3) STIMULATE: Economic Development

BOTTOM LINE – I’ll work with Council, staff and our Regional & Provincial industry and tourism partners to:

- Make tourism a sustainable and growing source of wealth to King residents and businesses.

- Create sustainable and profitable industry on currently zoned industrial lands that respect our natural heritage and, where possible,  leverage our small town/rural lifestyle.

- Promote alternative uses for the Old Schomberg Arena and maintain it as a community asset, and in particular, a Farmer’s Market and demonstration Mill. I’ll first work with Council and key stakeholders including the Schomberg Arena Advisory Committee and the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association to investigate and propose the Arena be held from liquidation and repurposed for this use.

- Work toward a feasible Schomberg Main Street Improvement Plan and IMPLEMENT it.

- Investigate Community Improvement Plans for our Ward.

JUMP STARTING KING’S ENGINES OF PROSPERITY

King has traditionally relied upon residential development to fund its increasing expenditure needs.  Unchecked, it looks like it will continue to do so. We simply can’t continue on the path we’re on, expecting our standard of services from the Township to continue, unless we somehow increase our level of wealth.

The Township’s debt level has been rising over several years. Council is appealing to the OMB for an increase in our mandated debt-to-operating-budget ratio (denied by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing).

How do you feel about that? We can’t fund road or sewer or other infrastructure repairs and improvements without incurring more long-term debt, and the 8th Concession is a perfect example. And we know we can’t expect the Province or Region to come to our aid.

We’ll increasingly be in debt if we continue to rely on our lowest common denominator:  land that I believe is rarely sold at a value, or that can be taxed highly enough, to pay for our long term costs of serving it.

We do have options! They are not instant fixes – but long-term, effective and sustainable alternatives to our historic sources of revenue.

I will work with Council, York Region, and our Provincial and Federal governments to invest in and coordinate our resources toward these Engines of Prosperity:

TOURISM

As the communities surrounding King become more dense and developed, King becomes more and more a green “backyard” for very much the things we already know it for, yet not marketed today in any significant, coordinated effort:

ARTS – King possesses one of the highest per capita number of artists in Ontario, and one of the highest rates of growth in resident artists.  As an artist myself, as a board member of Arts Society King, as Chair of the Schomberg Village Street Gallery, and as board member of York Region Arts Council, I can tell you we have a great story to tell here!Arts drives jobs and is a catalyst for attracting tourists to King. Arts play a strong role in tourism, what sociologists and urban planners identify as key assets that drive the health of communities.Yet King has little beside visual arts.  I am a visual artist and we have a truly excellent array of others here, some with international reputation.  But there’s more:  Theatre and music: we don’t have a single theatre in King beyond high schools.  Yes, we only have 20,000 people – but think tourism destination – we can attract visitors as one of those assets we develop. King in general, and Schomberg and area specifically, are ripe as tourist destinations and we need a plan for this. Yet the development agenda has been, and continues to be, defined by a single industry:  residential housing. It’s time for change of thought here.

NATURE – Approximately 80% of King is on the Greenbelt.  Hikers, cross country skiers, cyclists, runners, hikers, horse lovers, it’s all here!  Eco-tourism is on the rise. We can attract significant tourist dollars if we invest in key attractions and events that will build awareness of King as green tourist destination.As one example, a specific recommendation of the York Region Tourism destination strategy is an Oak Ridges Moraine Interpretive Centre – I will work with Council to bring this to King.

HERITAGE – King is known for its heritage properties and our pride in history.  We can leverage these assets as an additional tourist attractions.  But we have been lax in investing in our most public and magnetic spaces:  Schomberg Main Street is just now coming out of a slow decline. Bylaw enforcement has been lax – our entranceways are shameful. Weak planning tools have allowed development in and around Schomberg and area that is not in keeping with our heritage.I will work diligently to improve our planning tools, bylaws and bylaw enforcement, and create a workable Schomberg Main Street improvement plan in cooperation with local merchants and building owners, based on the world-class Schomberg Village Design Guidelines study already paid for and received by the Township. Main Street is a gem and can be utilized as a key part of a tourism destination programme.

Last year I worked on behalf of Arts Society King and York Region Arts Council to ensure that the interests of King and York Region artists and arts groups were represented in York Region Tourism’s input to Gregory Sorbara’s Provincial tourism strategy.  The Province and York Region will be much better coordinated both financially and operationally to bring tourists to our area in the coming years: York Region will be part of a new tourist zone that extends from Durham to the east to Hills of the Headwaters to the west.

But we cannot rely on the Provincial and Regional assistance alone: we must leverage these investments, and likely make some ourselves, to make tourism a sustainable long-term wealth generator for King and its residents.

Bottom line: I will work to  make tourism a sustainable and growing source of wealth to King residents and businesses.

INDUSTRY & COMMERCE

Ward 4 possesses the largest ZONED undeveloped amount of industrial land in King – this is a scarce and valuable resource in a rural community such as ours. And yet – and despite the DePoce lands finally coming to fruition, we have been lax at attracting industry and jobs. We need an industrial strategy for these lands – this is very low-lying fruit. We can position ourselves positively against the complaints of the Innisfil “fence jumping” of industry by investing strategically to attract a new industrial category here.

I will work diligently with Council and King’s Economic Development Officer to head up a study on the viability of attracting alternative, niche industries to Ward 4.

As an example, I’d like to investigate government and private sector support to bring a major fibre telecommunications artery and other requisite infrastructure to Ward 4. Knowledge industries (and more importantly, the employees they seek to attract) would enjoy the campus environment that could be planned here, the affordable and diverse housing available here, plus the obvious lifestyle benefits.  This is real, ”doable” and effective long-term industrial growth strategy.

Further Reading:  See Economic Renewal: Arts Meets High-Tech in the New Stratford where I describe this opportunity in more depth where I compare Stratford, Ontario’s efforts to diversify it’s economy with targeted high technology investments and partnerships.

Fate of the “Old” Schomberg Arena

I talk about the fate of this historic building in PRESERVE: Natural, Heritage & Artistic Assets.  This facility, if properly reinvigorated to a new use, would be a beacon for sustainability and would put Schomberg and area “on the map” in several possible ways.

How?

• Farmer’s Market and Mill Operation. We could have a full-time Farmer’s Market right in our own community. In addition, we could permit a carrot and onion powder operation facility. Talk about integration of our agriculture, directly with our community!  Here’s some further encouragement:

Michael Ignatieff announced AT HOLLAND MARSH on April 26th that the Liberal government will provide $80 million to a “buy local” fund, aimed directly at farmer’s markets as part of their National Food Policy.

• Arts & Culture Centre. Think McMichael and what that did for Kleinburg. Think tourism, heritage, arts & culture destination all in one facility, plus the economic spin-off benefits.  Challenge: Funding — King’s reserves are empty.  This is idea would require a substantial private/public partnership to generate adequate funding.

• Indoor Soccer Arena. If you have kids you know how popular these facilities are becoming.

• Commercial Mixed-Use. Think campus environment for small businesses and retail.

These are just three examples for discussion that are certainly preferable to demolishing this still-valuable Township asset.
Considering that we have the Holland Marsh growers right in our back yard, I believe my first option is very achievable and with large benefits for our farming community and King.

What do YOU think?

We need OPEN COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS about the fate of the old arena NOW.

I discuss the fate of the old Schomberg Arena further in The Best Kept secret in Schomberg.

Community Improvement Plans

There is another tool that Council should consider that have been proven effective to help guide and stimulate communities: Community Improvement Plans have had dramatic effect in communities such as Caledon and Bolton to foster coherent, attractive business areas to the benefit of all residents and business owners.  They are not a magic bullet in my opinion, but one of a suite of tools we can use effectively to shape planning effectively.  They are primarily aimed at existing areas requiring rejuvenation and focus on look-and-feel elements.  Can you think of a few areas in Ward 4 and the other villages that could use this tool?  I do ….

I will work closely with Council and our Economic Development Officer to promote and investigate the viability of these plans for our Ward, specifically Schomberg as it possesses the highest commercial concentration.
Bottom line: I will work to:

– Create sustainable and profitable industry here on lands that are zoned industrial NOW that respect our natural heritage and leverage our small town/rural lifestyle.

– Promote alternative uses for the Old Schomberg Arena and maintain it as a community asset. Specifically I will first work with Council and key stakeholders including the Schomberg Arena Advisory Committee and the Holland Marsh Growers’ Association to investigate and propose the Arena be held from liquidation and repurposed to a framer’s market and potential processing facility.

– Work toward a feasible Schomberg Main Street Improvement Plan and IMPLEMENT it.

- Investigate feasibility of Community Improvement Plans for our Ward.