The Bonnyville Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1948. Their first executive meeting was held on January 31, 1948. Our first President was Irvin Baril. It was decided at that meeting that local farmers would pay a one dollar fee to join the Chamber, and that businesses would pay five and ten dollars depending on their size.

The Bonnyville Chamber of Commerce (Board of Trade) was incorporated in 1960. The Certificate of Formation and Memorandum Agreement was signed by the Department of the Secretary of State of Canada Registration Division in Ottawa on May 4, 1960.

We moved to the beautiful Shaw House located off scenic Moose Lake and Vezeau Beach in 2003. An area deeply rooted in the history of the fur trade in Western Canada, Shaw House takes its name from a piece of Bonnyville history.

2003 marked the first year we hosted our Bonnyville Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. 

The Maple Flag training exercise is the Royal Canadian Air Forces largest and most complex training event of the year. We had the honour of hosting a Maple Flag meet-and-greet in 2004. Learn more about Exercise Maple Flag.

Members of our Executive had the privilege of sitting on the Bonnyville & District Centennial Centre Grand Opening Celebration Committee in 2006. You can learn about the Centre here.

We held our first Christmas Stamp Card Promotion in 2008. 

We held the first Bonnyville & District Oil & Gas Show (BOAGS) in 2011. A first class oil and gas technology event, the bi-annual BOAGS offers exhibitors and attendees the opportunity to feature their business and learn about the newest products and services by industry leaders from Northern Alberta.

We had the privilege of hosting a barbeque dinner for The Honourable Jason Kenney, the then Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, in 2012. 

We had the privilege of hosting Mr. Cal Dallas, Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations, in 2013.

We had the pleasure of hosting The Becoming a Community Builder Program, an initiative to increase the leadership capacity of Rural Canada, in early 2014. Created and facilitated by Ian Hill, the program guided participants to build their leadership skills and inspired them to have a greater impact on their community. 

We had the pleasure of hosting a breakfast meeting with Mr. Kyle Fawcett, Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour, in August 2014. The main topic of discussion was the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program and its impact on labour shortages in Alberta. 

We helped spearhead a campaign and committee to address the chronic labour shortages that plagued the Lakeland area, and much of Alberta, in the early to mid-2010's. 

In partnership with the Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce, we held the inaugural Lakeland Business of the Year Awards (BOYA) in October 2014.

We were proud to launch the Glendon & District Business Alliance, an initiative to expand our offerings to the businesses of the village of Glendon, in August 2016. 

After months of tiredness work, we launched a fresh new website to better reflect our mandate, and to better serve our members and our community. 

We hosted the 1st Annual Lakeland Charity Golf Classic
benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta and us, the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce, in 2017.

We were excited for the opportunity to host an important  Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) information session on Methane Emission Reduction in 2017.

After an intensive search for the right candidate, we announced the appointment of our new Executive Director, Serina Parsons. Read the official announcement in Lakeland Connect.

Our Executive Director, Serina Parsons, presented to the Senate on Bill C-69, an Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, as well to amend the Navigation Protection Act and other Acts.

The Bonnyville Chamber hosted our first member trip China. Travellers spent 11 days with fellow members, business leaders, and friends exploring the country and learning about the history, culture, and commerce in China. 

The Bonnyville Chamber hosted our first member trip India. Travellers spent 7 days exploring various parts of the magnificent country with fellow members. Highlights included a private group dinner in Jaipur and a visit to the Taj Mahal. 

We are proud to have established the Business Resiliency Committee (BRC) in 2020. The Committee's mandate is to assist Lakeland businesses navigate the current economic climate caused by COVID-19. Through the BRC initiative, our Chamber members have raised over $8,000 in donations for local businesses. 

In celebration of our resiliency through COVID-19, we hosted the first (virtual) Our Resiliency Runs Deep Awards. The event was a chance to acknowledge our successes and toast to our courage throughout the pandemic.