Want a visit from a member of our Chamber Team? Learn about them here.
We have a dream team of summer staff at the Muskoka Lakes Chamber focused on meeting and highlighting our Members, helping drive visitors to your doors, and being there to serve the needs of your business.
Meet Emily Bissonnette, our all-things Muskoka Lakes Tourism Ambassador
Proud Muskokan Emily Bissonette is our Tourism Ambassador for Summer 2023. She greets visitors and helps them learn more about all the great things to see and do here, including introducing them to our Chamber businesses.
Emily Bissonette, our Muskoka Lakes ambassador, from Rosseau
Emily joined the Chamber to share her passion about Muskoka and to learn more about the various businesses in Muskoka Lakes. She’s enjoying meeting residents, visitors and chamber Members. Born in Bracebridge and raised in Port Carling and Rosseau, Emily is a fourth-year student at Toronto Metropolitan University studying English literature. Her goal is to become a teacher. Some of you may remember Emily as a figure skater with the Bala, Port Carling, and Bracebridge Figure Skating Clubs. She skated individually and synchronized, as well as taught in the CanSkate program. In her free time, Emily enjoys hiking, reading, skating (so long as there is ice), studying Italian, and trying new foods and restaurants. She’s happy to be working in Muskoka Lakes this summer. The Chamber is thankful for a Canada Summer Jobs grant that helps offset some of Emily’s wages, making it possible for us to staff up in summer.
Meet Melanie, marketing you, our Members, this summer
Melanie in Muskoka Lakes: our summer co-op student from University of Guelph
Mel Haslam has joined us as the part-time Marketing and Communications Specialist for the Chamber, and she’s already dived into her work, which is mainly to produce features on Chamber Members. Going into her 3rd year at University of Guelph in the Bachelors of Commerce program, Mel is majoring in Marketing Management and minoring in Real Estate.
As the summer unfolds, Mel is excited to connect with the Chamber’s Members, build strong relationships, and develop marketing strategies that will drive growth and success for both the Chamber and the businesses we serve. Mel joins us under a co-op arrangement and her wages are partially offset by the Student Work Workplace Program.
Meet Britney: she’s got your back
From the Port Carling Visitor Info Centre to being our summer rock in our Chamber office, Britney has served Members for 5 years
We’re so lucky at the Chamber to welcome some students back year after year. Britney Hammell of Port Sandfield has just graduated from the University of Ottawa studying Honours Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Health Science. She has already been published in her field – quite the feat. Britney has been with us for five years and her role is to manage and coach our summer students on all things Muskoka Lakes. Fully bilingual, she also manages the Chamber office when Jen and Norah are out with Members and helps guide our French speaking visitors to local attractions. Next stop for Britney is Laurentian University studying Master of Arts in Psychology – Clinical Stream. Her Master’s studies will keep her busy all year round so this may be the last year for Britney at the Chamber. Some of Britney’s achievements while at the Chamber include launching the Rapid Test Program in May 2021 that has helped so many businesses and helping the Chamber advocate for improvements in Port Sandfield. The Chamber thanks the Ontario Summer Experience Program for a subsidy to offset some of the wages paid to Britney.
Meet Your Dedicated Member Care Specialist, Jen French
Member Care Specialist Jen French is a business owner herself of Bala Boutique
Jen French is the Member Care Specialist for your Chamber. As well as serving Chamber Members, Jen is her own entrepreneur with her business, Bala Boutique. While she’s part-time in our office, she’s still quick to respond to your questions about your Membership or about becoming a Member of the Chamber. Jen also volunteers for CanWISP, the Canadian Association of Wireless Internet Service Providers so she can help answer questions about Internet availability in Muskoka Lakes.
A mother to possibly the cutest baby girl in Bala (ok, we’re biased), she’s also volunteered to be the Parade Marshall for the Bala Santa Claus Parade. Contact Jen for your Member needs and to volunteer for the parade.
Finally, our often funny and always fearless leader
July 2023 marks Norah Fountain’s seventh year as the Executive Director of our Chamber. No stranger to the Chamber world, Norah had served on our Chamber’s Board, managed a broadband project for Muskoka Lakes-Wahta on behalf of the Chamber and Township, and produced campaigns for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. She also managed the Chamber Executives of Ontario professional
Norah Fountain at the 2023 Annual Chamber Meeting. Photo: Scott Turnbull
development association through 2022. A veteran marketing and corporate communications consultant across many sectors, Norah started her career as a broadcast journalist with radio stations in Toronto. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Studies from Nipissing University and a three-year diploma from the Humber College School of Media and Technology (Journalism). Norah has been a four-time marketing award winner, along with awards of excellence in investigative journalism and a Township of Muskoka Lakes volunteer award. She loves helping business thrive in Muskoka.
