Community Development Department Newsletter

September 2019

Positive outlook for arts, entertainment & recreation sector

While growth outlook is strong, recent BR+E survey
points to challenges around space and volunteers

Artists and musicians must adapt to keep pace with the changing needs of tourists and visitors, while sports leagues face challenges around limited spaces for play, according to results of a recent Business Retention and Expansion (BR+E) survey looking at the growth outlook for the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector.

Service organizations also report facing challenges in recruiting and retaining quality volunteers.

In Prince Edward County, the Arts, Entertainment & Recreation Industry represents 266 jobs, which is 44 per cent above the national average. This sector of our economy has grown more than 20 per cent since 2009. Read more here.

County to offer immersive experiential tourism training 

We’re looking for six individuals, representing six businesses / organizations in Prince Edward County to attend a 4-day experiential tourism training course hosted by Northern Edge Algonquin. Fully funded through the Regional Tourism Organization (RTO9), this is an opportunity to learn first-hand how to develop high-quality, high-yield experiences that encourage return visits, longer stays and shoulder season travel. The deadline to apply is Friday September 20 at 12 noon. 

For more information and/or an application, click here.

Culture & Recreation Funding Open for Applications

The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program has opened its Community, Culture and Recreation stream of funding, providing cost-shared infrastructure funding to support improving access to and / or quality of community, cultural, and recreation priority infrastructure projects.

Eligible projects must include a capital component and focus on recreational facilities, cultural facilities such as museums, libraries or theatres, or community centres. The funding is open to governments and not-for-profits. Full details can be found here.

Royal Winter Fair 'South Eastern Ontario' booths

RTO9 is organizing a ‘South Eastern Ontario’ communal space at the Royal Winter Fair this November in Toronto. They’re looking for County-based food and non-alcoholic beverages producers to sell / sample products while promoting all the delicious things The County has to offer. If you’re interested in taking part and available in early November, please contact Ashley Stewart – astewart@pecounty.on.ca

Changes coming for Fall Countylicious!

The popular Countylicious culinary promotion will undergo changes for Fall 2019, with new experiences that celebrate farm-to-table fare. Read more here.

Countylicious Advisory Committee

We're seeking representatives from the Culinary; Accommodations; Food Security; Food Production and Beverage sectors to join a new advisory committee that will help shape the future of the prix-fixe promotion. If you're interested, please contact Karen Palmer at kpalmer@pecounty.on.ca or 613-476-2148 x. 2505. 

Mile Markers Added to Millennium Trail

The County, in partnership with the The Millennium Trail Revitalization Committee, is excited to share images of recently installed kilometre markers on the Millennium Trail. The markers are part of the revitalization of the trail, which includes resurfacing and grading, new directional and safety signage as well as "staging areas" where walkers, cyclists, riders and more can start or break their trip.

Funding for the signs came from generous sponsors. The Community Development Department was also able to secure provincial tourism dollars (through RTO9 South Eastern Ontario) to match sponsor funding, which has allowed for additional signs. More signage will be installed later this year, as part of an overall signage family for the trail. Revitalization of the trail has made it more accessible and promotes an active lifestyle for both County residents and visitors alike.

For more information about the trail signs contact Trevor Crowe at tcrowe@pecounty.on.ca

Application stream for RED Funding open until September 9

Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program is cost-share funding that supports activities that create strong rural communities in Ontario, and opens doors to rural economic development by:

• Providing funding assistance to address barriers to economic development, to better position rural communities to attract and retain jobs, and investment, and enhance economic growth;
• Providing funding to build community capacity and support for economic development in Ontario’s rural communities; and
• Investing in rural communities to help diversify and grow local economies – making economic growth more inclusive so Rural Ontario continues to share in the province’s economic prosperity.

Not-for-profit entities are eligible for matched funding under the Economic Diversification & Competitiveness stream and the Strategic Economic Infrastructure Stream. Learn more here. 

Knowing Your Customer a Vital First Step

Before a budding entrepreneur spends money on a business location, looks for staff or starts production of your goods, you need to know your customers thoroughly. Before you create a marketing strategy, design a website or even a business card, you need to know who you are talking to and what is important to them.

Knowing how your customer prefers to shop, how much they are willing to pay, how often and at what times of the year, will help you develop a sales strategy and a realistic cash flow. The more thorough you are in your Customer Research, the better you will be able to plan and manage your business, especially in the first crucial years. 
 

Here is a list of questions to help you with this research:

• Are they purchasing a product, service or both?
• How many main customer groups does your business have and what makes them different?
• Are they year round or seasonal? If seasonal which one?
• Do you expect your customer to be an infrequent or routine/repeat shopper?
• Is your access to the customer direct or through another business?  
• Are you engaging them in person, online or both?
• Are they buying for themselves or others? 
• What is the reason for the purchase – are they fulfilling a need or want?
• At your price point, will you be looking for customers with a high, medium or lower expendable budget?
• What is their preferred means of getting key information prior to purchase? Can you do this easily?
• Do you know the satisfaction level of customers who fall into one of the regular/repeat categories?
• What is it that they like most about your business?

If you would like help with your Customer Research, or any other aspect of starting a business, give me a call. I’d love to work with you on this!  Sandy Abbott: 613-476-4240 or email abbott.agency@sympatico.ca. 

2 Gallery

After 18 months of looking for suitable gallery space, gallery owners Jim Turner and Craig Daniel came back to Picton. “In fact we’d walked past this shopfront many times,” says Craig, “and grumbled why can’t that place be available?” When the For Lease sign appeared, it was as if they’d wished it into being. “It was perfect,” he says. “One big space. It was a martial arts studio before, so it didn’t need tearing apart. It had good light, big windows and a terrific street presence.” Being close to the Royal Hotel, which will surely attract potential clientele when it re-opens, was a bonus. Read more here.

GOOD Place

“I’ve been coming to The County for five years," says GOOD Place co-owner Stew Garnham. "I noticed a lack of options, particularly for vegetarians, and that’s where this all started. I was just finishing up my real estate license when Trish [Cook, another co-owner] called to pitch some business ideas, all of which sounded more exciting than what I was doing. Our brainstorming phase was nuts! We dreamed we could do this and that, have amazing camping packages, all sorts of stuff, but then we calmed down and brought it back to the essentials we’d originally had in mind, which were healthy food options, vegetarian, gluten-free. We have our passions for the environment, too, so we’d strive to be waste-free and reduce our footprint on everything.” Read more here. 

Beacon Bike + Brew

As parents of a 19-month old, owners Stephanie & Jordan Malka know the frustration of being out and about with kids but unable to browse or relax because there’s nowhere to put them down. “Most places just don’t have the space, but we do, so we thought why not offer it up? And of course it’s good for us personally, because we both work here and can have our son Levi with us if need be.” Read more here.

Real estate works differently in The County

The laws governing real estate sales are the same across the province, but the actual day-to-day practices vary a lot from place to place. This is especially true when people are coming from a big city like Toronto to buy real estate in a small, rural market like Prince Edward County. Here are some common Big City misconceptions about buying real estate here. Read more here. 

Looking for PEC tourism industry updates, news and notices? Sign-up for our tourism industry monthly newsletter, Facebook group, or Instagram account!

Events

Find out what's on this month
on the event calendar 
or catch the highlights on the blog.

Planning something for October?
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so we can spread the word!

From The Blog 👇

Family Rate at Escape Macaulay

Dress cool and take advantage of our family rate of $75! Escapees can collect a free cocktail at Kinsip House of Fine Spirits. Find ticket links here: https://www.visitpec.ca/escape/

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