West Ottawa Board of Trade, Ottawa Chamber of Commerce to merge into one Ottawa Board of Trade

The West Ottawa Board of Trade and the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce have voted to merge their two organizations, according to a message sent out Wednesday from West Ottawa Board of Trade CEO Sueling Ching.

“Yesterday, we reported that the members of the West Ottawa Board of Trade approved a memorandum of understanding to merge our organization with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce,” said Ching in the message. “Today, we are pleased to report the members of the Ottawa Chamber unanimously agreed. The boards of directors of both associations are now authorized to pursue a legal agreement that would complete the consolidation effective July 1, 2018.”

According to the message, once the consolidation is complete, a provisional board of directors comprised of current board members will oversee the transfer of the two organizations into the newly created Ottawa Board of Trade.

“There has never been a better time than now to strengthen the Ottawa business community,” said, Ian Sherman, chair of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce in the message. “This consolidation reinforces our commitment not only on the leadership role to ensure the ongoing development of a vibrant Ottawa, but also to enhance our service offerings to provide better advancement opportunities for the Ottawa business community.”

“This consolidation marks a historic turning point for Ottawa’s business community,” said Mischa Kaplan, chair of the West Ottawa Board of Trade. “Our city is experiencing a renaissance in terms of economic development, and the merging of these two business associations will allow Ottawa’s business community to play a leading and vital role in this exciting transformation.”

Ching goes on to say that the key objective of one chamber in Ottawa is that it will be “uniquely positioned to strengthen the voice of business in Ottawa, enhance our impact on economic development and increase the value of membership.”