About 100 people attended the fifth mayor’s breakfast hosted at the Sportscomplex here by Mayor Ray Tout and the township’s economic development department.
The theme of the Nov. 1 breakfast was the retail sector and allowed business people to network among themselves. Guest speakers for the breakfast were Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece, Duane Duck, general manager of Blackburn Radio and Dee Dee Eurig who spoke briefly about her role as a community animator with the Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce.
Tout pointed out that the township has enjoyed “relatively low unemployment,” but more has to be done to retain and attract young people, “so we can move forward.” He also said a program that offers grants to business owners to improve the facades of their buildings is also growing in popularity.
“It’s a win-win for all,” Tout said of the partnerships formed to move township development ahead. “Will we rise to the challenge, you bet your boots we will.”
Pettapiece took the opportunity to criticize the ruling Liberals for their handling of the slots at raceway program that provided about $340 million to sustain the horse race industry. The government ended the program and turned it over to a transition team to study. The government’s handling of the issue, Pettapiece said, has resulted in the loss revenue for the industry and some 9,000 jobs. The Liberal government recently announced transition funding of about $80 million over the next five years to allow the industry to adjust.
The issue was brought out without consultation from the industry.
“They should have gone to the racing industry to say there were some problems,” Pettapiece said.
Duck told those attending the breakfast about his radio stations – 101.7 The One and 94.5 The Bull and how the stations operate in three counties. Duck said the stations serve an area of about 300,000 people.
Township economic business manager Dale Small said the planned community radio station, expected to be on the air by mid-summer next year, will work with Duck’s stations as well as community Newspapers to promote the area.
Eurig has been hired by the Chamber as a community animator through a three-year Trillium Foundation grant.
The focus of her position is to assist volunteers working in the community and an newcomers wanting to volunteer in the Mount Forest area.
“I’m basically acting as a support for non-profit organizations, service clubs anyone who utilizes volunteers,” she told the Advertiser after the breakfast.
“What does Community Animator mean? In latin , it means “breathe life into something” or “make more lively, move to action,” she said at the breakfast. “The Mount Forest Chamber of Commerce wanted to do just that, move to action. They wanted to expand and strengthen existing community services and volunteer resources within Mount Forest and the surrounding rural area.”
“Volunteering in our small rural town, is a way of life! We embrace and empower it. And we have the ability to inspire others to do the same,” she added.
“You will now have one place where you can go to for support, to access resources in assisting of your recruitment of volunteers, the chance to attend workshops and seminars for funding opportunities, for guidance in the direction in board development, structures, guidelines, for volunteer orientation, training and development and sharing knowledge. The opportunity to access the most relevant and innovative resources in volunteer management today!”
“Once constructed, our volunteer Mount Forest website will grant you access to obtain resources in complete volunteer management, training, recruiting and orientation. Our database will consist of any organization that utilizes volunteers: non-profit, charitable, schools, churches, special interest groups, mature groups and youth groups, Sports, health care, agriculture. We can advocate for the power of volunteers and for the leaders, like you, who unleash it,” she said.
“We have the opportunity to bring the community together in unity, to build lifetime relationships and cultivate our way of life! Spring 2014 we will do just that! You can strengthen your community connections by participating in our ‘Spring into the community ‘event,” Eurig added.
The event is tentatively set for the end of May.
