In the statement the Chamber says that it is logistically not able to host the upcoming meeting due to by-law and mission mandate conflicts brought to its attention.
They add that in years past they hosted All-Candidates Meetings but with the removal of the tourism component from, returned to town control, their bylaws are no longer the same as in the past.
The event had been organized in conjunction with the Canadian Federation of University Women Southport Chapter.
No announcement has been made as to another partner who could step in and assist.
The full text of the announcement is below:
Saugeen Shores, September 27, 2022
Urgent message from Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce
Cancellation of upcoming All Candidate Meeting October 5th, 2022
After much deliberation we regrettably announce we are logistically not able to host the upcoming meeting due to Bylaw and Mission mandate conflict recently brought to our attention after a comprehensive examination of Saugeen Shores Chamber directives. As many of our community are aware in years past, we hosted the All-Candidates Meeting, running it like a town hall meeting. Unfortunately, that no longer fits with our members driven business model. Since the mutually agreed removal of the tourism component, (returned to town control), our bylaws are no longer the same as in the past.
We rely solely on our members’ contributions to exist; this public event no longer fits that model and as such, we are forced to make this public announcement at this time. We will continue to serve our members working in cooperation with municipal, provincial, and federal government and be there supporting our 400+ paid members.
Advocacy is an important part of our initiatives, and we look forward to serving our members and our business community as effectively in the future.
Sincerely
The Executive Board of Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce