Newmarket, East Gwillimbury chambers to merge into Central York Chamber of Commerce

Announcement made at the Sharon Temple on Sept. 14

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 25, 2023
Simon Martin

When the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce and East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce decided to merge, it was time for a new name. At an event held at the Sharon Temple on Sept. 14, it was announced that the new name of the body would be the Central York Chamber of Commerce.

“This is truly and exciting time for both chambers,” East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce executive director Tina Robert said. That sentiment was echoed by her counterpart in Newmarket, Chris Emanuel.

“This is an exciting time and kudos to the boards of directors who have dealt with this in a pretty expedient fashion.”

Emanuel will continue in his role as the president and CEO of the Central York Chamber.

He said the merger will allow for more improved programs like the woman and leadership program that has been run out of the Newmarket Chamber.

East Gwillimbury Chamber board chair Lori Woodyatt said the merger will be great for East Gwillimbury businesses. “Our members will see an immediate opportunity to participate in more events and programs than ever before.”

Amalgamation of the chambers had been discussed earlier in the year and voted on by members. “The reality is, there is a lot of overlap between our two chambers, so if we can reduce some of our duplicated costs and deliver bigger and better events and programs, it makes sense to consider a merger,” Emanuel said earlier this year. He pointed to the growing business area in the Yonge Street and Green Lane area as an example where a joint chamber could benefit both communities. “It’s technically East Gwillimbury, but Newmarket residents shop and dine there in large numbers. The reality is, our communities are so connected that residents rarely think of the border that lies between. So, why don’t we structure our chamber to be border-agnostic, especially with all the growth coming to this area?” he said.

While not legally merged as of yet, Emanuel said that the process should be completed by the end of the year.