March 3, 2026
Dear Chamber members:
In the blink of an eye, a full year has passed since I took on this role. It feels fitting to pause and take a breath and reflect on what the past 365 days have brought us.
As the saying goes, March came in like a lion – which certainly rang true as my very first day in 2025 as our Port City was identified as the most tariff-vulnerable in Canada. There was no gradual start and felt like beginning a marathon at full tilt.
Having spent more than two decades as an entrepreneur in Saint John and navigating my own market shifts, payroll pressures, and economic uncertainty, I felt the weight of that headline not just as a Chamber CEO, but as a previous business owner.
The learning curve has been steep and continues to filled with both challenges and meaningful wins. Trade volatility, infrastructure advocacy, and working alongside government partners to ensure our region’s voice is heard has required focus, collaboration, and resilience.
Over the past year, our community has navigated global trade uncertainty, renewed tariff pressures with the United States, infrastructure conversations critical to our long-term competitiveness, workforce shortages, and significant policy discussions at every level of government. These issues are not abstract. They affect payroll, expansion plans, supply chains, and family decisions.
But beyond navigating challenges, we knew that we need to take action, not just words.
When tariff pressures escalated, we convened emergency roundtables with impacted sectors to gather real-time data and bring forward specific, solution-based asks to provincial and federal leaders. We advanced clear recommendations in both our provincial and federal budget submissions, advocating for strategic infrastructure investment tied to port growth, workforce and immigration alignment, tariff mitigation measures, and productivity supports for local businesses. We requested action from our leaders on behalf of the community to address issues that affect us everyday, such as homelessness, security, transportation and economic development.
One of our main focusses in 2025 was to strengthen direct engagement with leadership on planning and infrastructure priorities. We increased advocacy meetings with provincial ministers and federal representatives to ensure Saint John’s business community was not just reacting informing but more importantly helping to shape conversations. We amplified shop local initiatives, created space for businesses to collaborate during uncertainty, and leaned into our Atlantic and national networks.
At the same time, the Chamber’s voice became more visible publicly.
Throughout the year, I had the opportunity to represent our members in local and regional media interviews, offering commentary on tariffs, trade diversification, infrastructure priorities, and economic resilience. Those media conversations were never about one person , they were about ensuring that when the Saint John region’s business community needed a voice, there was one at the table and on the record. Whether responding to breaking trade news or speaking to long-term regional competitiveness, our goal has been clear: steady, solutions-driven leadership.
And something powerful happened alongside the policy and media work. Our network grew stronger. I believe we all felt it in the room at the Outstanding Business Awards, where pride in our local companies was palpable. At the Premier’s Breakfast, the Golf Tournament, the State of the Region, State of Health Care and fireside chats with community leaders. I felt it in the conversations with business owners who simply wanted to share what they were building or what was keeping them up at night.
Your Chamber is not a building or a podium. It is a living network of community members who show up for one another.
Internally, this was also a year of alignment and growth. We launched our 2025 to 2028 Strategic Plan built around celebrating business, championing business needs, and creating community. We clarified governance roles, strengthened board engagement, and focused on ensuring that everything we do ties back to member value and long-term sustainability. We modernized internal systems and strengthened our operational foundation to better serve you in the years ahead.
Our team embraced change with professionalism and commitment. Their institutional knowledge, relationships, and adaptability have been invaluable. No CEO operates alone, and I am fortunate to work alongside people who care deeply about this organization and the members we serve.
Our Board leaned into thoughtful governance and strategic discussion, recognizing that we are not simply managing an organization but are stewarding an institution that has served this region for over 200 years.
Coming from being a member, to serving on the Board, to now leading the Chamber truly feels like a full-circle moment. It is a responsibility I carry with gratitude and deep respect.
Thank you for your engagement, your sponsorship, your participation, your calls, your emails, and your belief in this Chamber.
Thank you for trusting me in this role.
Sincerely,
Shannon Merrifield
Chief Executive Officer Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce
