Outgoing chamber chair Derek Schmidt, of Bill and Don’s Men’s Wear, left, passes the gavel to incoming chair Kayla Petersen, of Century 21 Prairie Elite. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)
Economic development goals

Battlefords Chamber of Commerce’s new chair inducted

Jan 24, 2023 | 4:01 PM

It was a time for new beginnings at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce’s chair’s inductee ceremony Tuesday.

Outgoing chair Derek Schmidt, of Bill and Don’s Men’s Wear, officially passed the gavel to incoming chair Kayla Petersen, Century 21 Prairie Elite owner and broker, as part of the chamber’s tradition.

An emotional Petersen was thrilled to take on the position as the new chair of the board of directors for the year.

“I’ve been on the board for eight years, but this will be a new role for me,” she said. “I’m excited to just take it on full force and start learning and working with everybody.”

Petersen said, among its plans, the chamber plans to focus on working to increase its membership this year. It also hopes to increase its presence in the community, get to know all the new businesses better, and help them all “see the value in being a chamber member.”

City of North Battleford Economic Development Manager Jan Swanson at the chamber chair’s luncheon. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Also during the luncheon event, the City of North Battleford’s new Economic Development Manager, Jan Swanson, unveiled the city’s plans to help spur economic development in the community.

He said the city has outlined a number of strategic goals focused on helping the city and region grow.

The city plans to promote North Battleford as a great place to live and work, to bring more families and businesses to the area.

Some of the challenges the city has been facing include North Battleford’s crime severity index, and finding enough qualified job seekers to fill employers’ vacancies in the community.

However, Swanson feels positive about the city’s potential for growth, by getting the word out about what North Battleford does offer.

“This first year [is about] getting out and talking to people and finding out what their issues and concerns are,” he said. “Then, putting [that] together, and looking at how can we target more people [to come] into the Battlefords. And, also getting our minds around the fact that we have got a lot to be thankful for.”

Swanson said if people were to look at all North Battleford’s advantages, whether that’s recreation or access to the outdoor life, for example, they would see the city does have a lot to offer.

“When you start listing off all the things that are in our backyard, it’s pretty impressive,” he said.

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow

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