CORNWALL – The Cornwall and Area Chamber of Commerce will be moving back to Water Street.
The chamber’s board of directors recently signed a cohabitation agreement with the Eastern Ontario Training Board.
The chamber won’t actually be in the training board office, which is on the third floor, but will be located separately on the ground floor in Suite 110 – one spot away from where the chamber used to be years ago. The space is currently empty.
Executive Director Greg Pietersma says the deal is mutually beneficial because the EOTB and the chamber “both have the same vision in the roll the chamber could play” in the community as it goes through a period of rebirth.
The chamber will also have access to a receptionist and a board room for meetings.
The chamber sold its building on Second Street East and had been looking at a number of locations for its future home.
One role for the chamber is not being a Service Ontario agent. It’s got out of its contract and the Ontario government has since found another vendor to continue the service in the city.
President Shannon Lebrun says it will be “a professional environment” for the chamber and the “costs will be minimal” for the move.
Chamber director Geoff Carter says it’s important that the chamber make it clear to the public that it’s autonomous from the EOTB – a government entity.
The chamber will officially start in its new home on Sept. 1.