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Great news was announced yesterday for the Miramichi community!

DEW Engineering recieved a contract by General Dynamics Lands Systems Canada to maufacture bomb-resistant armour for front-line military vehicles.

This $8.7 million contract will create 35 more jobs in the region, and more importantly, the 'silver-lining-on-the-cloud' that we've been waiting for.

A leader needs the guys to stand along and look ridiculous. But what he's doing is so simple, it's almost instructional. This is key. You must be easy to follow!

Click here to view leadership lessons from the dancing guy.
This video was created by David Sivers.

Have you ever felt like you are being punished for something and you are not sure why?I have been feeling that way lately about our community. 

As President of the Chamber of Commerce I have had the opportunity to work with the City, Enterprise Miramichi, the two down town organizations, our local woodlot association, District 16, our community college and other leading community organizations.  

We have also had occasions to meet with the former liberal government on issues concerning the Miramichi. We met on issues of job creation, wood allocation, funding for new start up business, expanding our runway, community college expansion and many other issues. 

This is the point where I should be listing the accomplishments we have made on these issues but sadly I cannot. 

We have also had the privilege to meet with our new Premier, our local MLA’s and  some of the new cabinet members on most of the same issues and I am hopeful we will see some progress in the near future. Having said that, we have unfortunately learned that there are no guarantees. 

This community is ours. We are in a battle for survival and we are not the only ones. Every small community in Canada is facing similar issues.  We are in dire straits. If you don’t believe me, look around. Where are all the 35 to 55-year-olds?What is happening to our schools? Where is our wood going? Why did Moncton get money to expand their runway when we have been begging for this for years? Why has the government turned down what appeared to be solid business proposals for Miramichi when local business people have been willing to invest heavily in some of these projects?Are we still getting the expansion at the Community College and when does the digging start?
 
What about the federal payroll center? Where and when is it being built? Does it really matter what side of the river it is on? Is that a battle we want to have with ourselves? This is all one city is it not? If we are united on all issues that effect the Miramichi then we will prosper and grow. Remember the song, United we stand, divided we fall? There is a lot of truth in those lyrics.      

The bottom line is, we have to work together. If you are waiting for someone to come rescue us then think again. We have to do our part. We have to train for the jobs we want. We have to lobby for the services we need. We have to work together to build this community again. We have to ask government the tough questions. We have to work hard to attract new industry to Miramichi. Or we simply don’t have to do anything. Other communities will prosper and grow while we sit and watch our kids and grand children pack their bags, sell their homes and move west as so many already have done.    

Our plan is to continue to work closely with the stakeholders in this community and we will continue to lobby government on behalf of the Miramichi and its citizens.   I am confident that we will soon be able to point to many accomplishments that we have contributed to in the next year.  

The Chamber is a small organization of volunteers. People that love their community and want to stay here. We need your help. If you are a member of the Chamber then thank you for that. Are you involved? If not, then you need to ask yourself, what can I do?

If you are not a member and you are in business you need to join. There is strength in numbers. You need to have a voice. We need your voice. We need your help.

Respectfully Yours,

Hal Somers
President