Page 19 - Demo

www.lbmao.on.ca LBMAO Reporter - January-February 2026 19 Our Annual General Meeting is an opportunity for retailers, suppliers, and the staff of the LBMAO to get together and discuss the past year and plan for the new year. The iconic Deerhurst Resort was the host venue of this year%u2019s AGM. While it was a bit snowier than most would have liked, it made for some beautiful scenery, and we were still able to accomplish our vision for the event. Everyone that attended took full advantage of the many activities that Deerhurst is known for. Many members ask what happens at the AGM and who is allowed to attend. We encourage members from all areas to join us at this important event. The main reason we host the Annual General Meeting is to bring our members up to date on the events happening at the LBMAO. We try to keep everyone informed of all the business that occurs during the year. This is the one time that all our members get to see what we are planning for the coming year, how the association did financially in the previous year and everyone has the opportunity to add their thoughts and insights as to what we should be working on in the future.All members are allowed and encouraged to attend the AGM because we find that the more people that are involved in the association, the bigger the benefits they will derive from their membership. Not only do active members know about the upcoming events, they can get a high degree of information and knowledge about the industry. The benefit of socializing and networking with some of the best and the brightest in our industry provides many returns for both suppliers and retailers alike. We had a number of first-time attendees to the AGM with us this year. The staff and the board of directors appreciate those attending for their first time as it brings new and fresh ideas to the conversation. The AGM is also the time where we elect the board of directors who help guide the direction of the association. We elected two new board members this year. We would like to welcome Ross Cassan from Kwik Mix and Mike VanWart from Alexandria Moulding to the board. They are replacing two board members who are retiring after many years of loyal service and hard work. We want to thank Pat Redmond and Claude Gallant for their service to the LBMAO over the past many years. We could not continue to function without the guidance and direction of our board. This year we had a number of families Continued on page 22...