ELORA – After four years, Maclean Hann has resigned as chair of the Elora BIA.
Hann said he’s happy with the work the BIA has done over his term and feels it is in good shape, making this the right time to step away from the volunteer role.
MACLEAN HANN
“It’s a lot more than just chairing a meeting,” he said in a phone interview.
“There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work, meeting with township staff, councillors and business owners.
“I’ve very much enjoyed the role but it’s time for me to focus on other things.”
Hann has five businesses in Elora – the Evelyn Restaurant, the Fromagerie Evelyn, the Evelyn Suites, Honeychurch Interiors, and Le Chien Chaud food truck – and he wants to focus on them, he said.
The primary issues facing downtown Elora are parking, garbage removal and tourism.
Tourism is great and necessary for businesses but it does make some residents angry at the congestion and inconvenience as more and more outsiders are discovering the town.
This year, Kat Florence Canada hosted a Christmas market on Francis Lane, just behind the Green Space parkette.
Kat Florence, a company owned by Kristy Hillis and Don Kogen, is famous for its upscale, designer jewelry.
But Hillis, who was born in Elora, returned here during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to purchase some historic buildings to preserve them.
Since then, the company has offered grants to downtown businesses to light up their shops for Christmas and this year it opened the Christmas market.
Hann said the Christmas market was a huge success and solidified Elora’s position as a year-round destination for out-of-towners.
“I think all the efforts of Kat Florence are very appreciated by the business community in general,” he said, acknowledging it’s tough to please everyone all the time.
“I’m most excited about the Christmas market and the money behind it. The BIA could never afford something like that. And it brought in a lot of traffic.
“I know the Evelyn was fully booked in December and that’s a great feeling for a business.”
Hann doesn’t know who will become the new chair of the Elora BIA, only that he will still be a member.
