Fonds - Hamilton Chamber of Commerce

The Hamilton Board of Trade was formed at a public meeting held at the Royal Exchange Hotel on April 29, 1845, with thirty-seven Hamilton businessmen in attendance. The constitution of the board was adopted at this meeting and Isaac Buchanan was elected as first president. Board members were comprised of merchants and bank managers, and individuals engaged in trade in the Gore District. The mandate of the organization was to promote fair mercantile principles, correct abuses in trade, protect the rights of businesses, and advance the interests of the business community. During the war years, the organization's membership declined even though growth and development in the city were increasing. In 1919, the organization went through a major reorganization and emerged as the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce in 1920. After an intensive promotional campaign, membership increased to 1000 individuals and the new mandate of the Chamber shifted from a focus mostly on trade, to a new emphasis on promoting the economic, civic and social welfare of the people of Hamilton.

Throughout the years, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce has played an active role in improving the business and social climate in the city through the financing of various ventures such as the Royal Connaught Hotel and the Chedoke Civic Golf Club, as well as heading the effort to relocate McMaster University to Hamilton. The Chamber has promoted better trade, roads, parking and transportation, educational and employment opportunities, the development of the Harbour and civic centres, as well as promoting access to capital for small business. The Chamber has engaged the city and its citizens through task forces and committees, studies and reports, programs and events such as Corporate Challenge, as well as promotional materials and publications, including the area’s first business directory. The Chamber has also contributed to tourism, promoted Hamilton’s art scene by founding the Hamilton Region Arts Council, and brought both the United Way and Crime Stoppers to the greater Hamilton area. Today, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce continues to represent the interests of the business community and the community at large by encouraging the improvement of commercial and industrial activity in the city, and by promoting Hamilton as a place of innovation and progress, and a good place to invest, work and live.