As published in The Erin Advocate
In the Economic Development field, it is well known that preserving the existing base of businesses in a community is the top priority.
That’s why the word retention comes first in the Town’s Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) Report, which was endorsed by Council recently, along with a plan to start taking action on improving the local business climate.
“Supporting the businesses that have already invested in Wellington provides the greatest return for future growth,” said Warden Chris White, introducing the Erin BR+E report, part of the County-wide Economic Development Strategy.
The action plan includes reviving the Economic Development Committee and hiring a professional staff person to drive an Erin strategy.
Published with the report are results of a survey of 41 Town of Erin business owners in four sectors of the economy as set by the county (Agriculture, Manufacturing, Health Care and the Creative Economy), carried out by Coordinator Mary Venneman. While the retail sector was not interviewed, it will be a key part of future plans.
The survey shows that 95% of owners are happy with the quality of life here, but only 51% say the business climate in Erin is good or excellent (compared to 77% countywide). Sales growth over the next year is predicted by 56% of Erin businesses, with 60% having a positive outlook for their industry.
Comments from owners show a high level of frustration in dealing with Town staff, a perceived lack of support from council and concern about high rents and high taxes.
The main disadvantages of doing business in Erin were identified as lack of access to suppliers, a small population that is suspicious of new businesses, difficulty hiring qualified, skilled workers, lack of diversified housing, lack of serviced land and lack of reliable rural internet service.
Lack of sewage treatment was also a concern for a 40% of respondents, mainly those in the urban area that would benefit from such a system. Most see sewers as essential if the Town is to grow and attract new business.
Lack of a provincial highway in the area was not a major concern for most businesses, though 40% of manufacturers say it is a factor. Many businesses say not having a highway helps maintain Erin’s rural character, and some favour a bypass to take transport trucks away from the Main Street of Erin village.
Reliance on visitor traffic was relatively low (especially since retail was not surveyed), with 88% saying it accounted for 25% or less of their business. Still, visitors are an important sector of customers for agriculture, creative economy and health care businesses.
When asked about satisfaction with the Town’s efforts to attract visitors, 60% on average chose not to answer. Of the remaining 40% that did answer, more were dissatisfied (23%) than satisfied (13%).
Overall, 71% of businesses say less than 25% of their own purchases are made locally, though many said they wouldn’t expect specialized products to be available in Erin.
“There still remains the opportunity to explore what can be done to encourage more local purchasing, within the County if not within Erin itself,” says the report. “The Wellington database of services and products would go a long way as a starting point.”
There was general satisfaction with the local workforce, with the highest rating in health care and the lowest in manufacturing. About 25% of the workforce is local, commuting less than 15 km, but that includes owner-operators.
Many businesses cannot afford to pay the high level of salary or wages required to buy a home in Erin. Many younger workers who might be willing to work for a lower wage cannot afford to live on their own here, especially if they do not own a vehicle.
Showing posts with label Web. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Web. Show all posts
July 09, 2014
November 13, 2013
Library offers free access to magazines
As published in The Erin Advocate
There may be nothing truly free under the sun, but when it comes to services for which we have already paid, it does make sense to use them when it is convenient.
That is the case with an on-line magazine service called Zinio, now offered to the public at no charge by the Wellington County Library.
It fits well with the library’s mandate to making interesting material freely available. Assistant Chief Librarian Chanda Gilpin said they knew there would be a demand for a magazine service because of the popularity of their other digital services.
You can access eBooks and eAudiobooks, as well as catalogue searches and research tools, and manage your personal account, without actually going to a library.
“We’re always trying to anticipate and adapt to the needs of the community,” said Gilpin.
You can still get paper copies of magazines at library branches, which is better than paying $5 for one issue at your local drug store. But if you can get used to reading them on your computer, tablet or smartphone, it is very efficient for both users and the library system.
“We can put a print magazine in each of our 14 branches and provide access to one person at a time at each location,” said Gilpin. “Or we can pay approximately half that cost and make the same magazine available through Zinio to every single library member in the County, all at the same time. Zinio also comes with all-hours access, no worries about fines, and no damaged materials.”
Wellington currently offers access to 44 magazines through Zinio, which is not a lot in the competitive magazine market, but it is a good start. They cover some of the most popular sectors, with titles for women, men, teens and kids.
You can learn how to age well with Zoomer, absorb some Canadian culture with The Walrus, read a tribute to Lou Reed in Rolling Stone, make cookies with Canadian Living, check out the 2015 Mustang with Car and Driver, discover dinosaurs with Chirp or read up on 38 naughty holiday games with Cosmopolitan.
There is no due date, and back issues are available for many titles. Notably missing from the Zinio line-up are magazines including Macleans and other products from Rogers Media, Canada’s largest publisher. They are launching their own paid service and app called Next Issue.
Zinio is also a paid service, and you can subscribe to a much wider selection of digital magazines by going directly to their retail website. When you are viewing your library selections, you will have the opportunity, but no obligation, to buy other subscriptions.
To access the free ones, you will need a library card, which is good idea in any case. At www.wellington.ca, go to Library under Resident Services, click Online Resources, then on eBooks and More, then on Zinio to sign up. There’s a tutorial video, and branch staff can answer your questions.
The minor inconvenience to the process is that you set up a Zinio account with the library, but after you choose some magazines, you end up at www.zino.com where you have to set up another account with the exact same user name and password.
Once you set it up, it works smoothly – picking titles at the library site, and seeing your current batch and reading them through the Zinio site. You don’t actually download the magazine files. You just stream the view as needed to your computer.
You flip through the pages, ads and all, and the Table of Contents will have links for quick navigation. There’s full-screen viewing, bookmarking and an option for printing pages.
You can also download free Zinio reader apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire/HD, Win 8, Blackberry and Nook HD/HCD+. You still have to use the website to check out new issues of magazines. Once that is done, your accounts will sync on a wireless connection and the issue will be ready to read on your mobile device.
There may be nothing truly free under the sun, but when it comes to services for which we have already paid, it does make sense to use them when it is convenient.
That is the case with an on-line magazine service called Zinio, now offered to the public at no charge by the Wellington County Library.
It fits well with the library’s mandate to making interesting material freely available. Assistant Chief Librarian Chanda Gilpin said they knew there would be a demand for a magazine service because of the popularity of their other digital services.
You can access eBooks and eAudiobooks, as well as catalogue searches and research tools, and manage your personal account, without actually going to a library.
“We’re always trying to anticipate and adapt to the needs of the community,” said Gilpin.
You can still get paper copies of magazines at library branches, which is better than paying $5 for one issue at your local drug store. But if you can get used to reading them on your computer, tablet or smartphone, it is very efficient for both users and the library system.
“We can put a print magazine in each of our 14 branches and provide access to one person at a time at each location,” said Gilpin. “Or we can pay approximately half that cost and make the same magazine available through Zinio to every single library member in the County, all at the same time. Zinio also comes with all-hours access, no worries about fines, and no damaged materials.”
Wellington currently offers access to 44 magazines through Zinio, which is not a lot in the competitive magazine market, but it is a good start. They cover some of the most popular sectors, with titles for women, men, teens and kids.
You can learn how to age well with Zoomer, absorb some Canadian culture with The Walrus, read a tribute to Lou Reed in Rolling Stone, make cookies with Canadian Living, check out the 2015 Mustang with Car and Driver, discover dinosaurs with Chirp or read up on 38 naughty holiday games with Cosmopolitan.
There is no due date, and back issues are available for many titles. Notably missing from the Zinio line-up are magazines including Macleans and other products from Rogers Media, Canada’s largest publisher. They are launching their own paid service and app called Next Issue.
Zinio is also a paid service, and you can subscribe to a much wider selection of digital magazines by going directly to their retail website. When you are viewing your library selections, you will have the opportunity, but no obligation, to buy other subscriptions.
To access the free ones, you will need a library card, which is good idea in any case. At www.wellington.ca, go to Library under Resident Services, click Online Resources, then on eBooks and More, then on Zinio to sign up. There’s a tutorial video, and branch staff can answer your questions.
The minor inconvenience to the process is that you set up a Zinio account with the library, but after you choose some magazines, you end up at www.zino.com where you have to set up another account with the exact same user name and password.
Once you set it up, it works smoothly – picking titles at the library site, and seeing your current batch and reading them through the Zinio site. You don’t actually download the magazine files. You just stream the view as needed to your computer.
You flip through the pages, ads and all, and the Table of Contents will have links for quick navigation. There’s full-screen viewing, bookmarking and an option for printing pages.
You can also download free Zinio reader apps for PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire/HD, Win 8, Blackberry and Nook HD/HCD+. You still have to use the website to check out new issues of magazines. Once that is done, your accounts will sync on a wireless connection and the issue will be ready to read on your mobile device.
March 07, 2012
Terry speaks his mind to councillors
As published in The Erin Advocate
When Terry Hryhor sees something around town that is not quite right, he is more than glad to point it out to Erin politicians and staff.
After Mayor Lou Maieron recently urged people to get more involved in municipal affairs, Hryhor made an appointment to speak as a delegation before the regular meeting of Town Council on February 21.
He told the politicians that Erin needs to do a better job of communicating with residents, and of promoting the town as a great place to live and do business.
He wasn't happy with the amount of information on the notice board at McMillan Park, which for some time simply had "Happy 2012" and a request from last fall for people to bag their leaves. Hryhor would like to see that board actively managed as a source for a current community information.
The Town website, www.erin.ca, does have a lot of details about municipal business and community events, including various ways to make contact. The What's On section has both an event listing and a monthly calendar view. There are also sections for local Facts, History, Council, Departments, Public Notices, a Photo Gallery, a Community Directory, a Business Directory, and links to documents and to other public agenciess.
Not everyone is in the habit of checking the town website, however, and Hryhor suggested the Town reach out to people by putting more information in The Advocate, and publishing its calendar on paper for people to have handy.
He said there are various unresolved issues where the Town should be actively seeking solutions, noting for example that he first heard the discussion of a truck bypass for Erin village back in 1974.
He would like to see more affordable housing, along with a sewer system that would make it possible. He was surprised to see a country house for rent recently, at $4,000 per month.
"How many condos or apartments or semis have been built in the last 20 years? You could count them on one finger," he said, adding that the Town should promote basement apartments, making the regulations clear for homeowners.
"There was also a suggestion that you were going to try to bring industry to Erin, and if you look around there are several opportunities."
As for community celebrations, he feels the Town leaves too much of the burden on service clubs and other community groups. He recalled the big party at the Erin Village Centennial, but was disappointed see nothing similar on the 125th birthday in 2005. He lamented that, compared to other Wellington County communities, there is very little in Erin for Canada Day (other than the Orton fireworks) or the rest of July.
Erin has "great facilities" that are not getting enough use, noting that Stanley Park (which is privately owned) could be the site of some public events.
He also promoted the idea of a highly visible Farmers' Market (which the Agricultural Society is actively considering).
Hryhor is no stranger to community involvement. As a builder, he developed the Valu-Mart store and plaza. He was on the board of directors at East Wellington Community Services (formerly EWAG) and contributed significant time and materials for renovation of their building at 45 Main Street. In 2008, he was honoured with a spot on Erin's Wall of Fame.
There are many ways to get your opinions, questions or information to the Town. You can phone or email the mayor, councillors, town manager or departments heads. You can write a letter to council, that will appear as correspondence on the council agenda and be available for other members of the public to read – be sure to include your name.
To appear before council, you must fill out a form (by noon on the Thursday before the meeting), stating your purpose – which could be a specific request for action, or simply general information. This enables your issue to be put on the meeting agenda, normally a requirement for anyone addressing council. People make their presentations or present petitions at the start of council meetings, and then can leave if they wish.
Delegations are limited to 15 minutes, but if there are two speakers from a group, each can speak for up to 10 minutes if they have something different to say. Members of council can ask questions of the delegations, but are not supposed to enter into debate with them. Questions from deputations to council are addressed to the chair, normally the mayor.
Sometimes after a delegation is finished, council may vote on a motion related to the presentation. Sometimes they may refer an issue to staff or a committee for further investigation, or they may simply take the information and opinions into consideration for future decisions.
When Terry Hryhor sees something around town that is not quite right, he is more than glad to point it out to Erin politicians and staff.
After Mayor Lou Maieron recently urged people to get more involved in municipal affairs, Hryhor made an appointment to speak as a delegation before the regular meeting of Town Council on February 21.
He told the politicians that Erin needs to do a better job of communicating with residents, and of promoting the town as a great place to live and do business.
He wasn't happy with the amount of information on the notice board at McMillan Park, which for some time simply had "Happy 2012" and a request from last fall for people to bag their leaves. Hryhor would like to see that board actively managed as a source for a current community information.
The Town website, www.erin.ca, does have a lot of details about municipal business and community events, including various ways to make contact. The What's On section has both an event listing and a monthly calendar view. There are also sections for local Facts, History, Council, Departments, Public Notices, a Photo Gallery, a Community Directory, a Business Directory, and links to documents and to other public agenciess.
Not everyone is in the habit of checking the town website, however, and Hryhor suggested the Town reach out to people by putting more information in The Advocate, and publishing its calendar on paper for people to have handy.
He said there are various unresolved issues where the Town should be actively seeking solutions, noting for example that he first heard the discussion of a truck bypass for Erin village back in 1974.
He would like to see more affordable housing, along with a sewer system that would make it possible. He was surprised to see a country house for rent recently, at $4,000 per month.
"How many condos or apartments or semis have been built in the last 20 years? You could count them on one finger," he said, adding that the Town should promote basement apartments, making the regulations clear for homeowners.
"There was also a suggestion that you were going to try to bring industry to Erin, and if you look around there are several opportunities."
As for community celebrations, he feels the Town leaves too much of the burden on service clubs and other community groups. He recalled the big party at the Erin Village Centennial, but was disappointed see nothing similar on the 125th birthday in 2005. He lamented that, compared to other Wellington County communities, there is very little in Erin for Canada Day (other than the Orton fireworks) or the rest of July.
Erin has "great facilities" that are not getting enough use, noting that Stanley Park (which is privately owned) could be the site of some public events.
He also promoted the idea of a highly visible Farmers' Market (which the Agricultural Society is actively considering).
Hryhor is no stranger to community involvement. As a builder, he developed the Valu-Mart store and plaza. He was on the board of directors at East Wellington Community Services (formerly EWAG) and contributed significant time and materials for renovation of their building at 45 Main Street. In 2008, he was honoured with a spot on Erin's Wall of Fame.
There are many ways to get your opinions, questions or information to the Town. You can phone or email the mayor, councillors, town manager or departments heads. You can write a letter to council, that will appear as correspondence on the council agenda and be available for other members of the public to read – be sure to include your name.
To appear before council, you must fill out a form (by noon on the Thursday before the meeting), stating your purpose – which could be a specific request for action, or simply general information. This enables your issue to be put on the meeting agenda, normally a requirement for anyone addressing council. People make their presentations or present petitions at the start of council meetings, and then can leave if they wish.
Delegations are limited to 15 minutes, but if there are two speakers from a group, each can speak for up to 10 minutes if they have something different to say. Members of council can ask questions of the delegations, but are not supposed to enter into debate with them. Questions from deputations to council are addressed to the chair, normally the mayor.
Sometimes after a delegation is finished, council may vote on a motion related to the presentation. Sometimes they may refer an issue to staff or a committee for further investigation, or they may simply take the information and opinions into consideration for future decisions.
September 28, 2011
Rural internet project neglects parts of Erin
As published in The Erin Advocate
A Wellington County project to improve rural internet service, with a $1 million boost from the Ontario government, is having a limited impact in Erin because most of the town was considered to be already well-serviced.
Many Erin residents, especially in the north, would disagree with that assessment, but the good news is that wireless and satellite capacity is expanding quickly, so good quality internet could soon be available to everyone at a reasonable price.
The Rural Connections Broadband Program was started in 2009, one of 47 initiatives in the province to bring high-speed web access to under-serviced rural areas. The idea was to partner with a private firm that would build a series of towers, beaming a wireless internet signal to receivers at people's homes.
Residents in urban areas like Hillsburgh and Erin village can choose to receive high-speed service via TV cable or phone line, but in many rural areas, the only options are slow-speed dial-up, a satellite link or a wireless tower that requires a direct line-of-sight transmission.
Initially, the County planned to partner with Everus Communications, but the process was delayed when Everus went out of business. In 2010, Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI) purchased some of the Everus equipment and customer base, and was chosen to proceed with the $3 million project. BXI, which operates with the brand name Xplorenet, is investing $2 million and will receive $1 million from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs when the work is complete.
There are now 14 towers set up as part of the project, with three more being finished this month and the last one in October. Only one of the new towers is in Erin, located at Ospringe, providing improved service to rural residents in the west part of the town. Other parts of rural Erin did not qualify.
"Areas of the County that previously had at least 75% high-speed internet coverage were not eligible for funding," says the wellington.ca website. "Those areas will not be receiving additional coverage as part of this project."
The Town of Erin has been involved in the process and did make it clear to the County that there is a need for better service in various areas. Councillor Jose Wintersinger was on the committee, and both former Mayor Rod Finnie and current Mayor Lou Maieron have both been vocal proponents of improvements. They've received many complaints about lack of quality internet, even though it is not a municipal responsibility.
A public information meeting was held by the County at 6:30 pm on Tuesday last week at Centre 2000, but it was not advertised in The Advocate. Nine residents were there, including four politicians and one columnist, to see a presentation by Don Ticknor, a Sales Manager for Xplornet. (It's a good thing there wasn't a large crowd, since the projector wouldn't work, so we had to huddle around a laptop.)
County Councillor Ken Chapman said he was shocked to see that north-east Erin was not mapped as an area qualifying for improvement. For this project, Xplorenet could only build upgrades where the County directed them.
"The gaps still exist," said Maieron, and he urged Xplornet to consider parts of Erin for future expansion (after this project), since there is a relatively high density of rural residents, including hundreds of people who need high-speed internet to operate businesses from their homes.
Kirk McElwain, a councillor from Elora who chaired the Wellington broadband committee, said they surveyed service providers to check existing coverage, since the County was not supposed to be funding one company in a competitive market area.
Although he had some doubts about the extent of the coverage, he said, "We took their word for it". He said that while service may not have been great in some parts of Erin, it was better than areas like Puslinch where there had been none at all.
Ticknor said it generally takes about 400 newly-connected households to make installation of a tower economically viable. His firm is involved with 31 government-assisted projects.
"We are Canada's largest rural high-speed provider, and are doing our best to provide the service. Our new 4G technology provides robust, reliable service that is interference-free and can be continuously upgraded."
Some parts of rural south Erin get wireless service from Hummingbird Wireless of Halton Hills. Others are customers of Firefly Networks, which in August merged with Standard Broadband (Data Matters Inc.) of Milton. They transmit from a series of towers in south Erin and the Ospringe area, and are currently upgrading to higher-capacity technology.
Figuring out just how many households were getting good service is complicated. People can receive a wireless signal either through an outdoor receiver or through plug-in equipment on their computers such as the Rogers Rocket Stick. Signals can be blocked or degraded, however, by trees – a constantly "growing" problem – or hilly terrain. Satellite transmission eliminates that issue, but has traditionally been much more expensive.
Ticknor said that by the end of this year, new satellite capacity will allow his firm to offer a 4G satellite signal at the same price levels as a tower signal – plus an extra equipment rental cost of $10 per month. Installation costs are also extra. Call their Arthur-based dealer, Northwind, at 519-957-2438 and go to 4GHighSpeed.ca or wellingtonhighspeed.com for more details.
The effort to bring better internet service to the County was coordinated by the Waterloo Wellington Community Futures Development Corporation (WWCFDC), a federally funded non-profit agency that promotes economic development. As part of the broadband program, they are hosting three free workshops for small businesses.
On October 12, from 9 am to 4 pm, at the WWCFDC office in Elora: Social Media Basics – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and YouTube. On October 19, from 9 am to 1:30 pm, at the WWCFDC office in Elora: Is Your Website Making the Grade? Maximizing web tools to promote, manage and grow your business. And on November 9, a repeat of the Social Media program, at the Mount Forest Community Centre. Call 519-846-9839 ext. 227 or go to wwcfdc.com
A Wellington County project to improve rural internet service, with a $1 million boost from the Ontario government, is having a limited impact in Erin because most of the town was considered to be already well-serviced.
Many Erin residents, especially in the north, would disagree with that assessment, but the good news is that wireless and satellite capacity is expanding quickly, so good quality internet could soon be available to everyone at a reasonable price.
The Rural Connections Broadband Program was started in 2009, one of 47 initiatives in the province to bring high-speed web access to under-serviced rural areas. The idea was to partner with a private firm that would build a series of towers, beaming a wireless internet signal to receivers at people's homes.
Residents in urban areas like Hillsburgh and Erin village can choose to receive high-speed service via TV cable or phone line, but in many rural areas, the only options are slow-speed dial-up, a satellite link or a wireless tower that requires a direct line-of-sight transmission.
Initially, the County planned to partner with Everus Communications, but the process was delayed when Everus went out of business. In 2010, Barrett Xplore Inc. (BXI) purchased some of the Everus equipment and customer base, and was chosen to proceed with the $3 million project. BXI, which operates with the brand name Xplorenet, is investing $2 million and will receive $1 million from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs when the work is complete.
There are now 14 towers set up as part of the project, with three more being finished this month and the last one in October. Only one of the new towers is in Erin, located at Ospringe, providing improved service to rural residents in the west part of the town. Other parts of rural Erin did not qualify.
"Areas of the County that previously had at least 75% high-speed internet coverage were not eligible for funding," says the wellington.ca website. "Those areas will not be receiving additional coverage as part of this project."
The Town of Erin has been involved in the process and did make it clear to the County that there is a need for better service in various areas. Councillor Jose Wintersinger was on the committee, and both former Mayor Rod Finnie and current Mayor Lou Maieron have both been vocal proponents of improvements. They've received many complaints about lack of quality internet, even though it is not a municipal responsibility.
A public information meeting was held by the County at 6:30 pm on Tuesday last week at Centre 2000, but it was not advertised in The Advocate. Nine residents were there, including four politicians and one columnist, to see a presentation by Don Ticknor, a Sales Manager for Xplornet. (It's a good thing there wasn't a large crowd, since the projector wouldn't work, so we had to huddle around a laptop.)
County Councillor Ken Chapman said he was shocked to see that north-east Erin was not mapped as an area qualifying for improvement. For this project, Xplorenet could only build upgrades where the County directed them.
"The gaps still exist," said Maieron, and he urged Xplornet to consider parts of Erin for future expansion (after this project), since there is a relatively high density of rural residents, including hundreds of people who need high-speed internet to operate businesses from their homes.
Kirk McElwain, a councillor from Elora who chaired the Wellington broadband committee, said they surveyed service providers to check existing coverage, since the County was not supposed to be funding one company in a competitive market area.
Although he had some doubts about the extent of the coverage, he said, "We took their word for it". He said that while service may not have been great in some parts of Erin, it was better than areas like Puslinch where there had been none at all.
Ticknor said it generally takes about 400 newly-connected households to make installation of a tower economically viable. His firm is involved with 31 government-assisted projects.
"We are Canada's largest rural high-speed provider, and are doing our best to provide the service. Our new 4G technology provides robust, reliable service that is interference-free and can be continuously upgraded."
Some parts of rural south Erin get wireless service from Hummingbird Wireless of Halton Hills. Others are customers of Firefly Networks, which in August merged with Standard Broadband (Data Matters Inc.) of Milton. They transmit from a series of towers in south Erin and the Ospringe area, and are currently upgrading to higher-capacity technology.
Figuring out just how many households were getting good service is complicated. People can receive a wireless signal either through an outdoor receiver or through plug-in equipment on their computers such as the Rogers Rocket Stick. Signals can be blocked or degraded, however, by trees – a constantly "growing" problem – or hilly terrain. Satellite transmission eliminates that issue, but has traditionally been much more expensive.
Ticknor said that by the end of this year, new satellite capacity will allow his firm to offer a 4G satellite signal at the same price levels as a tower signal – plus an extra equipment rental cost of $10 per month. Installation costs are also extra. Call their Arthur-based dealer, Northwind, at 519-957-2438 and go to 4GHighSpeed.ca or wellingtonhighspeed.com for more details.
The effort to bring better internet service to the County was coordinated by the Waterloo Wellington Community Futures Development Corporation (WWCFDC), a federally funded non-profit agency that promotes economic development. As part of the broadband program, they are hosting three free workshops for small businesses.
On October 12, from 9 am to 4 pm, at the WWCFDC office in Elora: Social Media Basics – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and YouTube. On October 19, from 9 am to 1:30 pm, at the WWCFDC office in Elora: Is Your Website Making the Grade? Maximizing web tools to promote, manage and grow your business. And on November 9, a repeat of the Social Media program, at the Mount Forest Community Centre. Call 519-846-9839 ext. 227 or go to wwcfdc.com
August 20, 2008
Googling the Town
As published in The Erin Advocate
Have you ever Googled the place where you live?
Like searching out your own name on the Internet, checking the hits on Erin can lead to some interesting, but time-consuming tangents.
The Google search engine produces 54.9 million references to Erin, but if you narrow it down to “Town of Erin”, the total is a mere 10,100.
You could inadvertently learn all about Erin Mills, or Erin Brockovich, or the many companies that use Erin in their corporate name.
Are you curious about Erin, New York, located east of Elmira in Chemung County near the Pennsylvania border? How about Erin, Nigeria, south of Abeokuta?
Wikipedia, the popular on-line encyclopedia, lets us know that the word Erin is derived from Éirinn, a form of the Irish word for Ireland, and that it originated with the Gaelic name Eireann.
Wikipedia also has a very brief article (a “geography stub”) on our Erin. In addition to some basic facts, it says, “The town’s new industrial park is attracting a number of new industries, due to its cheaper tax rate, accessibility to transportation, and its location within the ‘Technology Triangle’, a series of high-tech driven cities including nearby Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.”
Fascinating stuff. The Town, or anyone for that matter, is welcome to edit or add to the Wikipedia article. Fortunately, it has a link to www.erin.ca, an excellent source for local information.
The Town of Erin website is a treasure trunk of interesting stuff. Of course there are the municipal things, like agendas, minutes and permits. But you will also find an excellent photo gallery, lots of local history articles, details on coming events, and directories of businesses and community groups. It is an attractive marketing tool that will be seen by people thinking of buying a home or setting up a business here.
It also links to many other sites of local interest, such as: Credit Valley Conservation, Wellington County and Health Unit, erincinema, Hills of Headwaters and the Agricultural Society.
I got caught up in this web of Erin links while researching another burning issue – what to name this newspaper column. When naming something these days, it is wise to go on-line to see who else is using the name. Many thanks to the readers who gave the matter some thought, after I requested help two weeks ago.
John Sutherland phoned to suggest Erin Gleanings, since I tend to gather up things that have not made it into the regular news.
Jane Vandervliet suggested Teetering on my Soapbox. “Reflects need for firmer stance,” she said. “After all an ‘opinion’ column requires the writer to actually have one.” Ouch.
“Don’t be afraid of ticking people off. Persuasive writing is all about challenging others to think with the goal of change for the better for all.”
No offence taken, Jane. It is true that I tend to cautious, trying to see various sides of an issue. Also, my intent is a mix of news, trivia and opinion. Maybe I will take a few more risks when the time is right.
Hill Cox emailed a series of ideas, including: Shades of Green, The Spirit of Erin, Phil’s Focus, Erin’s Advocate, Village Views and Erin Perspective.
I liked Shades of Green, since it is a bit Irish (like me), and a bit environmental (all the rage these days). Google has almost 1.5 million references to “Shades of Green”. I would be sharing the name with a hosta nursery in Aylmer, Ontario; a forest website; an environment series on CBC; a housing estate on Vancouver Island, various landscaping firms and an Armed Forces Recreation Centre at Walt Disney World in Florida. Ultimately, it was too ambiguous.
Heidi Duncan (who named her business Heidi Hoe) dropped off a list that includes: Soapbox Stories, A Wee Tale to Tell, Much Ado About Nothing, Erin’s Hullaballo, Shamrock Stories and – meant with good intentions I’m told – The Phillage Idiot. I am feeling inspired. Less need for self-deprecation when readers are willing to help.
Anyhow, it is thumbs down on all the above. My favourite is Erin Insight, suggested by Hill Cox. The term doesn’t turn up in Google, except for a couple of references to insightful people named Erin. Not as racy as some, but it is likely to stand up better over time.
Of course, the column name does not refer just to “insights” of mine, but to those of people I interview or who send me their views. I have avoided putting my own email address in the column, but I will soon set up a new one for dialogue on column topics.
Have you ever Googled the place where you live?
Like searching out your own name on the Internet, checking the hits on Erin can lead to some interesting, but time-consuming tangents.
The Google search engine produces 54.9 million references to Erin, but if you narrow it down to “Town of Erin”, the total is a mere 10,100.
You could inadvertently learn all about Erin Mills, or Erin Brockovich, or the many companies that use Erin in their corporate name.
Are you curious about Erin, New York, located east of Elmira in Chemung County near the Pennsylvania border? How about Erin, Nigeria, south of Abeokuta?
Wikipedia, the popular on-line encyclopedia, lets us know that the word Erin is derived from Éirinn, a form of the Irish word for Ireland, and that it originated with the Gaelic name Eireann.
Wikipedia also has a very brief article (a “geography stub”) on our Erin. In addition to some basic facts, it says, “The town’s new industrial park is attracting a number of new industries, due to its cheaper tax rate, accessibility to transportation, and its location within the ‘Technology Triangle’, a series of high-tech driven cities including nearby Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge.”
Fascinating stuff. The Town, or anyone for that matter, is welcome to edit or add to the Wikipedia article. Fortunately, it has a link to www.erin.ca, an excellent source for local information.
The Town of Erin website is a treasure trunk of interesting stuff. Of course there are the municipal things, like agendas, minutes and permits. But you will also find an excellent photo gallery, lots of local history articles, details on coming events, and directories of businesses and community groups. It is an attractive marketing tool that will be seen by people thinking of buying a home or setting up a business here.
It also links to many other sites of local interest, such as: Credit Valley Conservation, Wellington County and Health Unit, erincinema, Hills of Headwaters and the Agricultural Society.
I got caught up in this web of Erin links while researching another burning issue – what to name this newspaper column. When naming something these days, it is wise to go on-line to see who else is using the name. Many thanks to the readers who gave the matter some thought, after I requested help two weeks ago.
John Sutherland phoned to suggest Erin Gleanings, since I tend to gather up things that have not made it into the regular news.
Jane Vandervliet suggested Teetering on my Soapbox. “Reflects need for firmer stance,” she said. “After all an ‘opinion’ column requires the writer to actually have one.” Ouch.
“Don’t be afraid of ticking people off. Persuasive writing is all about challenging others to think with the goal of change for the better for all.”
No offence taken, Jane. It is true that I tend to cautious, trying to see various sides of an issue. Also, my intent is a mix of news, trivia and opinion. Maybe I will take a few more risks when the time is right.
Hill Cox emailed a series of ideas, including: Shades of Green, The Spirit of Erin, Phil’s Focus, Erin’s Advocate, Village Views and Erin Perspective.
I liked Shades of Green, since it is a bit Irish (like me), and a bit environmental (all the rage these days). Google has almost 1.5 million references to “Shades of Green”. I would be sharing the name with a hosta nursery in Aylmer, Ontario; a forest website; an environment series on CBC; a housing estate on Vancouver Island, various landscaping firms and an Armed Forces Recreation Centre at Walt Disney World in Florida. Ultimately, it was too ambiguous.
Heidi Duncan (who named her business Heidi Hoe) dropped off a list that includes: Soapbox Stories, A Wee Tale to Tell, Much Ado About Nothing, Erin’s Hullaballo, Shamrock Stories and – meant with good intentions I’m told – The Phillage Idiot. I am feeling inspired. Less need for self-deprecation when readers are willing to help.
Anyhow, it is thumbs down on all the above. My favourite is Erin Insight, suggested by Hill Cox. The term doesn’t turn up in Google, except for a couple of references to insightful people named Erin. Not as racy as some, but it is likely to stand up better over time.
Of course, the column name does not refer just to “insights” of mine, but to those of people I interview or who send me their views. I have avoided putting my own email address in the column, but I will soon set up a new one for dialogue on column topics.
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