The Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce (MRCC) is a Canadian

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that acts as an advocate for economic development in the region and promotes area tourism to visitors and locals. It serves the businesses of

Mission, British Columbia Mission is a city in the Lower Mainland of the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was originally incorporated as a district municipality in 1892, growing to include additional villages and rural areas over the years, adding the original To ...

, and acts as a

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ad ...

, similar to a

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

History

The MRCC was created on June 19, 1893"Old Document Reveals Board Founded in '93", ''

The Fraser Valley Record ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', Mission, BC, Canada, 19 April 1945. as B.C.'s fourth Board of TradeKask, Glen. "First board of trade in B.C.", ''

'', Mission, BC, Canada, 16 June 1993. by Harry Brown French, an American sent to Mission after the town's founder sold land to a New York railway corporation. French was elected the Board of Trade's first president, and upon its creation the Board took out advertisements in local newspapers, offering a package of free land, free water, free power and property tax exemptions to potential industrialists, as well as offering to construct factories, mills and other commercial buildings at no charge.Schroeder, Andreas (1991). ''Carved from Wood, Mission, B.C. 1861-1992'', p. 20-21,173,193. D.W. Friesen, Altona, MB, Canada. . In 1946, the Board of Trade suggested that a Strawberry Festival as well as a

Soapbox Derby The Soap Box Derby is a youth soapbox car racing program which has been run in the United States since 1933. World Championship finals are held each July at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio. Cars competing in this and related events are unpowered, ...

should be held on June 26. The event was successful and visitors travelled from different areas of the

Fraser Valley The Fraser Valley is a geographical region in southwestern British Columbia, Canada and northwestern Washington State. It starts just west of Hope in a narrow valley encompassing the Fraser River and ends at the Pacific Ocean stretching from the ...

to attend the event.Cherrington, John (1974). ''Mission on the Fraser, Patterns of a small city's progress'', p. 33,172. Mitchell Press, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ISBN B0006CL344 The festival was held annually until 1951, despite an interruption in June 1948 when the

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...

flooded causing the event to be postponed until July in its third year.Robertson, Betty, Marcellus, Catherine, Dandy, Betty (1992). ''Mission's Living Memorials'', p. 141. Friesen Printers, Altona, MB, Canada. . In 1951, Langley, BC became the new host of the Strawberry Festival after the decline of berry farming and the increase in employment in the forestry industry in the Mission area. The organization operated under the name of the Mission City and District Board of Trade until 1961 when its name was changed to the Mission City and District Chamber of Commerce."Chamber of Commerce Replaces Trade Board", ''

'', Mission, BC, Canada, 11 January 1961. That name stuck until 1970 when it was changed to the Mission City Chamber of Commerce. In 1977, it was suggested by the organization's Vice President Dave Kenyon that the Chamber of Commerce should be terminated"Chamber of Commerce may face extinction", ''

'', Mission, BC, Canada, 26 October 1977. due to poor attendance and lack of participation by members."Mission Chamber Seeks New Identity", ''

'', Mission, BC, Canada, 30 November 1977. The Chamber persevered, avoiding termination, and in 1979 the name was changed for the final time to its present name, the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce. Since then, the MRCC has continued to serve the businesses of Mission and now houses a visitor centre.

Description

The MRCC describes its mission as to "foster a network for entrepreneurial leaders to partner in representation, communication and education." It acts on behalf of local businesses, and as an unbiased advocacy group, they serve as a direct liaison between their members and the local government. They also provide their members with networking opportunities, group benefits, educational seminars, as well as marketing and advertising opportunities. The MRCC is a member of the BC Chamber of Commerce. It currently has 450 members and prints a monthly newsletter titled "The Business Track". It hosts the Annual Candlelight Parade, the largest nighttime Christmas Parade in Western Canada and draws approximately 13 000 spectators every year. The original Mission Soapbox Derby is still held annually by the Mission & District Soapbox Derby Association.

Current President

The current president of the Chamber is Manny Deol, a realtor with Royal LePage Wheeler Cheam Realty. Manny was born and raised in Mission.

Past Presidents

MASCOT

Stan the Sturgeon is the Ambassador for the Mission BC Visitor Centre. His primary role is to advise on all up-coming community events and to promote tourism within the region. This is achieved through social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter. Stan is regularly booked to attend local events and school field trips. Find him via Facebook - Mission BC Visitor Centre or Twitter Stansturgeon1

References

{{Reflist, 2

External links

MRCC Website

Tourism BC Website

BC Chamber of Commerce Website

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce Website
*

Vancouver Board of Trade The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade (GVBOT) is a non-profit organization. It serves Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in a fashion similar to the Board of Trade or Chamber of Commerce. The Board is the largest business association between ...

Chambers of commerce in Canada Organizations based in British Columbia Mission, British Columbia