Chamber divided over dismissal

Mike Simmons - Salmon Arm Observer Published: February 17, 2009

The administrator of Salmon Arm's Visitor Centre has been let go – but the cause has not been revealed.Visitor Centre administrator Ingrid Kirchin was dismissed Feb. 4. Kirchin told the Observer her lawyer has made a submission to the chamber, and she was advised not to comment. Chamber of Commerce general manager Corryn Grayston said she is not at liberty to say anything about the matter. Chamber president Dave Andrews said he is not prepared to comment, adding that personnel is an internal matter, and the chamber is going to keep it internal. "We've spoken to our funders, and we've satisfied them, and I think we're just going to leave it at that."

In the 2009 budget, the City of Salmon Arm set aside $82,765 for a contract with the Chamber of Commerce to run the Visitor Centre, and an additional $10,740 to cover the sublease of the Old Courthouse building. Rene Vanderkraats, owner of Inn at the Ninth Hole and member of the chamber board, told the Observer he thinks there was no reason to fire Kirchin because she was doing her job well. He added Kirchin was not fired by the entire board of the chamber, and he does not agree with the decision. Vanderkraats said communication from the board to the members of the chamber should be improved. He said there is no report from board meetings and he thinks members should be the first ones notified of any of the organization's activities.

Vanderkraats also said he thinks there should be another method of acquiring new chamber board members. He pointed out that currently, new members are invited by the existing board. "The chamber is not a social group, it's something that should be there to promote Salmon Arm, to support the businesses." He said his term on the chamber board is over in two months and although he would like to continue, he won't under current circumstances. Kirchin's dismissal came shortly before a Feb. 9 announcement of increased provincial funding to visitor centres around B.C. The provincial government and Tourism B.C. put together $400,000 to give the 109 visitor centres around the province a financial boost. President and CEO of Tourism BC Rod Harris said visitor centres are essential to ensuring positive tourism experiences for people travelling in B.C. "Our research also shows that these centres can help extend travellers' visits and also increase their spending by providing useful trustworthy counselling." President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce John Winter commented that visitor centres encourage travellers to stay longer and to come back again. "This additional funding is an important part of supporting a key aspect of business that is instrumental in fuelling the tourism industry."