The CEO of the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce says businesses and local Chambers pivoted like ballerinas in 2020.  Steve McLellan gives full credit to all of the Chambers and the Saskatchewan Chamber staff for getting out all of the COVID-19 information to make sure all precautions were taken and regulations followed.  He adds that the pandemic has been disastrous, but there have been lessons learned, like some employees being able to work from home and the rising trend in the way people shop.

McLellan believes the way people buy has changed, so the Chamber needs to make sure the digital literacy of its members in the business community is enhances, so when people want to purchase something, they can do it from a Saskatchewan business online.  He says, “The only way for us to survive is to be ready to sell the way people are going to buy.”

There were some positives for the Chamber in 2020.  Indigenous engagement is one of the organization’s priorities to enhance the level of connectivity between Indigenous people and businesses.  Last January an Indigenous Engagement Charter was launched. an Indigenous supplier directory was created, and over 1,200 people were trained on Indigenous engagement.