The Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce (DDCC) has recently restructured its World’s Largest Dinosaur (WLD) Legacy Fund. While the fund will continue to collect 15% of WLD admissions and giftshop sales on a monthly basis, the focus of the fund has shifted. A portion of the Legacy Funds will now be used to support economic development initiatives in partnership with the Town of Drumheller. Remaining funds will be set aside for the continued maintenance of the World’s Largest Dinosaur and to investigate options for WLD 2.0.

For 2019, the Chamber of Commerce will invest up to $22,000 of Legacy Funds to collaborate with the Town of Drumheller on various economic development opportunities that both partners view as mutually beneficial to the business community and the Town. The first project being the blade signage program. Through the Legacy Fund, the DDCC will cover half of the cost of the structural engineering fees associated with mounting the blade signs. As well, the Chamber of Commerce will cover the Town’s development permit fee for any Chamber member wishing to install a blade sign. Together the Town and Chamber of Commerce were able to secure preferential pricing on the blade signs through Garry’s Welding by agreeing to purchase 10 signs upfront.

DDCC President, Jeff Hall states “The Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner with the Town of Drumheller on economic development initiatives for the advancement of our community. By directing a significant portion of our Legacy Funds to these types of activities, we feel that as a Chamber we can have a much larger impact on our business community.”

Since its inception in 2005, the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce through the WLD Legacy Fund has invested $617,000 into the Drumheller region. Of the total, $367,000 was dispersed to 35 non-profit organizations, including the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site, East Coulee School Museum, Drumheller Minor Soccer, Kaleidoscope Theatre, Rosebud Theatre and Drumheller Off Road Vehicle Association to name a few, for a variety of capital projects. The remaining $250,000 was donated to the Town of Drumheller for the construction of the Badlands Community Facility.

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For more information, please contact:

Heather Bitz, Executive Director
Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce
403-823-8100
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The Drumheller DinoArts Association was pleased to have 3 new dinosaur statues installed in downtown Drumheller on July 10, 2019. The addition of these dinosaurs brings the collection back up to 32, as two dinosaurs were damaged beyond repair near the end of August 2018 and two other dinosaurs were deemed irreparable due to simple deterioration in the spring of 2019. 

After hearing about the damage to two dinosaurs last fall, local business Dinosaur Valley Studios reached out to the DinoArts Association to discuss options to build new structures. The two organizations began working on designs and determining the locations, and in October DinoArts held an "Ultimate Pieing Championship" fundraiser to help fund the project. Paint was donated by Westview Co-op through their Communities in Full Color program, and volunteers from the Royal Tyrrell Museum assisted DinoArts members in painting the dinosaurs.

Finally, the Town of Drumheller Public Works staff were a great help in preparing the sites for the structures, delivering and installing them. DinoArts enjoyed working with many local organizations on this project, and the Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to provide both financial and administrative support to DinoArts. 

On June 17 a new mural purchased by DinoArts was installed on the exterior of Aagaard's Upholstery, to replace the current one that had been deterioating for a number of years. Typically the DinoArts Association completes one dinosaur-focused project per year, so 2019 has already been a busy one for this local group. Visit dinoarts.ca for the DinoArts dinosaurs map and more information on our Ultimate Pieing Championship fundraiser.

The "Jurassic Classic" Chamber Golf Tournament is an excellent networking opportunity on an amazing course! 2019 Tournament Theme: The Wild Wild West.

Friday, August 16 at the Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club.

8:30am: Registration & breakfast.
10:00am: Shotgun start. Best ball, Texas scramble- all skill levels welcome.
Dinner and prizes to follow.

Proceeds from this event help support our Business Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Program.

Find out more

The Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce a new offer- group travel to Egypt and Dubai in March 2020! 

‘Marvellous Egypt & Dubai’ begins in Cairo where you can visit the Pyramids at Giza and will have the opportunity to visit the incredible Egyptian Museum and much more. Then you will continue to the ancient city of Luxor, where you embark on a relaxing four-night cruise up the Nile. You will have plenty of time to explore the stunning Valley of the Kings and the Temples on the East Bank, including Karnak and Luxor Temples. During the cruise, you can enjoy several shore excursions to see some fascinating historical sites. In Aswan, you will discover the High Dam and Temple of Philae. After visiting the best of Egypt, you will continue your adventures in Cosmopolitan and amazing City of Dubai. Discover the major Traditional & Modern Landmarks of this city during a half a day guided city tour and use your free time to enjoy diverse and exciting optional tours, activities, shopping and Nightlife that Dubai has to offer.

Trip departs on March 16, 2020 from the Calgary Airport. 10 nights. Hold your booking today with a deposit and pay the balance in 7 installments of $300 per month or until 90 days before departure!  Find out more here.

The Celebration of Excellence is a fantastic evening where we honor the amazing businesses, groups and youth in our community. Awards are presented by the Drumheller Rotary, Drumheller and District Chamber of Commerce, Travel Drumheller and the Town of Drumheller and FCSS.

The semi-formal evening will feature cocktails and dinner followed by the awards presentation. All members of the community are welcome to attend.

Tickets are $45 each and are available at SJ Fashions, Centre Street Insurance, the Chamber of Commerce and Town Hall. *Seating is assigned only for sponsors, dignitaries, and those that purchase a full table (8 tickets).

Schedule:
5:00pm ~ Cocktails 6:00pm~ Dinner and Awards

We hope to see you there! See the press release announcing the finalists.

A total of 14 awards will be handed out:
Rotary Awards: Most Courteous Employee, Citizen of the Year, and Male and Female Athlete of the Year
Town of Drumheller Badlands Scholarship, Drumheller FCSS Youth Leaders of Tomorrow: one award for students in grades 7-9 and one for students in grades 10-12.;
Chamber Awards (aka the Business Excellence Awards)- Small and Large Business of the Year, Most Promising New Business, Arts, Culture and Community Award, Diversity Leadership Award, and Business Professional of the Year Award
Travel Drumheller- Tourism Excellence Award