Chamber steps back in time with Gazette found at thrift store from 1989

The chamber took a trip down the memory lane when a volunteer from a local thrift store presented them with a Chamber Gazette from 1989.

Hospice Society Thrift Store volunteer Ena D’Ambrumenil found a Chamber Gazette from 1989 in a book donated to the thrift store, and she thought it would be nice to get it back to the Chamber of Commerce Serving Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

Mark Vosper, the chamber’s new executive director, was thrilled with the history lesson.

“Interestingly, this edition is advertising the chamber’s 79th annual dinner and dance that incorporates a businessperson of the year award, and was held at the Meadow Gardens Golf Club. As you know, we are also currently advertising our 18th annual Business Excellence Awards gala for March 5, this event will also be held at the Meadow Gardens Golf Club,” said Vosper.

READ MORE: Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Chamber of Commerce planning in-person awards gala

“This year is the chamber’s 18th annual Business Excellence Awards so we presume the earlier annual dinner and dance was modified around nineteen years ago into the current event.”

While Vosper wasn’t sure when the Chamber Gazette stopped being printed, the chamber embraced technology and shifted to a weekly newsletter by email in the past few years.

He noted that on the third page in the “Special Thanks” section of the Gazette, past president Al Hogarth has been named as one of the models in the fashion show at the event and several other familiar names show up on the list of directors for that year as well.

Vosper said that Hogarth remembered the annual dinner and dance as being very popular and that he wanted to see the dance come back to complement the current awards gala. A wish that has been granted, confirmed Vosper.

This year’s awards gala will have a live band and dancing.

The event will place from 5 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Meadow Garden Golf Club, 19675 Meadow Gardens Way, Pitt Meadows. Tickets are $115 for members, $130 for non-members, and $900 for a table of eight.

The registration deadline is 8 a.m. on Tuesday, March 1.

For more information, people can call 604-457-4599 or email events@ridgemeadowschamber.com.

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