When it comes to its strategic plan, the Centre Wellington Economic Development department did very well in 2009.
When Economic Development Officer Dave Rushton presented his report on the plan to a special council meeting on Nov. 16, Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj congratulated him on the display the township had at the Royal Winter Fair.
Rushton said there were a number of accomplishments.
Five groups promoting the area moved into one building this year in Elora. He said staff still communicate by calling up and down the stairs, and he hopes that can be solved with a phone system sometime soon.
The plan to replace industrial jobs with knowledge based jobs has been a success.
“It’s really taken a turn to knowledge based jobs and clean technology,” he said, adding that Centre Wellington has the most creative ideas of any municipality in southern Ontario. He said the brand new Old Quarry Commons building by Jim Keating Construction at the edge of Elora that officially opened on Nov. 26 is a terrific example. It will offer businesses a place to locate where jobs pay better than factory jobs. Rushton has noted in the past that Centre Wellington is an expensive place to live, and it needs high paying jobs .
He said such things as trails running though town and past back yards attract people. He would like to see more of that.
Sensational Elora, after two years, has been a success and is now on its own, able to operate without extra staff support.
People have complained for years about a shortage of directional signs in Fergus and Elora. Rushton said nine way-finding signs went up in Fergus and three more in Elora. There are three coming for Victoria Park.
He said the culinary tourism program was a great success with an increase in tourist traffic in an otherwise down market. One challenge was the township lost its coordinator with a third of the program to go.
As for budget restraints, Rushton reported the department sourced funding from outside the township budget to make up shortfalls. Some of the opportunities he cited from 2009 included a Ontario Municipal Infrastructure Fund grant from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture worth $98,500.
Sensational Elora got a grant from Service Ontario worth $53,000 for staff.
Conestogo College provided the department with a partially funded graphic designer.
Several summer students were paid using Human Resources Development Canada and Tourism Ontario funds.
There was a $25,000 grant to support staff and resources to bring the database up to date.
The Waterloo-Wellington Community Futures Development Corporation funding production of a program and helped pay $100,000 for the township’s sign program.
“Our tourism was up this year,” Rushton told the committee, adding that the department picked the right time to start special attractions to the area.
Councillor Fred Morris asked about the Doors Open Fergus program.
Rushton said it started two years ago to celebrate Fergus’ 175th anniversary and this year it expanded to include Elora. The result was that 4,000 visitors came because they could visit “places they can’t normally get to.” He cited the power plant at the Elora Mill Inn as one example.
“It’s a successful program and we’d like to see it returned,” he said.
Councillor Kirk McElwain said the department had great success this year.
He cited another accomplishment for marketing – the formation of the Fergus-Elora Retail Alliance, or FERA. It will do joint marketing of the two centres and it includes the local Chamber of Commerce and the two Business Improvement Areas.
McElwain said there will be a promotion that will allow one store to offer a winner a $50 gift certificate for another store in the area.
That program will start the first week of December and encourage people to shop locally.
