BUSINESS RESOURCES

2026 Business & Citizenship Recipients Announced

President Dean Lovell and the Executive of the Stettler Regional Board of Trade & Community Development are pleased to announce the 2026 recipients of the Stettler Business & Citizenship Awards:

2026 Business Awards:

Eco-Excellence Award - The Consignment Closet

New Business of the Year - Boxes & Bowls

Business of the Year - Adcock Tree Service

Business Leader of the Year - Thrive 360

Customer Service Award - CrossFit Stettler

Community Impact Award - Hometown Productions and Media

Agricultural Impact Award - Stettler District 4H Clubs

2026 Male Citizen of the Year 

Darren Fleischhacker

 2026 Female Citizen of the Year

Cheryl Barros

 2026 Youth Citizens of the Year

Rylie and Nikolis Nims

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for the 2026 Stettler Business & Citizen Awards! Your support helps us recognize the outstanding individuals and businesses that make our community thrive.

Join Us to Celebrate the 2026 Winners!

The Stettler Awards Gala is a special evening dedicated to celebrating the businesses, organizations and individuals who make our community such a wonderful place to live, work and grow. Join us as we recognize and celebrate the 2026 award winners!

Tickets are $40 per person or $300 for a table of 8. Tickets can be purchased online or in person at our office.

Please note that no physical tickets will be issued. When you purchase your tickets, your name will simply be added to our guest check-in list—just check in when you arrive and we’ll take care of the rest!

We hope you can join us to celebrate! Click the link below for more details or to purchase tickets.

Stettler Fall Employment Fair a Success!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the Stettler Fall Employment Fair on September 17! With more than 30 booths featuring employers, resources and learning opportunities, job seekers had the opportunity to explore career options, connect with local organizations and discover their next steps.

We extend our appreciation to our partner, the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC), for their continued support. Thank you also to everyone who completed the job seeker survey. Your feedback helps inform the ACC’s labour market research and advocacy efforts, providing valuable insight into employment challenges, skills training and workforce development across Alberta.

Congratulations to Angela Sheppard, the lucky winner of our survey draw!



We hope everyone left with something valuable of their own, whether it was a new career opportunity, a connection with a local employer, knowledge of helpful resources, new skills or an expanded professional network.

A final thank you to everyone who helped with setup and teardown. It truly takes a team, and we appreciate all the helping hands that made this event a success!

Put Your Business in the Welcome Bag!

The busy tournament season is upon us, and our Welcome Bag program has been busy putting local businesses in the hands of visitors, newcomers and new business owners! With athletes, coaches, families and spectators coming to Stettler throughout the year, it’s a great opportunity to introduce them to the businesses, services and experiences that make our community special.

Through our Welcome Bag Program, local businesses can share coupons, special offers, samples, promotional items, brochures and more with a variety of audiences. From tournament participants and new residents to new business owners, conference attendees and tour groups, there are plenty of opportunities to get your business noticed.

It’s an easy and affordable way to build brand awareness, attract potential customers and encourage people to shop local.

Want to get your business in the bag? Check out the Welcome Bag Program to learn more about participation opportunities and how you can get involved!

Alberta's Future: A Business Snapshot

With Alberta's October 19 referendum approaching, questions about the province's future are front and centre. But what does that conversation actually mean for Alberta businesses?

Is uncertainty affecting confidence, investment, hiring or planning? Are other pressures weighing more heavily? And what could the outcome of the referendum mean for your business?

Your perspective will help provide a timely snapshot of how Alberta's business community is experiencing this moment. Sharing your insights will take approximately 5 minutes.

The survey is open September 28 to October 2, 2026 only.

Canadian Chamber and CCI France Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Business Ties - Canadian Chamber of Commerce

As part of deeper Canada-France relations at all levels, including our governments' collaboration today, we are proud to announce the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and CCI France are launching a strategic partnership to strengthen business relations and economic cooperation between Canada and France. We will be signing an MOU focused on this in the weeks to come.

October is Small Business Month!

October is Small Business Month, and it’s the perfect opportunity to recognize and celebrate the local businesses that make our community thrive!

From the products and services we rely on to the expertise, employment and community support they provide, our local businesses play an important role in making Stettler a great place to live, work and do business.

This month, we encourage everyone to support local! Challenge yourself to visit a business you haven’t explored before, leave a positive review, share a business’s social media post or simply tell someone about a great local experience. There are countless ways to show your support, and every little bit makes a difference.

Let’s celebrate our local business community not just in October, but every day of the year.

To all our local businesses, thank you for investing in our community, supporting our residents and helping make Stettler a great place to call home. We appreciate you!

Learning and Development Opportunities

Preparing Your Business for Financing

October 15 at 12:00p.m. - Free Webinar

Seeking financing can be an important step in starting or growing a business, but knowing what lenders are looking for—and how to prepare—can make the process feel much more manageable.

In this panel discussion, you’ll hear from lending professionals about what entrepreneurs should have in place before approaching a lender. The conversation will explore how to determine how much funding you actually need, how to clearly explain what the money will be used for, and the role your business plan, financial projections, and other supporting information can play in a financing request.

Panelists will share their perspectives on what they typically look for when reviewing an application, common factors that can strengthen or weaken a request, and some of the questions entrepreneurs should be prepared to answer. You’ll also hear how lending criteria and financing options can differ between organizations, helping you better understand where your business may fit.

Whether you’re preparing to seek financing now or simply want to understand the process for the future, this session will help you approach conversations with lenders with greater clarity and confidence.

What We’ll Explore

• How to determine how much financing you need and what it will be used for
• What lenders generally look for when reviewing a financing request
• The role of business plans, financial projections, and supporting documents
• Common factors that can strengthen or weaken an application
• How lending approaches and requirements can differ between organizations
• How to better prepare for conversations with potential lenders

BDC Small Business Week: Opportunities to Learn & Grow - October 19–25, 2026

Small businesses are the heart of our community, and BDC Small Business Week offers local entrepreneurs and business owners an opportunity to learn, explore new ideas and discover ways to grow.

This year, BDC is offering three webinars to help businesses take action, with topics covering:

• Growing your business through major infrastructure projects and defence.
• Demystifying AI investments and discovering tangible benefits.
• Exploring business acquisition as a growth strategy.

Whether you're looking to expand your business, explore new technologies or consider your next growth opportunity, these free online webinars offer valuable insights you can access from the comfort of your home or office.

Take advantage of Small Business Week and invest in your business's future!

Community

Grain Elevator Museum has it all at the Fall Supper

On Saturday, October 3, from 4:00 to 7:00, our traditional Fall Supper and fundraiser returns. There will be Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Corn on the Cob, Salads, and all the fixings, followed by a Fabulous Dessert! There will also be plenty of coffee and juice for everyone in the community to enjoy. Volunteers to help are welcome.

As well, we will have demonstrations (starting at 2:00) of some of the Stettler Grain Elevator’s antique equipment, such as the ‘Little Giant’ Threshing Demo, Antique Washing Machine Demo, Stone-Ground Flour Making, and Cookie Baking in a Wood-Burning Stove if the weather permits.

Be sure to check out our calendar through the link below to find out about more great events happening. If you have an event you would like added to our calendar please email to info@stettlerboardoftrade.com!

CALLING ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES!

Have a creative idea for a Christmas tree? We want YOU to be part of the Stettler Festival of Lights Christmas Tree Competition!

This is your chance to get creative, show off your business, and help support our local hospital fundraiser at the same time!

Here’s how it works:

We provide the tree! A porch-sized Christmas tree with lights will be delivered to your business in November.

You decorate it! Choose any theme, style or idea you want. Go traditional, go wild, make it funny, make it beautiful — make it yours!

One important rule: All decorations must be securely attached so nothing falls off during transport or display.

November 22: Decorated trees must be delivered to the Stettler Community Hall.

November 24–28: The trees will be on display during the Festival of Lights, where our community gets to vote for their favourite!

And then… the trees will be auctioned off throughout the week!

So grab your team, put your creative thinking caps on and let’s see what Stettler businesses can come up with!

Want to participate? Contact the Festival of Light Committee

Let’s fill the Community Hall with Christmas trees and raise some money for our hospital while we’re at it!

Passion to Purpose Event - October 23 - 25, 2026

Passion to Purpose LIVE is a transformational three-day experience created to help business owners step away from the daily demands of their businesses, reconnect with their bigger vision and gain clarity on what’s next. Together, we explore the beliefs, patterns and limitations that may be holding them back so they can move forward with greater confidence, purpose and direction.

As a business owner, it can be easy to become so focused on what needs to get done that you lose sight of why you started and what you truly want to create. Passion to Purpose LIVE provides the space, tools and support to think bigger and create meaningful growth in both business and life.

Exclusive Discount for Chamber Members:

Event dates: October 23–25, 2026 in Edmonton, AB

Exclusive discount: 25% off with coupon code Chamber25

Discount Ends: October 10, 2026

In Person and Virtual Ticket Options

Your Host & Speaker - Stacey Berger

Certified Life Coach · Master Teacher · Mindset Expert · Business Strategist

Stacey Berger teaches that transformation is an inside-out job. You can't outperform your self-image — and no amount of strategy, hustle, or willpower will carry you past the ceiling your beliefs have quietly built. For over a decade she has coached entrepreneurs to close that gap, and for 16 years before that, she built real-world corporate business experience that grounds every conversation she has in practical, bottom-line reality.

What makes Stacey rare is the combination. Lasting success, she believes, requires both spiritual and mindset mastery AND strategic action — not one or the other. She integrates the invisible side of success (identity, belief, self-image, spiritual alignment) with concrete business development so the inner work always translates to outer results. Her delivery is lovingly firm, story-driven, and grounded in everyday analogies that make complex shifts feel immediately accessible.

A couple weeks at school and the whole family already has the sniffles? With Teladoc’s Telemedicine service, you can stay home and virtually connect with a doctor for a diagnosis and even get a prescription sent to your nearest pharmacy.

It’s included in your Chambers Plan Health benefits at no extra cost. Learn more about Chambers Plan and the numerous benefits provided through the link below:

By having a Town of Stettler Business License you are already a member of the

Stettler Board of Trade!

 You are eligible to utilize benefits available through the Alberta Chambers of Commerce as well as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. 

Visit the link below to find out what benefits are available which include savings on everything from fuel to shipping fees, you can save with your

Board of Trade membership!

As a member of a local Chamber in Alberta, you also have exclusive access to the Canadian Chamber savings programs.