Chamber goes after the under-30 crowd

City Councillors Chris Mayne and Judy Koziol share information about North Bay Blooms with the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce board members Thursday night. Mayne hopes the Chamber will get behind the Business Gardens contest.

North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce President Glenn Cundari says the under-30 crowd have something important to offer the chamber and introduced a motion during the regular monthly board meeting that will make becoming a member easier for their junior colleagues.

Cundari told board members that because business programs are offered at both Canadore and Nipissing it’s a great resource to tap into and that he knows a great number of students would love to become members.

“We’re making it much too complicated for them,” he tells the board.

“Two percent of people under 30 own businesses in Ontario and that translates into 16 members for our chamber.”

Cundari also says that designing the youth membership category is one way the chamber can help to address the issue of youth retention in the area, as well as foster lifelong members.

The new “Young Professional” (YP) category will fit the following criteria:

• Under the age of 30
• This membership is an individual membership
• Membership fee of $40
• YP members are full members and receive all member benefits including a right to vote