About Us

The Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce and its motto are “The Voice of Business:  Businesses working together towards economic and social well-being to make our community a better place to live and work.”  The Chamber is a dedicated group of local businesses committed to providing a unified voice for the interests of the business community and Chamber members and directors have a vested interest in seeing our region continues to grow and sustain a strong level of economic development.

Tolko Industries talks to students about forestry during Forestry Week.

The Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce offers great networking opportunities for the business community. On the last Thursday of each month (with the exception of August and December), the Chamber hosts luncheon meetings. These functions are an excellent opportunity to meet with fellow business people from our area, develop networking relationships, and learn about other local and regional businesses. As well, the monthly luncheons feature guest speakers presenting information on the range of topics that are both timely and important to our business community.

Nomination Form for the Business Excellence Awards - Click Here

Administrative Structure

Board of Directors & Mayor Nelson meet with Ian Robertson of The Rocky Mountaineer Vacations & their Spirit of BC athlete Chris Campbell.

An elected Board of Directors sets policy and oversees the management of the Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce. The Board Executive consists of a President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Past President and Finance Director. In addition to the Executive, there are 12 directors elected for two-year terms, with half their number up for re-election each year. Elections are held at our Annual General Meeting, the last Thursday in October. The Installation of Officers takes place the last Thursday in November and is conducted by the Mayor of Williams Lake.

The Chamber also has a full time Executive Director, and one full time Visitor Centre Supervisor.

Memberships or affiliations in other organizations 

• BC Chamber of Commerce
• BC Chamber Executives
• Canadian Chamber of Commerce
• Council of Forest Industries
• Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association
• Council of Tourism Associations
• Retail BC
• Better Business Bureau

These organizations enable the chamber office to provide a more informed voice for our members.

 

Counsellors helping visitors.

Additional Services:

Visitor Centre

The Williams Lake & District Chamber of Commerce operates the Visitor Centre (VC) for the City of Williams Lake. The VC, located at the new Tourism Discovery Centre on Highway 97, offers information on attractions, events, community contacts, and resources. The information covers not only our city, but also the surrounding area, and the province of BC.

Visitors coming to Williams Lake from around the world rely on the Visitor Centre to provide information on local accommodations, restaurants, and interesting activities. The staff also helps visitors plan their trips either travelling through our area, or using our area as a destination. Local residents and the general public use the information provided at the Visitor Centre to keep current on events within the community.

Promotions and Activities

Business Excellence Awards

Some of the projects and activities we are involved with are listed here:

• Small Business Week
• Business Excellence Awards
• Chamber of Commerce Week
• Educational Workshops
• All Candidates Forums – civic, provincial and federal elections
• Economic Development – City of Williams Lake
• Williams Lake Stampede Association
• Job Wave
• SuperHost programs through Tourism BC
• Howdy Williams Lake Day!

Chamber participates in many different promotions to support our members.

SuperHost

The Chamber of Commerce sponsors a SuperHost program, which provides excellent training and tips on communicating, improving customer service, and handling complaints. SuperHost has also developed workshops dealing with specialized business needs such as “Customers with Disabilities” and “Service across Cultures.” Chamber members receive a discount on these workshops.

For more information on how to make your business a “SuperHost”, please call 392-5025, or e-mail us at: visitors@telus.net. You can also follow the provincial program link: http://www.tourismbc.com/training

Nomination Form for the Annual Business Excellence Awards -Click Here

For a Chamber of Commerce Membership Application form: - Click Here