By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Caledon Chamber of Commerce's recent 2024-2025 annual general meeting introduced several exciting initiatives, including some new and improved, and some fresh out of the gate.

Currently running is their Summer Caledine event through July 20.

Marion Upshall, President of the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, shared that following the overwhelmingly positive response to the inaugural Winter CaleDine in February, they envision this event becoming a staple to celebrate and support Caledon's Food and Beverage community members.

Community members can begin the countdown for both the Valleywood Block Party and Midnight Madness, where the Chamber of Commerce will be running Chamber Lane.

For those who have attended Midnight Madness in the past, you may recognize Chamber Lane from previous years.

Chamber Lane is a dedicated space where service-based members can showcase their businesses and connect with the community. 

However, new this year, the Chamber is also bringing it to the Valleywood Block Party.

“We're collaborating with the organizers of the Valleywood Block Party to introduce Chamber Lane, bringing the same energy and opportunity for local exposure to such a great community event,” said Upshall.

The 2024 Fall Business Summit, hosted by the Caledon Chamber of Commerce, received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

To strengthen their upcoming Fall 2025 Summit, they said one area they will be focusing on is trending topics.

“Trending topics are key to a successful business summit, delivering trending, relevant topics that matter most to our business community,” said Upshall.

They are also excited to announce that, due to strong interest, they will be bringing back the Business Excellence Awards for this Fall's Summit.

The Caledon Chamber of Commerce plans to expand services and programs to meet the diverse needs of members in the upcoming year.

Part of this will include hosting industry-specific roundtables this Fall to better understand the unique needs and challenges of members.

Upshall said the feedback gathered from these will help shape and expand services and programs for 2026, ensuring they're relevant, targeted and impactful for the diverse business community.

They also shared they are in the final stages of reshaping their Scholarship Fund for the 2025-2026 year through an exciting Shark Tank style initiative.

“This dynamic approach will actively engage students and local business owners, making the experience both meaningful and fun,” shared Upshall.

From seasonal events to program development, the Chamber's upcoming year features a diverse range of initiatives aimed at supporting its broad membership base.