January 2021

Altona Chamber Membership Has Its Privileges

It is that time of year to renew your Membership with The Altona & District Chamber of Commerce Membership invoices are now in tn the mail. 2020 started off a little slow, with periods of inactivity and then Covid-19 restrictions hit and it became more difficult to do business. By the last quarter of the year the Chamber had hired an experienced Manager and information began to flow. We provided details on federal and provincial relief programs of which many Altona businesses and their employees took advantage. During the pandemic, 'Shop Local' was our byword; we initiated Take Out to Win which generated over $5,000.00 in extra revenue for local restaurants, provided $500 in weekly prizes and a grand prize of $250 to entrants; and the Free Santa Delivery Service made shopping easier; 79 deliveries were completed thanks to the Altona Elks Club and YFC The Station. The largest promotion was Chamber Bucks. We sold over $388,000 bucks and so far, $92,595 has been redeemed in our local businesses. You must be a Chamber Member to accept Chamber Bucks. Chamber Membership has its privileges. Members are promoted on our Social Media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), events are promoted on the Altona Digital Sign, you receive newsletters, notifications about all business relief programs, and you have access to all Affinity discount programs. The Altona & District Chamber of Commerce is committed to assist and promote our Members and our Members ensure the strength and viability of our Community. Please respond to your invitation to renew your membership or become a new member of the Altona & District Chamber of Commerce. Together we are all stronger

Covid-19 Relief Updates

The Chamber has been informing Members about the multiple programs available for relief from the effects of the restrictions imposed by Covid 19. We are calling businesses especially affected to find out how you are doing and to discuss available funding relief. The Province of Manitoba Bridge Grant Phase 2 is now being distributed. Restaurants who have had their dine-in food service restricted are encouraged to apply for the Restaurant Relief Program to defray costs incurred to provide delivery to your customers. The Federal Government has made funds available for an Emergency Rent Subsidy to provide emergency rent and mortgage support until June 2021 including a top-up for those affected by lock-downs.

Spotlight On Chamber Members The Altona Chamber will be spotlighting Members in the South Central Post. There is a fascinating back story about Altona Chamber Members; find out what it is that you don't know about our local businesses. If you would like to be spotlighted or have a suggestion for a spotlight, contact the Chamber at chamber@shopaltona.com. The Newspaper may be contacting you to support this initiative. We encourage you to support it but be advised that the Chamber makes nothing from it. Let's Talk About Zoning Town of Altona Zoning Bylaw Update January 27, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm In January, 2020 Urban Systems was retained by the RPGA Planning District to update zoning bylaws for the Town of Altona and the Municipality of Rhineland. In order to discuss proposed changes in the Town of Altona, the Planning District and Urban Systems are hosting a live video stream on January 27, 2021 on the Town of Altona Youtube Channel. The presentation will include an overview of proposed changes and provide residents with an opportunity to ask questions. If you use Facebook, join the event and invite your neighbours! Do you have a question that you would like addressed during this livestream? Please submit your question directly to the consultant at the address below: Jeff Palmer, Community Planner Email: jpalmer@urbansystems.ca Telephone: (204) 259-3693 You can also ask questions during the presentation. Town of Altona Website Link

‌ The Altona & District Chamber of Commerce welcomes New Members: Ruff Mutts - Guy Britten DOMO - Yogesh Sharma Buddy Guy Cannabis - Tyler Froese Altona Yoga - Susie Fisher The Gables Wedding Barn - Brad & Ashley Wiebe Oma's Kitchen - Barb Teichrob The Altona & District Chamber of Commerce is organizing a Scavenger Hunt to encourage activity and sales in local businesses during the early part of February. We are creating scavenger cards and will provide a $1,000 prize (Chamber Bucks). We ask our local Members/businesses to advise your staff to stamp and certify cards and to hold special in store sales to encourage purchases. The hunt will take place from February 1st to 14th and deadline for entries is February 16th.

February 1 - 14 - Shop Local Business Scavenger Hunt February 2 - Chamber Board Meeting February 16 - Deadline for final entries to Shop Local Business Scavenger Hunt March 2 - Chamber Board Meeting March 4 - Tentative Chamber Annual General Meeting

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