WORKING TOGETHER FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
Unifying Our Community Strengths
While a lot of good, constructive work is ongoing in our community, no single group can possibly create a future which benefits every member of the community.
A Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs serves as an “umbrella” organization, uniting various community groups, businesses and individuals providing its members with a clear, representative voice where it’s needed most.
Establishing the Musquodoboit Harbour & Area Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs puts us in a position to efficiently and meaningfully steer our community’s destiny.
Why do we need a Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs?
As the average age of rural Nova Scotians rises to retirement levels and opportunities for employment diminish, communities continue to lose residents to metropolitan areas. In response, communities need to protect and develop sustainable strategies that ensure a comprehensive aging in place continuum of housing, accessible health care, and transportation which are all indicators of maintaining an individual’s dignity and right to live fully their community of choice.
A major misperception exists which suggests the investment of Municipal, Provincial, and Federal tax dollars in infrastructure (such as water and sewer, housing and business development, transportation, and I.T.) are subsidies afforded only to densely populated areas of the HRM and elsewhere in Nova Scotia. Given the existing population trends, going forward this belief requires correcting while both residents and various levels of government will require a major shift in attitude if we are to remain successful as a Province and continue to grow as a community.
A Chamber of Commerce & Civic Affairs …
- is all about its members
- fosters better communication through fact based research on important issues affecting our area
- helps to retain youth in our communities by fostering entrepreneurship and embracing immigration
- has a traditional objective of fostering trade and industry as well as civic development, and to promote the general welfare of the community and surrounding areas
- is a non partisan and non sectarian group
- is a well respected brand in Canada, offering proven programmes and many levels of support for each chapter
- provides one credible, unified, fully accountable voice for the community while holding its representatives accountable in all levels of government
- holds regular Town Hall meetings to maintain a current pulse of community concerns
- builds credibility with residents and all levels of government
- paves the way for rural communities to work with all levels of government to take the lead in developing long term social and economic strategies
- proves it has the support of its members through paid association and engagement
- allows decision-making to be controlled at the community level
- unifies several highly functioning groups under one respected umbrella, repairing fragmentation and making it possible for politicians to effectively meet with our community within busy schedules
- actively and positively engages elected officials and large private sector service delivery models IE: important rural infrastructure such as NSP, Bell, Eastlink etc. for the betterment of our entire community
- allows both community and business interests to be properly represented in shaping our community, making it one of the only organizations able to actively and effectively engage our area’s business community
- facilitates economic growth of the region through ensuring the establishment of the requisite infrastructure for economic and social wellbeing while constantly being guided by the membership
- creates and maintains an environment that grows the quality of life for our citizens, and continues to grow it through a prosperous economy and a social network that meets the needs of all
- represents the voice of business, supporting its members’ success and championing community prosperity
- attracts highly skilled volunteers to help organize and operate an effective, all-encompassing group
- allows for future growth of historically important rural growth centres along the Eastern Shore, including Musquodoboit Harbour, Sheet Harbour, Sherbrooke
- is a brand well respected by Greater Halifax Partnership, Nova Scotia Business Inc., The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, CBDC Bluewater, Municipal, Provincial and Federal Governments
Who is on the MHACCCA Board of Directors?
You’ll find the current list of our directors on the ‘Board of Directors’ page of our website.