Steinbach Online, written by Darci Wilkinson, February 2, 2026
https://steinbachonline.com/articles/piney-regional-chamber-celebrates-10-years-with-record-breaking-growth
From business development to youth entrepreneurship and regional housing, the Piney Regional Chamber of Commerce is expanding their role in the community after a year of significant growth and new partnerships.
A decade of supporting regional business
Board Secretary Monique Chenier says the organization has been active for 10 years, serving members from the eastern and southern border all the way north to Winnipeg.
“The chamber is really focused on promoting an environment that fosters economic development, works in partnership with our municipalities, and provides value to our members. And the way we do that is through education, networking, and different events that really enhance our region for work, play, raising families, and doing business.”
Membership on the rise
By the end of 2025, Chenier says the Chamber had reached 33 members, including eight new businesses. The momentum has continued into the new year, with seven more members joining in January alone.
“I can see it’s going to be another record-breaking year for us. So, I guess that brings us up to almost 40 members. And for an area that’s as broad and as sparsely populated as we are, we’re less than one person per square kilometre, it’s great to see the level of support that’s grown over the last couple of years.”
New leadership
The Chamber also welcomed a new president, Jason Ginter, who Chenier describes as a passionate entrepreneur.
“Between him and his wife and his daughter, who was one of the ones who competed in the Youth Entrepreneur Challenge, they probably have half a dozen businesses between the families. So they are very driven, very entrepreneurial, and are really looking to continue to grow and thrive in this area.”
Improving communication with members
A recent survey revealed businesses wanted more direct communication and outreach. In response, the Chamber secured funding to act on that feedback.
“The RM of Piney provided a grant of about $10,000 for us to hire that consultant on a part-time basis to help move some of those findings forward. One of the projects she’s worked on this year that enhanced communication, and so we’ve started an e-newsletter.”
Chenier says the response has been strong, with the newsletter seeing a 63 per cent open rate, an impressive figure in marketing. The Chamber’s Facebook following has also grown by about 7.5 per cent.
Events that educate and connect
Monthly events featuring guest speakers have also been well received.
“They range from everything from getting in Canada Revenue Agency to talk about tax tips early in the new year when everyone’s starting to think about that tax return. So that one was really well attended. We’ve had some of our members come and attend and talk about their path in entrepreneurship and how they’ve grown their business, some of the challenges and what they’re looking for in the future.”
Chenier adds that one session focused on helping members better understand the benefits of belonging to the Chamber, including automatic membership in the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce.
Empowering the next generation
One of the year’s highlights was the Chamber’s first-ever PRCC Youth Entrepreneur Challenge, inspired by a similar program in Steinbach.
“It’s that Dragon’s Den type event where students get to present their business ideas in front of a panel of local business owners for a chance to win cash prizes.”
She says Steinbach Chamber Executive Director Tessa Masi gave a presentation on their program, and the Piney Chamber adapted the model to include mentorship and coaching.
“We decided to just take a little bit of different approach, with Tessa’s blessing, and created a little bit of a different program where we also provide business coaching. So one of our board members has done a lot of sales training and business coaching as a consultant in his past career. And so, he worked with all the students in really refining what their product was, and helping them with presentation tips.”
Chenier says students consistently said that coaching component was the most valuable part of the experience.
Looking ahead: Community partnerships
The Chamber plans to continue offering interactive learning opportunities, including an upcoming career symposium.
They have also partnered with Buffalo Point First Nation Health and Wellness on a creative new initiative after receiving grant funding for specialized equipment.
“We’ve now partnered with them, donated the equipment to their site. About a week or two weeks ago, they held an open house to kind of show what the equipment was and looking for ideas on how they can move forward with programming.”
Addressing regional housing needs
Another major project underway involves assisted living housing in the region. The Chamber, RM of Piney, and East Borderland Community Housing in Sprague have formed the Southeast Community Services Co-op.
“We have been applying for and getting funding from different places like Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and different areas to move the project forward. We’ve currently got architectural schematics for a 20-suite facility that is 20 rooms, 500 square feet each, with common areas for meals and socialization and situated right across the street from the current independent living.”
Chenier says fundraising efforts are ongoing to help break ground on the development.
An invitation to get involved
As the Chamber continues to grow, Chenier encourages more businesses and entrepreneurs to get involved.
“So, whether it’s a young entrepreneur just getting started or a seasoned veteran who’s been around the block a few times, pulling everyone together, we find that people have a lot of similar challenges and we can all work together to find solutions. And so that collaborative approach is what a chamber is all about.”
More information about memberships is available at www.pineyregionalchamber.ca.