CA$H says “This is my third installment of Sam & Angela. For this one, I got the idea from the For Better or For Worse comic strip where Elizabeth was playing with a fly swatter. That’s how it got me inspired. Thank you for reading my comic strip!”
Sam and Angela #2
Here’s the next installment in CA$H’s series called Sam & Angela! Enjoy!
Sam and Angela #1
I’d like to introduce you to CA$H – a young illustrator who is launching her drawings on our blog. She has written several graphic novels that haven’t been published yet, but we plan to show some of them to you. Enjoy!.
Starting up
This is the beginning of my new blog. I hope to feature the old and the new here. Creativity from the past and present. Travels, hopes, dreams, reflections. But nothing too deep.
Where does the blog’s title come from? Well, an old friend of mine was named Oliver, and we had a lot in common. More about him later.
Thanks for following along.
Mumford meets tourism: music to our rural ears
Originally published as “Testing tactics in heritage tourism” on July 19, 2013 on economicdevelopment.org
Over the years, our economic development office has tried very hard to promote heritage as part of the tourism product offering. Hopefully our latest try — leveraging the power of a popular folk band — will get tourists to visit us and celebrate our musical legends.
Norfolk County has fantastic, vibrant museums with excellent programming and strong support from locals and visitors. There are numerous heritage-oriented activities throughout the year, too, from Doors Open to battle re-enactments. Despite these solid experiences, it remains difficult to ignite the desire to travel to Norfolk County for a heritage experience in anyone other than a history buff. Beaches, the lake, cottages and camping are, and will continue to be, the bread and butter of motivation for visitors to set their sights on Norfolk County.
A few months ago, an opportunity came along that we couldn’t pass up. For a variety of reasons, the award-winning U.K. band Mumford & Sons shortlisted Norfolk County to host their only Canadian stopover on the Gentlemen of the Road tour. The musicians clearly have an avid fan base, so we captured some video of their decision-making trip to Norfolk County and kept it in the can for a potential walk-in-the-footsteps-of-Mumford promotion. What better way to boost visits and spending?
On the day of the announcement by Live Nation, promoter Jason Grant praised the locals who welcomed the site selectors. But he also specifically named Rick Danko, member of The Band (with Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson et al), as a primary motivator. Rick grew up in Norfolk County, then left to become famous. When we mentioned to Mumford & Sons that this is his hometown, Jason said, they lit up immediately. Remember when they performed The Weight as part of the Helm tribute at The Grammy Awards?
Success can be distressing sometimes. When tickets were released, they sold within half an hour, even with the band’s attempts to thwart scalpers. More are being made available, but they will sell quickly as well. The new goal was to lure people to Norfolk County in the weeks before and after the concert. This was a major challenge but our authentic, local connection, Rick Danko, provided inspiration.
We plotted the old dance halls on a map, read some history books, then turned to Facebook friends for memories. Overnight, local residents were telling stories on our social media sites about the fun they had at Norfolk County dance halls in the 1950s , ’60s and ’70s. That was when big names like Ronnie Hawkins, RUSH, Lighthouse, BTO, Chubby Checker and others toured the dance hall circuit.
The Summer Garden in Port Dover was the most popular dance hall. It was where Rick met Hawkins, which led to the formation of The Band. The Summer Garden was torched by an arsonist in 1979 (causing many in Port Dover to weep in the streets) but the legacy of the musicians who played there lives on.
So, our office pulled together a touring route that connected the old dance halls, none of which are open anymore. It appeared a bit empty on the route, so we mentioned all the other things to do along the way, including our theatres and museums, hotels and B&Bs, farm markets, beaches, campgrounds and more. Check out the route on this Google Map.
The community got involved. The Port Dover Harbour Museum set up a special Summer Garden exhibit. Comfort Inn and Barrel Pizza created discounts for visitors who mention Mumford & Sons. Cottage North Soapworks made I Will Wash soap bars with moustaches. Norfolk County Council approved gateway signage as a tribute to Rick in the rural area where he grew up.
Our local newspaper, the Simcoe Reformer, stepped up and secured free tickets for Mumford & Sons from our friends at Live Nation. To win the tickets, visitors must travel the route and take a photo of themselves along the way. We will post the photos on our social media networks.
Yes, it is an experiment. However, we couldn’t pass up the chance to try to promote our heritage when such a wonderful opportunity appeared out of the blue.
We will see if it works. If it does succeed, we couldn’t have done it without the help of Mumford & Sons, Live Nation, our local partners and residents … and, of course, Rick Danko and the ghosts of the Norfolk County dance halls.
UPDATE
The Gentlemen of the Road Simcoe Stopover in Norfolk County was an undisputed success. It is estimated that the economic impact on the community was more than $10 million. CBC’s The National prepared a documentary about the event, called “The Mumford Effect“. There were large increases in traffic to www.norfolktourism.ca leading up to the event, causing an overall 60% incremental increase in web visits for the year. Anecdotal evidence continues to highlight that visitors are returning to Norfolk County after visiting GOTR.
An extended interview with Mumford & Sons included encouraging words for Norfolk County by band members.
OTHER LINKS
Routes: Footsteps of Rock Legends ~ Footsteps of Mumford & Sons
Read the Simcoe Reformer article by Sarah Doktor.
Watch the Walk in the Footsteps of Rock Legends video.
News Release: Mumford & Sons wakes up Norfolk County’s rock ‘n roll soul
Article: Impact of Mumford & Sons in Norfolk News
Award: Collaboration with Mumford & Sons wins Economic Development award
Norfolk County Council: Final Summary of the Gentlemen of the Road Simcoe Stopover
6 cool ideas for rural EDOs
Original published on economicdevelopment.org on October 27, 2012
Here is a selection of some of the cool ideas presented at a recent agriculture economic development forum organized by the Ontario ag ministry. Some of them are no-brainers, but worth rethinking. Others are fairly radical for conservative thinkers. Let’s start with the least expensive ideas, then work to the high-priced ones.
Internal networking now helps crisis management later. In municipal circles, we are all busy. It’s hard to take the time to network with colleagues in other departments. But it could be crucial down the road if you need their help. Engage them, listen to them and explain to them the goals and aspirations of an economic development office. Health inspectors, planners, building inspectors, engineers, licensing coordinators … all of them have a role to play and deserve your respect. So when a business is challenging the status quo and you need to bend your colleague’s ear, they will be more willing to take your call.
Get your foot in the door without them knowing it. Building trust and respect between government and business is key to economic development, but it is always a challenge. Figure out innovative ways to get your face in front of your client base. Enterprise Toronto’s Next Great Food Contest garnered 35 entries from small businesses, many of who needed the help of the contest organizer (i.e. the economic development office) but didn’t know it existed. The winner gets a spot at the Toronto restaurant food show, paid by the City, while all the runners-up are now on the EDO’s Rolodex.
Focus on the newborn, not the incubator. It’s the latest buzzword. Everyone thinks your community just isn’t complete without one: The Business Incubator. Mike Wolfson of Toronto Economic Development reminded us that in the rush to set up incubators, municipalities might lose sight of the goal… helping businesses grow. Understand the types of businesses you are helping before leasing a building to put them in. The incubator is not a magic wand. What will bear fruit is a solid strategy based on understanding business needs, coupled with a proactive, responsive economic development team.
Encourage cold-weather crop production. David Beck of the Centre for Innovative Food Technology of Toledo, Ohio, reminded us about high tunnels that allow crops to be grown under plastic through cooler months. Two sheets of plastic separated by air flow from a fan, stretched over a simple metal frame and warmed by the sun, can allow farmers to grow fruit and vegetables in the depths of winter without building an expensive greenhouse. At night, a third sheet of plastic is drawn over the crop at a lower level to retain the warmth of the soil. Many farmers already do this in Norfolk County, so the expertise is out there.
Encourage innovations such as high-pressure processing technology. David Beck also spoke of Sandridge Food Corp. of Medina, Ohio, which is a leader in ultra high-pressure processing of food. Salads are packed into bundles and exposed to cold water under high pressure to kill bacteria in food. Salads with a longer shelf life are more attractive to retailers and consumers. The technology isn’t cheap but it may be another tool rural food processors can use to compete alongside urban food plants.
Jobs will go to municipalities that invest in water/sewer infrastructure for food processors. Phil Dyck of OMAFRA offered sobering thoughts on the state of municipal infrastructure and food processing. It’s a sad game: municipal engineers avoid expensive investments in water/sewer and promote conservation. Meanwhile, food processors need consistent access to infrastructure and are willing to conserve, but only if it is driven by improved efficiencies. Time-of-use strategies may work, as well as water-recycling services, to relieve the strain on utility supplies. Ultimately, major investment may be needed to truly address the needs of industry. In fact, research shows that for every job created in building needed infrastructure, there are as many as five food-processing jobs created as a result. Compare that to 1 to 1.4 for manufacturing or 1 to 0.9 for transportation. Collaboration is key to understanding everyone’s perspective and realizing common goals.
These ideas are not new, but they do underscore specific challenges and opportunities that exist in many rural communities. The last idea – about upgrading infrastructure to retain and expand food-processing capacity – is probably the most controversial. Only communities led by visionaries that truly understand modern agri-business will see the opportunity for new jobs that can be created.
The Municipal Agriculture Economic Development Forum was organized by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs with support from the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area Agricultural Advisory Committee. Thanks to the organizers for a great program and excellent networking opportunity.
Food imports rise: what about safety?
Originally published as a Norfolk County media release (Imports up from countries with questionable food safety standards) in 2007
Growing amounts of food imports from countries with questionable food safety standards continue to flow into Canada, threatening Canadian farms with responsible records.
That is the grim warning from Norfolk County, a rural municipality southwest of Toronto that is concerned about the viability of its local economic base.
“We are concerned about the effect these trends are having on our farmers, and we continue to ask our senior levels of government to act surely and quickly to protect Canadian and Norfolk producers and consumers,” said Mayor Dennis Travale.
Norfolk County has annual gross farm receipts of $419 million, making it the fifth largest agricultural area in Ontario. By comparison, Chinashipped $430 million in agricultural products to Canada last year. In total, worldwide imports of agriculture products to Canada increased by 10% in 2006 to $22.4 billion, compared to 2004.
Apple juice was China’s largest food export to Canada, up 69% compared to 2003. China shipped $28 million worth of apple juice to Canada last year, much of which may be used in juice-filled drinking boxes popular among children. China has come under scrutiny in recent months in regard to food safety standards.
Norfolk County has posted an analysis of food import statistics gathered by the Government of Canada, on its website at http://www.norfolkfarms.com.
“We want you to know where your food comes from, but we discovered some astonishing trends,” said Clark Hoskin, Manager of Tourism & Economic Development. “Some of these countries have less stringent food safety standards than Canada, but imports from these nations continue to balloon.”
A summary of the trends and a link to more data is located at NorfolkCounty’s website at http://www.norfolkfarms.com.
Asparagus imports rose 18%. Norfolk produces 54% of Ontario’s asparagus crop. Strawberry imports jumped 22%. Norfolk produces 12% of Ontario’s strawberries. Pickle imports, mainly from India and Mexico, increased 71%, squeezing Norfolk cucumber growers out of the market. Raspberry imports ballooned by 102% in two years.
The value of imports of cigarettes skyrocketed six-fold last year, to $162 million. Norfolk County tobacco growers produced 58% of the Ontario tobacco crop in 2006, but they are now facing the demise of tobacco growing, due to the drop in world prices and other factors. While Canadian farmers plant less tobacco, cigarette companies merely import more from developing nations.
Norfolk County is working closely with dozens of its farmers to promote increased consumption of local farm products. For a list of Norfolk County farms and foods, visit http://www.norfolkfarms.com. A map featuring local farms can also be requested from Norfolk County by calling 1-800-699-9038 or (519) 426-9497.
Source: http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/CNW.20070720.C8211/GIStory/Email
Clark Hoskin 
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