a very advantageous rate;

Ultramar

• proposes a rebate of 2.5% on your purchase of prepaid Ultradollar cards;

Assurancia Groupe Brosseau inc

• offers you the possibility of insurance on your car and house with Assurancia Groupe Brosseau such as the $100 reduction on a two-year policy*, free road assistance to owners of the firm*, indemnification dealt with in 48 hours for firms* and a variety of other benefits.
  * Certain conditions apply.

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How to become a member?

The forms necessary to register for the various services may be obtained by contacting the Chamber by telephone at 450 346-2544.

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Coordinates

929, Seminaire Nord blvd., # 301
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
(Quebec) J3A 1B6

Phone: 450 346-2544
Fax: 450 346-3812

Email address: info@cchautrichelieu.qc.ca
Web Site: http://www.cchautrichelieu.qc.ca

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