Suzanne McCrimmon just arrived a week ago from Nova Scotia with her pooch, Percy, but she is already hard at work in her new position as executive director of the Squamish Chamber of Commerce.
The Squamish Chief reporter Jennifer Thuncher caught up with McCrimmon to find out her impressions of her new community and her approach to her new position.
Q: So, first things first, what brought you to this job in Squamish?
A: I came from Wolfville, Nova Scotia located in the heart of the Annapolis Valley. It is a beautiful area, but you know, it is tough for rural Nova Scotia right now and I was on a contract as the economic development specialist, which was coming to an end.
I am very selective with the communities I work in and having worked in Golden several years ago, it was a draw for me to look at coming back out west.
Q: It is very early days into the new position for you, but can you speak to how it is going so far?
A: It has been a welcoming experience. I have met some really super community members already simply by walking into the local businesses, and I attended the swearing in of council, where Chris Pettingill, a chamber board member, introduced me to members of the community
Q: What are some of the similarities and challenges of Squamish compared to some of the other communities you have worked in?
A: Any community that has gone from rural to huge growth, there is that passion for people to see growth, but there is also a passion for people to have controlled growth. So people step back and say before we allow all of this to come in, let’s step back and say what is it we really want as a community. It is about business doing business with business. Governments have policies and procedures, and the business people work with businesses to bring them into the community. And that is why this chamber position is one that is going to thrive and refresh itself, because I am all about partnership and collaboration.
Q: Can you speak more to how the chamber can manage that tension between growth and not growing too fast?
A: One way is about learning from those who have been here. There should be no disconnect. Let’s take those who have businesses and who have lived here for many, years, and let’s learn from them and get knowledge from them as businesses moving forward. And it is also to ensure we are a voice for business, because that is what the chamber is. We also want to be advocates for business.
You are a business, but you are also a community member, so your voice as a community member is important, but your opinion as a business owner is just as important.
Q: To have an active chamber, members need to be engaged. How do you ensure members of the Squamish business community are engaged with the organization?
A: For me, it is about going out and meeting with key stakeholders, meeting with the owners of businesses, whether they be home-based or storefront. It is about reconnecting with First Nations to explore partnership opportunities, and meeting with those who can have influence on where they want to see things go.
Also connecting with StartUp Squamish and the university so we can have young entrepreneurs coming out of the university, coming out of StartUp and saying, instead of leaving here, maybe I should look at a business here.
It is key that each and every one of the members of the Squamish chamber sees value in their membership.
Q: What are the other keys to Squamish’s economic development?
A: It is ensuring that the businesses that are here, stay here. That is going to be a huge part of what we move forward with in the chamber. We want to do some business development programs, we want to create workshops that will enhance local businesses to grow in potentially new markets, but also ensure we continue with the events that have been successful to date.
Ensuring as a business community we fully participate in the planning of our community supporting sustainable development.
Embrace new sector development such as the rec tech industry.
Q: What is next for you personally in the coming days and weeks?
A: Settling into my new home and getting to meet my neighbours, exploring the trails that I am surrounded by, and shopping locally to send gifts for the holidays back east.
