The History of the Beausejour & District Chamber of Commerce began in 1938 when it was founded by dedicated business leaders of our community.  Unfortunately, records prior to 1975 are no longer available on how our business leaders of that era maintained an active role in the community’s growth and well-being. Over the years, commercial leaders of our business community have served to provide education, leadership, unity, marketing ideas and entertainment for the betterment of our area. Be sure to scroll to the end to see Chamber's historical initiatives pictures.  

1938- 2013, 75 years of Chamber History ‘Bringing Businesses Together’

In 2013 we celebrated our history of 75 years in our communities for the full year. Beginning with approving the addition of ’75th’ to our logo for the year, holding our AGM at a larger venue with speakers and to celebrate Small Business Week we held an evening with comedian Matt Falk and Keynote Speaker Chris Fougere and trade tables co-hosted with Community Futures Winnipeg River. 

The Beausejour & District Chamber of Commerce is an organized body of commerce minded individuals who fill the positions of President, 1st Vice President, Treasurer and a contract position of Executive Director. There are also six Director positions who lead various committees and projects involving Membership, Civic & Public Affairs, Retail Merchants, Tourism and Agriculture. Over the years the Chamber’s membership has cycled with rises and falls of the economic health of the Beausejour area.  Membership has varied from 48 to a peak of 104 members, and there has been a few minor lapses of activity from time to time.  The majority of the last 76 years the operation of the Chamber was dedicated to promoting and marketing commerce in the area, providing training for businesses, town beautification and leading and lobbying major civic changes in the district. The activities of the Chamber have varied over the past 76 years and our involvement has been from that of a leadership role to that of an information source for the RM of Brokenhead, Beausejour Council and various departments of the Provincial Government. Some, but not all, of the activities are listed below in the order of involvement from 1975 thru to the present time. We hope that you have enjoyed being involved with at least some of them.

At present, the areas of Beausejour, Tyndall and Garson also serve as bedroom communities for our residents who work in Winnipeg and other communities. The Chamber continues to support the growth of the area welcoming new businesses and families into the community.

Activities of the Beausejour & District Chamber of Commerce

• Hosting the Agricultural Fair (1975)
• Maintaining snowmobile & CPTC signs
• Farm Promotion (especially during the Agricultural movement of the mid seventies)
• Off-street parking and the issue of parallel parking since 1975
• Promotion of Beausejour and District
• Sales and Service Seminars (Chuck Ries)
• Store business hours at Christmas
• Monday shopping issues (1976)
• Lobbying for the four-lane #44 highway (1977)
• Tourism building
• Income tax and marketing courses
• Tourism promotion
• Community Hall promotion
• Organized the first of the local Trade Shows (1978)
• Sponsorship of the "Hire a Student” program (1978 to Present time)
• Implementation of the Group insurance program
• Shop lifting seminars (1979)
• Bookkeeping Courses
• Town beautification promotion
• Parking meters
• Relocation of the Beausejour Liquor Mart
• Park Avenue Parking, parking meters, and Traffic controls (1982)
• Off street parking
• Library Building
• Summer Games (1988)
• Phasing out the Beausejour Business tax (1988 thru 1990)
• Promoting the new Correctional facility at Milner Ridge (1988)
• Creation of the BBDC
• Promotion of the Splash Swimming pool
• Promotion of the New Motel for Beausejour (1988)
• All Candidates meetings for all elections (1989 to present)
• Moonlight madness
• Power toboggan right of ways in the RM of Brokenhead
• Area maps
• Sands swimming pool project
• Harness racing (1993 & 94)
• Summer Sizzle
• 0% Christmas loans for businesses promotion (1994 thru 1998)
• Canada day celebrations
• Agricultural Fair
• Community Round Table Committee
• Side street reconstruction
• Yellowhead route & Laverandra Trail (Started in 1975 thru 2009)
• Winter farewell (1997)
• Snowmobile access to Beausejour
• Beausejour Bucks
• Christmas tree lighting (1997 to 2019)
• Beausejour Monument
• Chamber parade float
• Chamber golf tournament
• GMC 500 mile race from Beausejour to Bemidji Minnesota
• Car show
• Duck races (2001)
• Area welcome packages
• Snowmobile access to Beausejour (2010)
• Lobbied for Healthcare at the 2014 Manitoba Chamber of Commerce AGM
• Chamber Eats Culinary Contest held two times per year (Spring & Fall) commencing in 2019 (five year initiative) 
• Christmas on Park (commencing in 2022)

For more information, please contact us beausejourchamber@gmail.com  or phone 204-268-3502.