Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter

Over 90 individuals attended the annual general assembly for the Association des Gens d’Affaires d’Ormstown et des Environs (AGAO+), which took place on April 1 at the Centre Agri-Culture in Ormstown.

The organization elected new directors and created a new position on the board dedicated to member relations, which will be filled by an AGAO+ founding member, Suzanne Hutchinson. The association expects to reach over 90 members this year and will continue to strengthen ties within the business community through networking and training workshops and activities. AGAO+ president Philippe Besombes says another objective for this year is to develop a major annual event for the association.

The administrative exercise was followed by a presentation by Sébastien Maisonneuve, general manager of the Caisse Desjardins du Haut-Saint-Laurent, who spoke about the bank’s services for small- and medium-sized businesses and organizations in light of current economic uncertainty.

The presentation included a brief address by Mitchell Leahy, the vice-president of Les Vergers Leahy, who spoke about the direct and indirect impacts of the economic conditions imposed by the U.S. administration, as well as counter-tariffs put in place by the Canadian government in retaliation, and the role of financial institutions in helping businesses to keep going in difficult times.

AGAO+ president Philippe Besombes then took the opportunity to announce that the association has signed a two-year partnership with the local Caisse Desjardins. The financial agreement will see Desjardins invest $7,500 per year for a total of $15,000 to help fund the organization’s activities which support the local business community. The funds will be used to offer resources, training, conferences, and networking activities for AGAO+ members.

“We are convinced that this collaboration will be beneficial not only for our respective members, but also for the community as a whole. Together, we will create opportunities and synergies that will contribute to a better future for the Haut-Saint-Laurent,” said Besombes and Maisonneuve in a joint statement following the event.