Fresh chambers for commerce

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This article was published 25/09/2024 (346 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce has been in existence for 151 years and all that time its offices have always been very close to Portage and Main.

Earlier this summer the Chamber moved into new digs at 200 Portage Ave. in the former ScotiaBank offices, just down the street from the Paris Building at 259 Portage Ave. where it had been for 20 years.

It’s only the fourth location in the organization’s history and, in some respects, it’s like it’s finally come home.

As Loren Remillard, the chamber’s long-time CEO put it, “We used to just be on Portage, now we’re on Portage AND Main.”

The pie-slice shaped low-rise space right on the corner attached to the 360 Main office building to the south has huge windows looking out onto both Portage Avenue and Main Street.

The 10,000 square foot office includes a good sized mezzanine level conference room with an adjacent vault/kitchen.

Another vault on the first floor has become a well-secured staff locker room.

Designed by Rodych integrated Design Inc. and built by Winnipeg Building and Decorating, the space includes nooks and crannies throughout providing casual meeting and work spaces. The main workspace area features massive windows overlooking Portage Avenue at street level and three 10-foot high colourful paintings by Indigenous artist Dee Barsy.

Remillard said in addition to the Chamber’s unwavering commitment to downtown — “We did not consider any other part of the city,” he said — the plan was to have space that would be a more functional and flexible meeting space.

Chamber members will be welcome to drop in to work at designated areas and can book offices and other spaces.

“We are at the corner of Portage and Main, the city’s intersection,” said Remillard. “We want our office to be the business community’s intersection.”

There was also a determination to establish a modern office unlike its past three locations at 177 Lombard Avenue — called the Chamber of Commerce building; 167 Lombard, the Grain Exchange building where the chamber office once included a large public dining room; and 259 Portage, the Paris building.

“We may be 151 years old but we didn’t want the offices to look like that,” he said noting the organization’s evolution, for instance, as a leader in diversity and inclusion.

“This is not your grandparents Chamber of Commerce.”

One day this week Chamber board member, Natalie Bell was working on a desk top at a stand-up desk, taking advantage of members’ access to the new space.

The independent HR consultant does not have a downtown office and admits to being a bit of a nomad when it comes to office space.

“I love being downtown,” she said. “I love it here being able to come and connect with different people.”

CentrePort Canada continues to co-locate with the Chamber in the new space as it did at 259 Portage. This time the offices will also be shared with World Trade Centre Winnipeg and the Manitoba Environmental Industries Association.

Andre Brin, CEO of the World Trade Centre, which moved from its own heritage building the old St. Boniface City Hall on Provencher Boulevard said, “There was lots of history where we were, but we’re really happy to be at Portage and Main. It’s great to be with other organizations working at economic development. It’s surprising there’s not more of that. It’s a great opportunity for us to connect, collaborate and share resources like photocopy machines.”

Remillard said there are some other developments they are working on to be announced at a later date. But there are already considerations to let some of the space be used for third party events.

But mostly he said, the Chamber wants to demonstrate its commitment to the downtown especially at a time right now where it’s experiencing so many challenges.

“We want to have space for our member and also create activities that brings people downtown even in non-office hours,” he said. “The idea was to make it a destination point. We want to be part of the solution for downtown.”

It’s still hard to figure out where the actual entrance door is, but that will be resolved with way finding signage that will come.

There will also be outdoor signage on the side of the building both on Portage Avenue and Main Street.

Carly Edmundson, the CEO of CentrePort Canada, said, “It’s going to be so great for what CentrePort is doing for the city and the capital region to see our logo at Portage and Main alongside the Chamber and the other organizations. It will make a real statement.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca