CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce hosted their membership breakfast meeting on Thursday at the Best Western University Inn.

They recognized outstanding board members who have “significantly supported the work of the county chamber,” chamber officials said in an email. The meeting additionally set the organization’s goals for 2018, welcomed the new board and reviewed the 2018 budget.

Rita Ostrander, owner of Ostrander Bed and Breakfast in Canton, was honored with the Chamber Appreciation Award, presented to “an individual or organization that has gone above and beyond to ensure the well being of the Chamber, its mission and members. Rita brings new ideas and information to the attention of staff and the board and has a genuine interest in the well being of the Chamber as an organization, and its members,” the chamber said.

Jack Backus of Mort Backus and Sons in Ogdensburg was honored with the Chamber of Commerce Day Award, presented to a board member who “shows a special interest in the well being of the Chamber and St. Lawrence County as a place to live, work and play. Jack is always interested in sitting down with staff to brainstorm new ideas, emphasizing the great assets and potential he sees in this county,” the chamber said.

Attendees learned about a few priority items the chamber will be focusing on throughout 2018. Beginning with the launch of an interactive trails website for the county. A River Valley Redevelopment Agency grant funded project working with partners from across the county to collect existing and new GIS data to be part of the site.

“The goal is to have a soft launch at the Annual Tourism Awards Dinner in June,” the chamber said.

A new event, a Kids Expo, will take place Saturday, June 9 at SUNY Potsdam.

“There are a lot of members who cater to families, and there are a lot of families who are always looking for things to do with their kids. This event will be an interactive day of play with exhibits, demonstrations and play spaces - as well as being a resource fair so that people know about what is available for families, from health care to campgrounds, child care to party planning. Exhibitors will be highlighted from across the north country and attract attendees from just as far,” the chamber said.

“Workforce development continues to be a pillar of the chamber. Several partners are looking at the possibility of developing more training for our workforce, ranging from: niche programs, such as Quickbooks training, to certificate courses that will enable our current workforce to rise up in their own companies, run better businesses and stay in the County,” the chamber said in a news release. “The county chamber is also strongly pursuing conference tourism for the county, having identified that there is opportunity to host conferences between 100-200 people in our existing facilities, with dynamic excursions and affordable meeting experiences. The Chamber is creating marketing materials for meeting planners and recruiting for these opportunities. Conferences expose people, ideally during slower times for lodging partners, to our area, and requires resources: food, entertainment, transportation, that can boost business and tax base.”

The meeting ended with a presentation of the 2018 budget, which “illustrated a move towards a stable financial organization, equipped to continue the important work of business and economic development, tourism marketing and promotion across the county,” the chamber said.