The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce was incorporated in 1979. The Chamber began as two entities, the Port Arthur Board of Trade (est 1885) and the Fort William Chamber of Commerce (est 1891). In 1965, the organizations joined to become the Lakehead Chamber of Commerce. When Port Arthur and Fort William amagalmated to become the City of Thunder Bay in 1970, the organization changed its name to its current incarnation.
The Chamber is a non-profit, member-driven organization that works in partnership with individuals and businesses alike to advocate for the city’s business community. It works around three pillars as developed through their strategic plan. These pillars include advocacy, engagement and empowerment. The Chamber represents its stakeholders on issues – whether municipal, provincial or federal – that affect its member businesses.
The Chamber also coordinates, sponsors or participates in events and initiatives that promote networking and partnerships, such as conferences, social gatherings and trade shows. The networking and parternship opportunities can include business to community, business to business, or business to government.
The Chamber also empowers its members and promotes business growth by offering professional development and training opportunities and tools. These opportunities are designed to assist businesses succeed and grow by generating new ideas, improving skills, and developing additional partnerships.