Chamber Connect Podcast - Huron Chamber of Commerce

Business headlines from last week that you may have missed. Visit ⁠huronchamber.ca/newsletter⁠ for more details on these headlines and to subscribe to the newsletter.

This week, Colin chats with Katrina McQuail of Meeting Place Organic Farm, a multi-faceted family farm in northern Huron County that blends certified organic and regenerative farming with direct-to-consumer sales, seasonal events, and a strong commitment to community. Katrina talks about taking on the role of second-generation farmer, building on the vision her parents began in the 1970s, and adap...

Business headlines from last week that you may have missed. Visit ⁠huronchamber.ca/newsletter⁠ for more details on these headlines and to subscribe to the newsletter.

This week, Colin chats with John Miners, owner of Experior IT, about what it really means to provide IT support for small businesses in a world where technology touches almost every part of daily operations. Based in Exeter and serving clients across southern Ontario, John has built his business around a simple but increasingly important idea: smaller companies may not have their own in-house IT d...

Business headlines from last week that you may have missed. Visit huronchamber.ca/newsletter for more details on these headlines and to subscribe to the newsletter.

This week, Colin chats with Michael Sklad of the Fishing Friendzy Foundation, an organization that is building something many families may not realize has been missing for years: a true youth fishing league. Often described as “minor hockey for fishing,” Fishing Friendzy gives kids a structured, welcoming way to learn the sport, even if no one in their family fishes already. Michael talks about ho...

This week, Colin chats with Tricia Denomme of the Huron Business Centre about Summer Company, a program that helps young people across Huron County turn business ideas into real summer ventures. Designed for students returning to school in the fall, the program combines business training, one-on-one support, and grant funding to give participants a practical introduction to entrepreneurship. The c...

This week, Colin chats with Natalie Steenstra, Executive Director of Community Living - Central Huron, about the work of building a more inclusive community in practical, everyday ways. Based in Goderich and rooted in local families’ advocacy going back to 1958, Community Living Central Huron supports people with intellectual disabilities in living the lives they want to lead, whether that means h...

This week, Colin chats with Michael Daley and Chapin Korosec of EpiSense, a Goderich-based startup working at the intersection of public health, data, and practical decision-making. Their goal is simple, but ambitious: to make disease forecasting easier to understand and more useful in everyday life. In this conversation, they explain how EpiSense pulls together public health data on illnesses lik...

This week, Colin chats with Alex Jebson of Huron County Pride, an organization that is helping build connection, visibility, and inclusion for 2SLGBTQIA+ people across Huron County. Alex shares how Huron County Pride has grown quickly since its founding in 2022, from launching its first Pride Festival to creating practical programs like its decal initiative, which helps businesses show visible sup...

Apologies for the audio quality! This week, Colin sits down with Paul Stewart of Cleaning Depot for a conversation about what it really means to build, grow, and sustain a family business in rural Ontario. Paul shares the story behind PBJ and Cleaning Depot, how the company has grown over 23 years, and why serving businesses is about far more than simply delivering supplies. From eco-friendly prod...

In this episode of the Chamber Connect Podcast, Colin sits down with Joe Carter, the local representative for the Chambers Plan Employee Benefits program, to unpack what makes the plan different from traditional market carriers. Joe explains how the Chambers Plan is a non-profit, pooled program available exclusively to Chamber of Commerce members, and why pooling can lead to more stable renewals o...

In this episode, Colin sits down with Ed Havenga, Jodi Froud, and Jessica Chateauvert from the Pathways department at the Avon Maitland District School Board to unpack what “Pathways” really means for students and employers in Huron County. Far more than co-op placements, Pathways is a comprehensive approach that starts as early as Grade 6 and continues through high school with dual credits, Speci...

In this fourth and final installment of our special bonus series from the Huron Marine & Economic Forum, we welcome to the stage Daniel Tisch, President & CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.🎙️ Recorded live at the Huron Marine & Economic Forum, presented by Parrish & Heimbecker.

In this episode, Colin sits down with Stu Harrison, Executive Director of CCEO, to explore how Ontario’s chamber network supports the staff and volunteers who keep local chambers running. Stu shares how CCEO provides monthly conversations, training, a newsletter, and an annual conference designed especially for smaller chambers with limited staff. Their discussion highlights the strength of the ch...

In this third installment of our special bonus series from the Huron Marine & Economic Forum, we turn to one of the most timely conversations of the day, the panel “Trade and Tariffs: The Latest Impacts.” With cross-border tensions escalating and new American tariffs reshaping the business environment, this discussion examines how trade disputes are influencing agriculture, manufacturing, and...

In this second installment of our special bonus series from the Huron Marine & Economic Forum, we feature the day’s first panel discussion, “Your Port – Your Community.” Ontario’s Great Lakes ports are more than shipping hubs—they are vital economic engines that shape the prosperity of their surrounding communities. This engaging discussion explores how ports and municipalities work together t...

In this episode of the Chamber Connect Podcast, we sit down with Hayley Bettles, the founder of Small Town Paralegal—a growing legal services business based in Clinton. Hayley launched her practice virtually in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic, later opening a physical office in early 2023. She recently hired her first employee, Danielle, who focuses on provincial offenses and summary crimi...

This first of four special bonus episodes of the Chamber Connect podcast features live content from the Huron Marine & Economic Forum, held October 2nd at Beach Street Station in Goderich. In this episode, we hear from two voices central to the story of the Port of Goderich: Mayor Trevor Bazinet and Frank Hurkmans, President of the Goderich Port Management Corporation. Mayor Bazinet offers a h...

In this episode of the Chamber Connect Podcast, Colin speaks with Ralph Rubino, owner of TriCity Financial in Goderich, about the realities of financial planning for entrepreneurs and sole proprietors. Ralph explains why true financial wellness goes beyond numbers, emphasizing the value of understanding the whole picture—business and personal. He and Colin discuss building a trusted team of expert...

In this episode of the Chamber Connect Podcast, Colin Carmichael sits down with four leaders from Huron County’s Business Improvement Areas to talk about holiday planning and community collaboration. Guests include Angela Cullen (Blyth BIA), Hayley Bettles (Clinton–Central Huron BIA), Caroline Hill (Exeter BIA), and Dan Gall (Goderich BIA). Together they unpack what makes each downtown’s holiday s...

In this episode, Colin welcomes Genelle Reid, Fund Development Coordinator at Artemis Huron, to discuss the organization’s transformation from the Huron Women’s Shelter to Artemis Huron. They explore the rebranding’s deeper meaning—symbolizing protection, transition, and healing—and the expansion of services beyond crisis intervention. Genelle shares how Artemis supports women and children across...

Colin welcomes Dana Soucie, Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board, for a data-driven look at what makes our regional workforce unique. They break down the story behind the numbers — why our corner of Ontario continues to post low unemployment, how high living-wage requirements and an aging workforce shape local hiring, and what upcoming growth in health care and clean...

On this episode of the Chamber Connect podcast, Colin Carmichael speaks with Caroline Somba, founder of Topspin Finance, about her work as a fractional CFO. Caroline shares how Topspin supports small and medium-sized businesses across Canada, particularly in project-based industries like renewable energy, construction, and professional services. She explains how fractional CFOs help companies navi...

Join Colin Carmichael in this episode of Chamber Connect as he sits down with Frank Hurkmans, President of the Goderich Port Management Corporation. Frank shares the story of the Port of Goderich, from its 1999 transition to municipal ownership through today’s busy operations. Learn about the port’s key users, its role as the fourth-largest port on the Great Lakes, and its growing importance to Hu...