Chamber looks to engage youth, harness community love of football this fall

September 3, 2026 · 0 Comments

The Aurora Chamber of Commerce will have a busy fall season ahead as they look to engage youth – and get local businesses into the Super Bowl spirit.

The Chamber outlined its plans for the autumn on August 27 at their Annual General Meeting and Member Barbecue held at the Stonehaven Events Centre.

The meeting was a chance to welcome new members to its executive, give thanks to outgoing members, and raise money for the York Region Food Network.

But it was also a chance to look back at a successful year as much as it was an opportunity to look ahead.

“Compared to the size of our Chamber, the resources available to us compared to other Chambers in Ontario, I’d say we’re punching way above our weight,” said Board Chair David Oleson. “Of the key success, the Aurora Chamber is always looking for new ways to serve different aspects and parts of our community. Over the last year, we’ve seen multiple new opportunities, new exciting initiatives come to our Chamber. First of all, there’s the Young Entrepreneurs and Professionals Group, which has created a space for emerging leaders to connect…. We partnered with Central York Chamber of Commerce for the Top 40 under 40, celebrating 40 exceptional individuals from Aurora, Newmarket, and East Gwillimbury who are making an incredible impact professionally and within their communities and their towns. We also launched our quarterly not-for-profit round table, which brings together local charities and non-profits that are able to talk and communicate about their challenges, their shared resources, and find opportunities to collaborate.”

Further initiatives will soon be underway.

The Chamber will launch a new Business Toolkit in October, which is designed as a resource for small business owners. The toolkit will include expert input on how to improve decision-making, use various tools to streamline operations, marketing and sales, bookkeeping and finance, and more.

“Looking ahead, we’re also launching the Youth Advisory Council,” Olesen continued. “This is part of our Business Engaging Youth Program. Working with several local high schools, we’re bringing together Grade 11 and Grade 12 students and giving them an opportunity to communicate to us – this is what they’re looking for, this is what they need to build leadership skills among that younger generation – and help them connect with our business community, grow out our talent, and hopefully keep them here.

“Supporting the development of our members, as well as our members managing, let’s say, a challenging economic environment these days, the Chamber will continue to offer webinars together with market and issue-of-the-day focused sessions and numerous professional development opportunities…. We as an organization, and myself personally, are really looking forward to another year of connecting with businesses, building those relationships and those partnerships, and supporting the people who make Aurora’s business community honestly thrive like no other around us.”

But there’s also some room for fun.

This fall, local businesses will be invited to get into the spirit of football and produce their own Super Bowl-style commercials. A friendly competition with the entry fee benefiting a local non-profit, Chamber President & CEO Alison Mumford said the commercials will be shared widely with the community invited to “watch, share, and vote for their favourites.”

“We wanted this to be about more than just bragging rights – every vote will help to raise money for one of our local not-for-profits,” she said. “It all leads up to our Commercial Showcase in February where we will feature the best commercials, crown some winners, and, most importantly, turn a little friendly competition into something for a great cause.

“Start thinking about your commercials, the opportunities to make us laugh, get creative, go completely over the top, and show Aurora what your business is all about. We can’t wait to see what you come up with.”

This year’s AGM was attended by Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MPP Michael Parsa, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy, and Mayor Tom Mrakas, who swore in new members of the Board. Before doing so, however, he praised the Chamber on its recent successes.

“We are quite lucky to have such an incredible Chamber,” he said, adding he has never seen the Chamber stronger than it is today. “That is due to the fact of the staff as well as Board members, and all of you. We’re seeing businesses come in every day into the Town of Aurora and opening up shop, and it’s because of the great community that we have and one of the most desirable places to live in Ontario and to open a business.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter