Chamber Blog

The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce has announced that this year’s Taste of Steinbach event will take place at the newly opened Southeast Event Centre. The annual event, which celebrates local food and community, is scheduled for May 27.

Taste of Steinbach expands to new venue

Tessa Masi, executive director of the chamber, shared the update during a recent presentation to Steinbach city council.

“Last year we were at the airport, we had 500 guests there,” said Masi. “This year, because the Southeast Event Centre is so brand new, we are going to be hosted in there. We’ve upped our number of tickets to be just over 600, so more people are able to attend. Tickets are going to go on sale shortly.”

Tickets for the event will be available through the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce website shortly. Masi said the chamber is focused on continuing to elevate the event each year.

Burger Days may see changes

The chamber is also reviewing its approach to the annual Burger Days event, which takes place each September. The event has grown in popularity over the past seven years, with 17 restaurants and one brewery participating last year. More than 7,000 burgers were sold, generating over $85,900 in revenue.

Masi said the chamber is considering ways to revamp the event while keeping it a strong community tradition.

“Burger Days is something that the community really, really enjoys,” she said. “After seven years, the committee is just having conversations about how we could revamp this event to maybe engage more people in the community or give more restaurants an opportunity to participate.”

One idea under discussion is expanding the concept to include Pizza Days or Poutine Days. Masi said the chamber welcomes community input on potential changes.

Expanding advocacy and tourism efforts

In addition to these events, the chamber has added two new committees this year, focused on advocacy and tourism. The advocacy committee aims to better represent the voice of the business community and ensure their concerns are heard at the appropriate levels. The tourism committee is looking at ways to highlight local attractions and promote Steinbach as a destination.

“We have wonderful things that are happening here in Steinbach,” Masi said. “It would be great to be able to highlight them in a more deliberate way.”

Eastman Immigrant Services supports newcomers

The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce also oversees Eastman Immigrant Services, its largest initiative. The program receives government grants to help immigrants adjust to life in the community.

“If the Chamber is the big umbrella, then Eastman Immigrant Services is our largest initiative that happens under that,” Masi said. “We get government grants for the amazing programs that we run, including settlement services, employment facilitation, and English language classes.”

The organization helps newcomers with practical matters such as obtaining health cards, social insurance numbers, and other essential paperwork.

“They are happy to help with all of those little details, and they offer those services for free to all new residents,” Masi said.

Demand for language support has been high, with more than 116 participants enrolled in English classes across seven different levels.

“That just tells you the spread of where people are starting and where people are still working at improving their language for their workplace,” Masi said.

Source: https://steinbachonline.com/articles/chamber-plans-bigger-taste-of-steinbach-rethinks-burger-days