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A voice for businesses in Truro and the rest of Colchester County, the Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce has operated since the late 19th century. Having started as a volunteer-run organisation formed by a small group of business owners, the Chamber has grown into the second-largest organisation of its kind in Nova Scotia. Now with a small team of employees guided by a Board of Directors, the Chamber continues to advocate for economic growth within its local business community.
Forming the Board
George A. Hall is credited with leading the formation of this Chamber of Commerce. A lifelong Truro resident, he started his professional career in the mercantile industry. He later became the managing director of the area’s local newspaper before starting his own business.
As Hall’s ties to the community strengthened, he became particularly interested in bringing growth and economic prosperity to the region. Over time, he brought needed services to the area, like opening the TAAC Grounds in 1877, a local athletic facility. In 1890, he collaborated with 36 other entrepreneurs and formed the Chamber, originally called the Truro Board of Trade.
Growth and progress
The Truro Board of Trade acted as a collective voice for the business community within the region; it was initially a volunteer-run organisation led by its secretary. Throughout its 13 decades in operation, it spearheaded many projects that had a lasting impact.
Throughout the 1950s, the Chamber focused on building tourism in the area, operating the town’s first Tourism Bureau. It created tourism guides for Truro, installed the first public telephones and maintained Victoria Park. In 1954, the organisation established a Community Chest, now known as the United Way of Colchester County, to support local charities and social programs.
In 1962, the Chamber formed the Truro Area Industrial Commission to create Truro Industrial Park, which resulted in 1,000 new jobs in the community. And throughout the late 20th century, the Chamber established the Truro Development Corporation Limited (now Downtown Truro Partnership) to boost business activity in the town’s downtown, and ran tourism events like the annual Truro International Tulip Festival.
At the turn of the 21st century, the Chamber hired its first executive director, allowing the Board to focus on governance, while employees executed projects. In 2013, the organisation merged with the Tatamagouche Chamber and became the Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce.
Representing the region
Today, the Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce continues to focus on bringing tourism and economic development to the region. The organisation now has two employees, advised by a volunteer Board of Directors and has grown from 37 members in 1890 to over 500 members in 2025.
Regarding the Chamber’s efforts in supporting members, Lexie Jasiewicz, executive director, commented: “We listen to our members and find solutions that will fit them. Since we don’t receive external funding, it allows us to be adaptable and create necessary change to ensure businesses in our community can succeed.”
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