Downtown revitalization has been a major focus over the last several years here – and now those efforts are starting to bear fruit.
Minto’s Business and Economic Development Manager Belinda Wick-Graham said that development in 2010 is up.
“At the end of June total value of [building] permits was $7,264,000 compared to $4,588,000 at the same time in 2009.”
“We are very excited to be a part of the newly formed Wellington County municipal economic development croup. This committee is made up of staff members from the county, each of the lower tier seven municipalities, and the Waterloo Wellington Community Futures Development Corporation.”
She added that the committee is also supported with staff from OMAFRA and the Saugeen Economic Development Corporation, and, where needed, calls in other experts.”
Wick-Graham said, “Regional economic development is the way to go. By working together we have a stronger voice and more resources to bring industry to Wellington County and to retain the businesses that we currently have.”
She explained, “By working in this cooperative approach, all members realize that we are better off attracting a business into Wellington County even if it is not in our own municipality, than if the business chooses another county.
“When a new business located to the county or an existing business expands, tax dollars and jobs are created, which will benefit everyone in the county not just the municipality where the business chooses to locate.”
The committee, with the help of Taylor Analytics is currently working on a manufacturing inventory, with the hopes of creating a business inventory for all sectors.
Wick-Graham noted that downtown revitalization has been a major focus for Minto over the last several years.
In September 2009, the town received a $406,000 grant over three years for several projects related to the revitalization of its communities.
To date the municipality has partnered with various groups to accomplish several initiatives. One is façade and signage improvement grant program.
Wick-Graham said, “We are seeing a return on investment of $4 to $1. For every $1 the town has granted, private businesses are investing $4.”
Another is a buy local program.
“The Minto Chamber of Commerce has been the lead on this project and has created a number of information pieces to promote the benefits of buying local goods and services. The creation of the Minto Buck has also been well accepted and is helping to keep money in the community that would have otherwise gone outside of the community.”
A third initiative is Invest in Minto.
“Our downtown revitalization committee has just launched our new website, www.mintoed.com, which features valuable information on locating a business downtown and also into the industrial parks,” Wick-Graham said. “Investment attraction packages have also been created which our downtown ambassadors have been handing out to prospective businesses. This fall, our ambassador team will be conducting a business recruitment tour in search of businesses looking to expand.”
As well, from Oct. 19 to 21, Minto will host a provincial summit at Pike Lake Golf & Country Club, titled Rural Downtown Revitalization Summit … Inspiring and Motivating Change.
Wick-Graham added that numerous streetscape and public space projects have been taking place in each of Minto’s communities to help enhance the curb appeal and make the downtowns a place to stop and shop.
She said the Palmerston Lions Club, in partnership with the Town of Minto, has been working hard to redevelop the former railway property in downtown Palmerston into an active green space.
“We continue to promote our industrial land via Fast Facility [a program used to promote industrial land]. To date, we have had 1,847 views of our properties.
She added the town was successful in receiving funding through the Creative Communities Prosperity Fund to undertake a municipal cultural plan and mapping exercise.
“This project will get underway in September. This will build on our recent efforts in understanding the creative economy and our plans to attract creative/knowledge workers to our community.”
Minto completed its business retention and expansion project in November 2007.
Since then, the town has worked to implement those plans.
“The … project helped us to determine priority areas for economic development and all projects that have been undertaken since then have been action items resulting from the [business retention and expansion project]. A large number of the action items have been accomplished and therefore, we plan to conduct another [one] in 2011 and create a new plan.”
