Monique Chenier

Meet Monique Chenier, the economic development and tourism manager with Sunrise Corner. Her position was formalized in 2019 with influence from the Piney Regional Chamber of Commerce. Shortly after Monique assumed her role, she joined the PRCC on behalf of Sunrise Corner. “My membership with PRCC is an opportunity to be a part of a well-established group of business owners,” she explained. “It’s been beneficial to meet the members and work with them to help achieve economic development goals for our region.”

Networking with the PRCC members has been a highlight for Monique and Sunrise Corner. Since the beginning, she has taken every opportunity to help other members improve and solve problems in their businesses. Aside from that, she offered to take meeting minutes and create agendas before becoming officially responsible for them in 2021, when she was acclaimed to the board of directors as secretary.

Monique has always enjoyed being involved with volunteer organizations because volunteerism is a core value of hers. “I am a big believer in organizations like the PRCC that provide opportunities for businesses to grow. I have always been involved in volunteer activities to help communities, businesses and people.” Monique is currently the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Manitoba vice president and accreditation chair, supporting public relations professionals in their career development “I’ve been involved with CPRS for over 20 years and appreciate the value I’ve received from my membership as well as what I’ve been able to give back”, explained Monique. “I see the same benefits in being able to support the valuable work of the PRCC. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it.”

Since joining the PRCC, she has found many reasons to stay involved. “The PRCC brings together active members, which provides me with a great starting point to engage with local businesses and expand my network as the economic development manager. I am also excited to see how the PRCC will progress once the pandemic is over. I think networking will expand in ways we haven’t even thought of yet.”

Sunrise Corner

Sunrise Corner is the economic development partnership of the Rural Municipalities of Piney and Stuartburn, established in 2016 with a focus on tourism. With an expanded economic development focus since 2019, they now promote the region as an incredible place to live, work, play, visit, invest, and explore.

The Piney Stuartburn Economic Development Board provides direction and plays an integral role in developing the strategic plans to guide Monique’s work. Under five key strategies – housing, business development, tourism, marketing and governance – her role is “to promote the area for new residents, jobs and job creation, local recreational and social activities, and attract businesses to invest in the region, move their business here, or develop tourism amenities.” Beyond implementing these plans, her job is to seek new opportunities such as housing and helping existing businesses grow and launch new businesses. Monique also continues to promote all aspects of Sunrise Corner through social media, marketing initiatives and attending local events.