History

Valley Chamber of Commerce

The Valley Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1960, has as its primary mandate the promotion of trade and business in addition to attracting others. The Chamber currently serves the municipalities of Grand Falls, Drummond, Rural Community of Saint-André and Saint-Léonard.

Over the years, the leaders of this organization have devoted countless volunteer hours to its smooth operation. They were also responsible for the creation of the Potato Festival, which celebrated its 58th edition in 2018. The Festival annually attracts thousands of visitors and participants to its various activities.

The members of the Chamber of Commerce include not only business leaders but also people who care about the economic development of the region.

The first president of the Chamber of Commerce, Everard H. Daigle, saw a grandiose project come true during his tenure, namely the development of the falls and the gorge. Since then, this tourist attraction has welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world. In 1960, in addition to Mr. Daigle, the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce also had Rodolphe Gervais, Héliodore Côté and John Hughes.

"When we decided to launch the Potato Festival, everyone was on board," said Héliodore Côté, who served on the Festival committee for 25 years.

"Several members of the Chamber of Commerce have also gone abroad to attract businesses here, and we all complemented each other," he added.

"With regard to the development of the falls and the gorge, several meetings were held with the various levels of government to carry out this project," he noted.

Over the years, the number of people involved in the board of directors continued to grow.

"The Chamber of Commerce has a role to play with the various issues of interest to the communities it has represented since its founding, and I have fond memories of my years with the Chamber of Commerce and the people I have worked with," said Mr. Côté.

Grand Falls Chamber of Commerce president Éverard H. Daigle hosted a group of government officials who visited the falls and gorge site in 1963 prior to its development into a major tourist attraction.

Marlene Hughes is crowned Miss Grand Falls in one of the earlier editions of the pageant held during the Potato Festival.

Héliodore Côté, extreme left, devoted 25 years as a member of the Potato Festival's pageant organizing committee.

The town of Grand Falls and surrounding communities developed throughout the years and the Chamber of Commerce played a pivotal role in attracting businesses.

One of the most popular activities held in the first Potato Festivals was the potato picking contest.

The parade on Broadway Boulevard attracts hundreds of people each year.

Various groups take part in the Potato Festival's parade.

The Bank of Montreal's float in the Potato Festival parade celebrated 50 years of service in Grand Falls.