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Showcasing the community

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Showcasing the community
Incoming Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce chair Ian Litzenberger (right) listens to a speech during the 2018 Chairman’s Night at Plaza 88 on Thursday. -- Jason Kerr/Daily Herald

The Prince Albert Chamber of Commerce incoming chair wants to see the business community start tooting its own horn

The chamber formally introduced incoming chair Ian Litzenberger, who takes over from Meghan Mayer, at the 2018 Chairman’s Night on Thursday. Litzenberger said there are already plenty of good things going on in Prince Albert. Local businesses and community groups just need some encouragement to start promoting them.

“We live in a great community … and we get caught in our bubble and we forget those basic things, of just how great this community is,” he said following Thursday’s event at Plaza 88. “Where I see the chamber fitting in is obviously the business advocacy and networking and events, but also just being able to showcase the community.”

For Litzenberger that showcase doesn’t just include marquee events or laws that promote development. It also includes Prince Albert’s location. He occasionally hears university friends from larger cities speak enviously of being so close to so many outdoor recreation opportunities, and that’s just one of many areas local residents don’t need to be shy about promoting.

“We have a lot of things that other communities are jealous about,” he said. “We need to remember to share that.”

The ability to keep young people in the community one they graduate is another concern. With the University of Saskatchewan set to open a Prince Albert campus up in the Forestry Centre building on Central Avenue, Litzenberger said that will be a prime opportunity for the city to attract young citizens to stay in the area long-term.

The chamber’s efforts are just one piece of the puzzle, he explained, but it’s an important one and he’s optimistic those efforts will pay off. After all, it’s what kept him here in the first place.

“I’ve been here 12 years now and I love this city,” Litzenberger said. “I want to be a part of it, and that’s where the business community, I think, needs to go forward.”