Erin Home Show cancelled for 2018

The East Wellington Chamber of Commerce (EWCC) is taking a break from staging the Erin Home Show this spring, but plans to bring it back with a renewed format in April 2019.

Notices of the cancellation went out to previous exhibitors on Feb. 22. EWCC took over the show from the town several years ago, and it has attracted good public attendance at Centre 2000.

EWCC Vice Chair Chris Bailey said the amount of volunteer time required to put on the show was one of the factors.

In addition, EWCC is going through a reorganization with several new board members, and they are taking time to plan how the group will operate, and how the Home Show will fit into that plan.

“We will be reaching out for input from businesses and the public,” he said.

Community improvement toolbox promoted

The Town of Erin should load up its Community Improvement Plan (CIP) with as many tools as possible, even if they are not to be used right away.

That was the advice of consultant Nancy Reid of the firm Stantec, at a community consultation workshop at Centre 2000 on Feb. 13.

“Build a toolbox you can implement over a 10-year period,” she said. “You can change the focus every year.”

The “tools” are primarily programs to channel public money to private firms through loans or grants, for physical projects that benefit the broader community.

The funding is intended to supplement private investment in the projects. Businesses will apply for assistance, which may be approved if they meet the town’s current criteria.

Possible programs include improvements to business façades, signage, landscaping, accessibility and energy efficiency.

They could include creation of new housing units, heritage conservation projects, building expansions or conversions, remediation of former industrial land, deferral of tax increases on improved property, improved parking, development of local attractions in areas such as the arts, local food or the equine sector, or making key areas more walkable.

“The CIP should help revitalize the town and stimulate investment,” Reid told town council recently.

She also recommends that the whole town be included. Even if downtown retail stores, for example, were to be the recipients of the initial effort, she said the town should keep the option of targeting industrial or agricultural areas in the future.

Input at the recent workshop will be reflected in the draft plan, to be ready in March. There will be a public meeting before council votes on its adoption.

CIP funding allocated by the Town of Erin ($20,000 in 2018) is expected to be supplemented by Wellington County’s Invest Well Community Improvement Plan.

The Economic Development Department says it will “allow the County to provide tax assistance, grants or loans to assist in the rehabilitation of lands and buildings.”

The amount of county funding has not been set, but it will be targeted based on the Economic Development Strategy, Business Retention and Expansion findings, the Taste Real program and the Investment Attraction Strategy.

Countywide priorities may include support for downtowns, affordable/high density housing, diversification of economic activity and employment land development.

Community Improvement Plan takes shape

An open house on Feb. 13 will present the public with various options for the Town of Erin Community Improvement Plan (CIP), expected to launch this spring.

Town council has endorsed the general idea of the program, which will provide grants or loans to local businesses to help pay eligible costs for physical improvements that will benefit the community.

Initial funding of $20,000 has been approved for the CIP, which could cover the entire town. A variety of incentive programs will be possible, but there has been no decision yet on which ones would initially be used.

The Feb. 13 open house will be held at Centre 2000, 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a presentation at 6.30 p.m., light refreshments and a question and answer time.

 “The main focus will be getting input from the community,” said Economic Development Officer Robyn Mulder.

Council received an update on the plan at their Jan. 16 meeting from Mulder, and Nancy Reid of Stantec, the consultant hired to help design the program. It would work in cooperation with a Wellington County CIP called Invest Well, which could provide additional support in Erin.

“The CIP should help reshape the town and provide support for certain types of redevelopment,” said Mulder. “It should communicate that the town is ‘open for business’. It could generate revenue to help balance out the taxes in this town, and attract other investors.”

Substantial improvements to buildings would mean greater tax assessment, though one of the possible incentives could defer those tax increases.

The ratio of grants to loans has not been determined, but repayment of loans could put money back into the program.

Other incentives include façade, signage and property improvements, accessibility projects, design and study funding, and building conversions and expansions.

Councillor Matt Sammut was concerned that the program not cast too wide a net. “I don’t want to put public money into private hands and have no value to the community,” he said.

Mulder assured him that council will still have input on the eligibility criteria, and that the experience of other communities shows that business owners invested substantially in the projects. The total value of the construction was three to five times more than the grants in Haldimand County, Elgin County and the Township of Centre Wellington.

Erin truck bypass would cost more than $11 million

An updated estimate on the cost of a possible bypass to divert trucks north of Erin village was discouraging news for members of town council – and now they want an estimate on a bypass to the south.

A report from County Engineer Don Kudo said a recent review of the 17 Sideroad – Trafalgar Road route projects the cost at $10.7 million – a huge increase from the initial estimate of $2.6 million when the initial study was done in 1999 by Dillon Consulting.

Truck traffic in downtown Erin has been a problem for decades.

Because Trafalgar near 17 SR is on an incline, a bypass would have to include climbing lanes, through lanes and turning lanes. A new intersection would be needed on County Road 124 at the north end of Erin village, along with reconstruction and widening of 17 Sideroad.

The $10.7 million estimate does not include property acquisition, utility relocations, culvert replacement, a new bridge or design/engineering costs.

 “It looks like this has been created, to be blunt, so that it’s a no-brainer to say No,” said Councillor Matt Sammut, at council’s Jan. 16 meeting.

“Trafalgar is an acceptable road. I do understand the corner would have to be adjusted, and I understand that the corner of 124 would have to be changed. But nearly 11 million dollars, plus HST? I shake my head when I read this. 17 Sideroad probably would require some work.”

Mayor Al Alls said it would be “major” work, and a “struggle” because of the disruption to residents of 17 Sideroad. He speculated that once a cross-walk is installed this spring, truckers might be looking for alternate routes.

Councillor Jeff Duncan said he heard one merchant say he would be willing to hire someone at minimum wage to press the cross-walk button all day long. “That’s a lot cheaper than $10 million,” he said.

Sammut said the lack of a truck bypass is causing serious harm to the town.

“It’s this council and future councils’ job to create the best environment for businesses to grow. My guess is that if I asked a lot of shoppers, they’d say they don’t like darting in front of trucks. It absolutely impacts tourism. It’s not an enjoyable experience to walk downtown and every third vehicle is a tractor-trailer.”

The estimate for the northern bypass includes alignment shifts due to property conflicts and disturbance of environmentally sensitive areas.

 “I don’t think the figures are exaggerated,” said Als, predicting a bridge on 17 Sideroad would also have to be reconstructed.

Als said if the bypass route became a county road, the Town of Erin would have to take responsibility (and pay the costs) for Road 124 (Main Street) through Erin village.

The original cost estimate for a northern bypass was revised to $3.9 million in 2000. After that, when it became clear that a bypass would not be built in the near future, the county proceeded with reconstruction of Main Street downtown.

Alls said it would be less expensive to have a bypass to the south of the village. Trucks travelling west on Road 124 could turn south on Winston Churchill, then use Road 52 (Bush Street) to reconnect with 124 at the south end of the village.

Council agreed to request a cost estimate from the county for that route. Sammut immediately voiced concern. He lives in that area, where many residents oppose the proposed expansion of a nearby gravel pit.

“That’s a key cog for commuter traffic, and how much truck traffic is there from the pits – a significant amount,” he said.

“And now we’re thinking of adding further truck traffic? You’ve got four streets coming into the main road. You would have to adjust totally Bush Street coming up Main Street, because cars are flying around that corner. There’s no way it could work without significant adjustment.

“You want an uprising? You are risking an uprising at the south end of town already.”

What are the top things you’d like to see in Erin?

As published in The Erin Advocate

The list could be quite long, but let’s start with the top three. What things would you like to see in Erin? The question is being asked by Robyn Mulder, the Town’s Economic Development Officer.

Of course, we already have some great stores, restaurants and services, but more economic activity is clearly needed. There has been some gloom and doom talk lately due to a number of vacant storefronts, especially Mundell Lumber.

We’ve been suffering from a lack of new population and affordable housing, which is impacting businesses, schools and non-profit organizations. The community remains very attractive and resilient, though and I believe that moderate growth will resume in the next few years.

Some new businesses are moving into downtown Erin village. Mejores Foods is selling meats, cheeses, baking supplies and bulk foods. Brighten Up Toys and Games has expanded its educational camp facilities.

A Benjamin Moore Paints outlet has opened at Decor Solutions. The Busholme Inn is being renovated and will reopen soon. Snowberry Botanicals has moved in beside Treehaven Natural Foods, offering floral arrangements and bouquets, plus event planning and rentals.

The former Renaissance location will soon have a store called Epiphany – a second location for Laura Demers who has operated the Epiphany store in Elora for the last five years. It is a boutique specializing in affordable clothing, plus accessories, books, cards and gifts.

I’ve been hearing rumours of new developments at the old Guardian Fiberglass plant, and the old elementary school, so some good news would be welcome at those locations.

Erin needs a full-fledged trail system to help attract visitors and residents to our stores and natural areas. We have some good trails now, but a riverside boardwalk in Erin village and a trail around the Hillsburgh pond would be huge steps forward.

A retirement home would be a perfect fit, and more children in the community would be a welcome boost to the daycare / nursery school sector.

There have been efforts to create an outlet for reusable household goods (similar to Wastewise in Georgetown), and I remain hopeful that it will happen some day. It would be nice to have electronics and sporting goods stores, but we need the right population and market conditions to make them financially viable.

In 2012, I proposed building a Big Shamrock, a huge, green icon of our identity that could be known around the world – in the same way that the Big Nickel has put Sudbury on the map. Read more by Googling: erin “big shamrock”.

Revitalizing our commercial areas with more of what people want and need all year round will add value to the “buy local” proposition. Progress will be built on confidence in the town’s future, so it is in everyone’s interest to be salespeople for the community – building it up and talking it up.

“I’m focusing on small, independent businesses,” said Mulder. “The biggest part of my job is connecting with people.” You can call her with your comments at 519-855-4407 ext. 241, email robyn.mulder@erin.ca, or drop in for a chat at the Town office.

It was a big step for the Town to hire someone with the expertise to help retain existing businesses and recruit new ones. The least we can do is tell her what we want.

Mayor’s Breakfast good for information and connections

As published in The Erin Advocate

The Mayor‘s bi-annual breakfast meetings can be useful not only to business people, but to anyone willing to get up early for an update on activities at the Town and County, and a chance to talk to other people who care about local affairs.

Al Alls hosted one at David’s Restaurant on January 19, including presentations by Economic Development Officer Robyn Mulder, her Wellington counterpart Jana Burns and County Warden George Bridge.

The mayor covered a few highlights of recent Town activities, such as digging out soft spots and old corduroy logs during reconstruction of 17 Sideroad, replacing rotted boards at Hull’s Dam and installing new boards at the Hillsburgh arena – which could become a sledge hockey centre.

He took the opportunity to publicly introduce two new members of Town staff, Michael Tapp (IT Systems Administration) and Carol House (Chief Building Official), and to remind people that the Town would like to hold a major celebration for Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017.

He stressed the importance of getting the Wastewater Environmental Assessment done during this term of council, and of implementing the Momentum Economic Action Plan to build up the commercial and industrial tax base.

“We need to kickstart this community and get it going,” he said. “The Town is open for business.”

Warden Bridge said Wellington is actively promoting local benefits to potential new residents.

“We want make sure people understand that they can do everything they can do in the big city, and have a quality of life they will never have the big city.”

He said rural areas and small towns need access to reliable, high speed internet, especially for high-tech farms and home-based entrepreneurs. The Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus is working on a $287 million project called SWIFT, to build a fibre optic cable backbone that would enable private firms to deliver the service more economically.

They’re hoping for $100 million from the federal government and $50 million from the province, plus major private sector investment to make the plan a reality. He points out there are 3.5 million people living to the west of the GTA-Hamilton area who don’t get enough support from senior governments. He said municipal property taxes cannot bear the cost of needed improvements, so major infrastructure funding is needed.

Robyn Mulder said that she would be producing a monthly Business Newsletter for Erin. There is a section of the Town website, erin.ca, dedicated to economic development, with links to various reports and initiatives.

For example, business respondents are needed for the EmployerOne Survey, by the Workforce Planning Board of Waterloo Wellington Dufferin. It will analyze hiring trends and recruitment strategies, to provide guidance to schools, community partners and government on the local labour market.

Jana Burns highlighted some County initiatives, including Global Talent Attraction, which helps businesses access the people they need from the “talent pool”. That’s one part of the Business Retention and Expansion project, which this year will focus on the downtown retail sector.

Burns also highlighted the promotion of events, especially the 2016 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo, to be held September 20-24 in Harriston. It will bring in about 75,000 visitors, an opportunity to promote Wellington’s assets, including food and entertainment.

They continue to promote the Taste•Real initiative, with the Source It Here food networking event February 8 at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre near Guelph.

The County is also working on a visitors map, a signage strategy, live & work bus tours, an Agri-Food Forum on international trade, and has released a Welcome to Wellington video that features Erin.

New walking trail reveals heritage of downtown Erin

As published in the Erin Advocate

A self-guided tour of the Victorian architecture in Erin’s historic downtown district is now available, with brochures provided in many local shops.

The Heritage Walking Trail takes less than an hour to complete, starting at the Founding of Erin historical plaque on the east side of Main Street near the West Credit River.

It is a joint project of the Town’s Trails and Heritage Committees, with support from the Wellington County Planning Department.

The brochure has two maps, one of the downtown core from Centre Street to Water Street, and the other showing the network of village trails and greenspaces, from the Elora Cataract Trailway to the Water Tower Trail. It can be downloaded as a PDF file from the Trails section of the Town website.

There are photos and information on 17 points of interest, plus codes that people can scan with their smart phones to get more details on-line. Erin’s mill history is highlighted on a sign at McMillan Park. On the west side of Main Street, the tour diverts to Riverside Park, which has a sign with even more information on local history and natural features.

I have a personal interest in the current project, helping plan it over the last few years with Steve Revell and Bill Dinwoody of the Trails Committee, and doing much of the design, writing and photography. This year, the Heritage Committee got involved and pushed the project to completion, with the support of Chair Jamie Cheyne, Councillor Jeff Duncan, Economic Development Coordinator Bob Cheetham, County Planner Director Gary Cousins and the BIA.

It is all a continuation of work done previously. In 1985, signs were created for downtown shops with historical information on the buildings, and many are still in place. In 1994, the Village of Erin published a Walking Trails brochure, with the help of Tim Inkster of The Porcupine's Quill, identifying the downtown business district as The Heritage Trail.

Trails support the principles of the Wellington County Active Transportation Plan, which encourages people to get out of their cars and get moving under their own power. This is good for fitness, good for the environment, good for local business and good for educating people about heritage and nature. As former trails volunteer Frank Smedley liked to say, “It’s all good.”

For economic development, trails promote a positive image for the Town as a desirable destination. Having a public network, with brochures and signs, gives visitors some well-defined choices.

The network so far includes the Elora Cataract Trailway, the Woollen Mills Trail, the Rotary Trail, the Water Tower Trail and Riverside Park. It could be expanded with a Riverside Boardwalk, a link through the Stanley Park area and a Height of Land trail extending from the water tower.

When we have new housing subdivisions, we should incorporate trails as part of the essential infrastructure. Also, Wellington County’s purchase of land surrounding the Hillsburgh Mill Pond opens up possibilities for a new trail in that area.

A Trails Master Plan would identify the type of trails network the Town wants, and how we can go about building it. Fortunately, planning and promotion of trails has become a key part of Erin’s Economic Development Action Plan, and grant money is being sought to make more progress.