Prominent members of town and local business owners sat down to the annual BWG Mayor’s Business Breakfast Tuesday morning at the Club at Bond Head.
The annual networking event highlights some of the key successes in town related business over the past year, as well as provides an economic update on upcoming plans and initiatives.
There were four speakers this year, each highlighting different aspects of business in BWG.
First to the podium was Vice President of Public Relations (PR) for the Bradford Board of Trade (BBT) and ‘solopreneur’, Jennifer Harrison, who spoke on the importance of community building.
Since becoming the VP of PR, her goal has been to modernize the board’s image into an innovative and diverse reflection of the BWG business community, “Committed to enriching the lives of its members through community building.”
Events like the Home & Lifestyle Show held by the BBT every spring, and the annual Business Awards Gala every fall, are just some of the ways the BBT embodies that mission, highlighting and celebrating some of the very best in local business.
She noted how the BBT is “interwoven into the fabric of this community” as they support economic development in Bradford in an effort to stimulate the local business economy.
MP for York-Simcoe, Scot Davidson highlighted some of the key areas of improvement he would like to see for Bradford and the rest of the region.
Three key issues brought up when campaigning for the election this past fall he noted were: The Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund, the Infrastructure of York-Simcoe, and advocacy for small businesses.
He is committed to getting the Bradford by-pass project started with the help of MPP Caroline Mulroney, noting its importance to not just the Town of BWG, but the rest of the region.
“It is one thing I am committed to getting done in a timely fashion,” he said.
He spoke about the farmlands in Bradford and how we are “blessed here in this riding with the most arable farmland in all of Canada.” He was disappointed that no one in the election spoke to the farming community and would like to do more for them.
After travelling through the Holland Marsh, Davidson said he would like to get phase 3 hydro and gas service for those living in the area, which would help for farm business.
“A lot of farmers are burning propane, and there could be a better cost savings if we could see some of those things happen,” he said.
Another key issue that came to light during his campaigning was healthcare and the need for a more centralized hospital in the riding.
Davidson said his “door is always open” and invites anyone with good ideas about the future of the riding’s economy to reach out to him and discuss.
Deputy Mayor James Leduc spoke about the five committees within the Town of BWG: Economic Development Advisory Committee, Accessibility Advisory Committee, Downtown Revitalization Committee, Heritage Committee, and Healthy Communities Committee.
He noted the new website for the Economic Advisory Committee “showing the world we are ready for business" and The Downtown Revitalization Committee has been working hard at redeveloping the downtown core.
The Accessibility Advisory Committee which have been expanding options for transit, and helping local businesses become more accessible with washrooms, parking, and ramps.
The Healthy Communities Committee has always been advocates of the Walk N’ Wheel Wednesday program, that encourages walking and biking to and from school everyday. There is also a new ‘anti-idling’ program in the works.
He noted the Heritage Committee having a “busy year” with various studies on properties in the town, including Earle Rowe, Gummerson House, Quaint House and the old Bradford High School.
Leduc ended off by reminding everyone that all committee meetings are open to the public for feedback and input.
Keynote speaker, Mayor Rob Keffer provided an update on what the Town of BWG has been up to and what is in store for the next year.
There are five priorities for this year’s Strategic Plan which include: the reduction of congestion on the roads, more for community and traffic safety, the promoting of sustainable job growth, the development of the Facilities Master Plan, and housing affordability.
In terms of relieving traffic congestion, the town will continue to look for ways to alleviate traffic. This year there were was the opening of Marshview Boulevard that connects from Bridge Street to Simcoe Road, alleviating some of the traffic from Holland Street as well as the opening of the Line 5 Highway exit, and the new set of traffic lights that will be installed at Sideroad 10 and Line 8, projected to be in by Christmas.
He addressed community safety concerns at a “neighbourhood level” noting the recent repair work done to the sidewalks in the downtown core and the new ‘Slow Your Roll’ sign campaign that encourages drivers to slow down in subdivision areas.
The Town of BWG will also be partnering with the Town of Innisfil and South Simcoe Police to develop a community safety and wellbeing plan.
As for the creation of more jobs in Bradford, he discussed the Strathallen developments at the Highway 400 and 88 intersection, which will see the building of a hotel, a shoe manufacturing company, with "many more to come” which “will translate to hundreds of new jobs in our community.”
This year the town has seen 32 grand openings and anniversary celebrations, with more to come, along with many community improvement plans with the potential of creating 125 new jobs in BWG.
The Facilities Master Plan “looks at what we have and what we need, and how to make the two match”. He spoke about the old Bradford Community Centre on Simcoe Road which has “a lot of potential.” The town has applied for a government grant to transform the centre into a multipurpose community hub, with a space for seniors and youth, a multicultural area, a theatre, an arts centre, an innovation centre and a space for social service providers. Keffer thanked MP Scot Davidson and MPP Caroline Mulroney for their letters of support and “are hopeful for a positive outcome.”
While the town awaits to hear from the county about affordable housing options in BWG, the town will focus on developing a BWG affordable housing strategy and action plan.
Town of BWG’s Economic Development Manager, Michael Disano and Economic Development Marketing Coordinator, Michael Kemp ended off the event with a presentation on the Economic Development Advisory Committee’s new website.
The website was developed as a “way to become more efficient” for businesses looking to relocate to Bradford.
The new site will feature general information and automated forms to help streamline the process of applications and queries from potential businesses.
There are many components of the website including information on zoning, detailed vacant land maps, links to publications, a business directory and town event information. It will “tell the story through the lens of a business,” explained Disano.
