The annual general meeting of the Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce was held on June 14, where an election of officers was completed.

Ken Kuzminski will remain president, Denis Vandal will step up as vice-president, Tammy Vathje will be the treasurer and Wayne Hnatyshin will be secretary. The executive council will be made up of Mark Howe, Marc Leblanc, Matt Cushing, Preston Goulet and Joe Couture.

The meeting continued with an overview of the budget, and a discussion of the successes of the past year – the Chamber’s first year as its own entity after it separated from Tourism Jasper in September, 2010. 

The Chamber started off with 100 members in September, and has since grown to 180. 

When they first branched off from Tourism Jasper, they were unaware of what the operating costs were, so an estimate was made. Now the Chamber will be able to more accurately develop a budget that better suits them. 

Pattie Pavlov, Chamber manager, said the office, located at the Robson House on Patricia Street, will be open five days a week and a half-time assistant will be hired to deal with administrative issues. That way, Pavlov will have more time to address the members’ concerns. 

The Chamber dealt with several important issues right off the bat, including out-of-town contractors, way-finding signage and Jasper the Bear. The licensing for Jasper was not clear, and he was being used without permission. 

“We’re re-launching Jasper the Bear completely,” Pavlov said. 

The popular character created by Jim Simpkins is now fully licensed, and the Chamber is working with the Simpkins’ family. 

There are no meetings planned for the summer due to the tourist season being in full-swing, but there are a few important events that the Chamber has on its radar. On June 22 a fundraising float trip was held for the members. On Oct. 15 the first ambassador and small business awards are scheduled to be held. Before the small business awards were handed out during the Chamber’s Christmas party, but now they will have their own event. A Women in Business celebration is being held on Sept. 23. 

The Chamber’s newsletter, the Bear Facts is being re-launched and a new improved website is in production. 

The AGM drew 57 members for the dinner meeting, and Pavlov is happy with the level of commitment being shown. 

“It tells us that people are participating and becoming involved,” she said. 

The next regular meeting will be held on Sept. 13 – but it can’t be described as regular. The meeting will be held at the Columbia Icefield Centre. Buses will transport members there and back. The new executive will be sworn in, and Pavlov encourages people to attend, as it will be an important meeting.