Hello Gravenhurst,
We are looking for your input into the future of our Town. We are encouraging people to post their comments here in regards to building a future for Gravenhurst. Stemming from our February 9th Town Hall brainstorming session we need your input... if you were unable to make the session, or have additional comments that weren't captured, please post them here.
to start we are looking for your ideas as to how to revitalize out Historic Downton Core.
Uptown Gravenhurst Ideas
ReplyDelete1. Many small towns in Canada and the United States have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps after hitting hard economic times by adopting a theme.
• The most prominent success in Canada is the recovery of Chemainus, south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island . It had lost its entire lumber-processing industry and was rapidly dissolving as a community. It adopted a theme-town
approach by painting historic murals on its walls. It now is a thriving tourist destination.
Other examples are Niagara-on-the-Lake and Smiths Falls.
o In the U.S., Ogdensburgh, New York, (boating) any town in New England (white and yellow), Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Mennonite/Amish), Shipshewana, Indiana (Amish), Frankenmuth,,MIchigan (Christmas), Snowqualmy, Washington (Bavarian village).
o One common factor: their economy collapsed, the town coalesced around a theme and put their shoulder to the wheel to build success.
a. One of the more successful projects has been New England communities, an a prellel to Gravenhurst. Everyone has a positive image of those cosy communities of tree-lined streets, neat business sections and attractive, small shops and restaurants.
Mostly it is colour. Everything in the town is painted white, with yellow or blue trim. That is our image of New England . . . and it is very welcoming and enjoyable. Gravenhurst does not radiate this feeling.
A simple and inxpensive solutioin: adopt a pleasing colour scheme and apply it. This would make a town feel good about itself, start working together and prosoper again.
First off let me express my appreciation for your recognition and action in hosting this meeting. As a 20-year retail "veteran". it is unusual for our sector to enjoy Council's attention so early in its mandate.
ReplyDeleteMy retail businesses were located in Fenlon Fall (ON), Swift Current (SK) and Prince George (BC). While Fenlon Falls most closely parallels Gravenhurst in recreation and summer-time orientation, all the downtowns I've experienced have demonstration similar concerns:
Varying levels of retail business skills
Landlord/tenant friction
Entrepreneurial stubbornness
Emotional (vs Logical) contention
There are probably many others - but these have been constants throughout my business life.
I plan to make the following points during the meeting. I would expect that in depth discussion will not be easy at that time. I provide them here as supporting material. I would be pleased to expand on any of them at Council's request. Here are my thoughts - restricted to the downtown and exclusive of the new shopping mall:
1. Is it the role of Council to create the environment for retail success. Is it not Council's (nor the tax payer's) responsibility to support, enhance or underwrite retail operations. For example, Council should set mill rates that translate into affordably taxed real estate but should they avoid renovation costs of all sorts. This is a huge topic that deserves much discussion. However, successful retail doesn't need handouts.
2. Council should tap into its citizenry for assistance in crafting downtown solutions. It is unnecessary and expensive for consultants and staff to be the only sources of information to council. Gravenhurst has a wealth of available and experienced business talent to assist in the research, the creativity and the mentorship’s necessary to move downtown forward.
3. When discussion downtown solutions, we can be "long" on emotion - and short on facts. The #1 determinate of retail success is "traffic" - not the "jam" kind...but the "shopper" kind. While some vehicular traffic statistics are kept, I believe I'm correct in saying that we have absolutely no daily, weekly and monthly downtown vehicular traffic data on a year-over-year basis. As a community, we have no idea what generates retail traffic in our downtown--and what does not. Nor do we know, by time of day, when it occurs.
4. "Retail Sales" are a poor indicator of downtown retail health. Retail traffic is the first significant measure; the "average sale" or the "average customer transaction" is the second. When multiplied together, they produce "Total Sales." People volumes can be greatly influenced by Council decisions (as well as by retailer creativity) but the second the "average sale", is the exclusive responsibility of the merchant. Council should restrict itself to activity that encourages shoppers to patronize our overall retail sector (area signage, Christmas decor) and leave "average sale" costs (store opening/closing hours, all promotions) to the retailers. A healthy downtown is a high shopper traffic downtown - not necessarily a downtown with high sales volumes. Inevitably, however, one begets the other.
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5. Normally, retailers lack sufficient gross margin and enough time to seriously upgrade their business skills. Retailers are hands-on, Jacks-of-all-trades owners. Returning to university for business skills renewal is seldom possible. Yet financial and banking rules, intrusive employment legislation and constantly changing consumer appetites all demand tighter expense control, greater inventory performance and continued employee productivity growth. The Town of Gravenhurst could stimulate the environment for stronger retail management by partnering to create a "retail petri dish" - an entire retail sector linked by internet to an interested Canadian university. We would provide the raw data; they would discover how our retail sector actually works. We could then approach downtown problems with downtown data--unemotionally.
ReplyDelete6. Council, and our community, would benefit from some clear specific statements of what it wants to be - while avoiding those mushy, feel good "goals" that seem to lead nowhere. Here are some things that I would like Gravenhurst to be (from a downtown and from a business perspective):
a. I would like Gravenhurst downtown to offer a social, convenience and walk-around shopping experience. I would leave most destination retail locations out of downtown.
b. I would like Gravenhurst Economic Development to forego any large-box, regional shopping centre objective.
c. I would like Gravenhurst Economic Development to research and seek out specific, high quality employers and employment (i.e. fee-for-service medicine such as cosmetic surgery) and I would like to tie the retail sector to it.
d. I would like Gravenhurst Council to utilize its citizenry as a resource in quickly moving ahead with this sort of change.
7. Council must learn to say "NO" to inappropriate requests for support. "Half a loaf" is waste.
Unfortunately the weather on Feb.9th kept me from attending the meeting at the Opera House, which I had fully intended to do. I have lived in Gravenhurst as a permanent resident for 10 years, and before that as a cottager for 35 years. I have enjoyed the small town atmosphere in town, but as most major towns in Muskoka I feel it is time to accept the fact that Gravenhurst is growing. Our major concern should be to make sure it grows in a positive , economically viable and attractive manner. The main street (Muskoka Rd.) has been the main business area, but now Bethune Dr.,the Wharf retail area, and indeed the
ReplyDeletesouth end plaza area are all part of what should be the Business Improvement Area. I feel it is time for all those in these retail areas to work together and to support each other to make the whole area a destination for tourists and permanent resident shoppers from the surrounding areas. Even those who live in Barrie, Wasaga Beach, Orillia, Huntsville, Perry Sound enjoy getting out for day trips, so lets all WORK TOGETHER to make Gravenhurst a real destination!
Another person suggested that we adopt a theme for the town. I suggest that we already have a theme of historic signifigance, and that is boatbuilding and the Segwun/Winona steamships on the Muskoka lakes.
We already have new pole decorations with the steamboat theme that are in the downtown area. Why not build on something that is already making Gravenhurst well known?
I feel it is time to bring back the bus idea to connect the entire town. It should run continuously returning to a specific place at least every half hour. It should have stops at every significant area of town, including the downtown shopping area and Opera House/ library (3 stops), stops at the Hotel/Heritage Centre and the Segwun/Winona site, and the Farmers'Market Park at the Wharf, Bethune House, Gull Lake Rotary Park, the South end retail area,Sr.Citizens,Community Centre and Canadian Legion, and Bethune Dr. retail area( two stops). In this way it could serve the people in town, as well as be a way to get tourists to see what the town has to offer. Maybe high school students could get their volunteer hours by riding the bus and informing tourists about points of interest on the bus route during the summer over a speaker system. A nominal fee would help to make the system solvent.
I would suggest that similar businesses in town support each other by having information material in their shops. For example, we have no less than 6 art related businesses in town. If they all worked together to support each other, Gravenhurst could become an art destination.
The fact is that Gravenhurst already has alot going for it if we just work together and capitalize on it. When you promote the whole town as a destination, the downtown area wins too.
A few suggestions:
ReplyDelete1. SNOW REMOVAL: The Town could support the downtown core by doing a better job of snow removal on those 3-4 blocks where people commonly shop. The shop-keepers do a good job, for the most part, clearing the sidewalks immediately in front of their store. But then, there is the dreaded HUMP from between the street and sidewalk that makes it difficult to get from your car to the store and often reduces the number of parking spots or make it difficult to park far enough off the street to be safe.
2. CONNECTING PARTNERS: The town could create a "meeting place" on their website which would connect potential/current investors, landlords & entrepreneurs. Unless you've lived here for many years, it's difficult to know who has what resources and how to approach people to find out. And maybe new investors, who don't know who might be viable, would peruse the site to find out who/where they might like to invest.
3. The old Canadian Tire Store could be used for a artist/crafter's market whereby the artist would rent space - a booth or a part of a wall, etc. and the money would be used for the rent/mortgage, utilities and to pay a full-time cashier & part-time manager. In the summer, the artisan's market could be expanded to include an outdoor farmers' market in the parking lot.
4. HOURS - Rather than debate about setting consistent hours, be better at publicizing those hours. Have each business post their hours on the town or Chamber or BIA website (and change them when they are switching to seasonal hours - or specify the seasonal hours, when they start, etc.)
5. DATABASE of GOODS & SERVICES - I like to shop Gravenhurst first, but sometimes I don't know if anyone carries a needed item and don't have time to visit or call each store, so I'll go to a larger centre. Create a searchable database of items and where a shopper can find them. Make it up to the business to keep this up-to-date and have it easily searchable. The Chamber has a rough version of this for the category of a business, but I'm speaking of something more details and mostly goods oriented.
6. OFFICE SPACES. Where I worked in Toronto at St. Clair & Yonge, the downtown was thriving because of the many office workers who ate & shopped in the area on their lunch, breaks, before & after work. Create office spaces in the downtown for the seasonal residents and the year-round residents who want an office with high-speed & phone. The Town could facilitate such a space by helping to do a business case study to see if we have the critical mass to ensure that if an investor would create such a space (and I know an investor who would possibly be interested in this), that the space would be able to be filled within a reasonable time period.
I was at the meeting last week and agreed with a lot of what was said.
ReplyDeleteThe need for a theme-or a hook-was in my mind before the meeting. We have Bethune House, The Segwun and what has been called (for years!) Muskoka's best farmers' market. Any or all of these can be woven into a theme.
I support Gravenhurst and our local merchants as much as I can. I go out of town for a CIBC, Reitmans and medical appointments. A survey to determine what pulls people out of town would be one approach to exploring what will encourage them to shop here.
Transportation was a recurring point. This should be seriously considered, not just as a link for the 3 business areas, but as an important piece of a healthy community in general. When people can't access work, medical, or recreational facilities, their ability to be a vital part of society is diminished, along with their self esteem, mental and physical well-being.
I must comment on the idea of closing a street to traffic.
First: I would not suggest closing any section of Muskoka Rd. That would decrease the number of people driving downtown and subsequently, decrease the numbers stopping to shop.
Second: I hear so many people complain when the street is closed for Steamship Festival that I can't believe they would like it closed on a long term basis.
I was born and raised in Gravenhurst, but have had the good fortune to live in numerous different cities and small towns. Two towns in particular strike me as very successful and enduring. The common thing both these towns had in common were they both had a University or College. Both were basically the same size as Gravenhurst, with even less of the natural drawing power we have. The Town should be trying to broker a deal with the provincial goverment and potential schools looking for a new campus. The perfect location is the old Ontario Hospital property. Schools attract employable young people, employable young people attract business and industry. A win-win situation for the entire town
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be more stable industry. Look at how Alliston flourished when Honda struck a deal with the town to build on lands, there are so many more people employed, they are spending in their own town, more businesses have opened they have a fantastic downtown core that has a themed festival (potatoe festival) and are a strong viable town because of one decision, the Town decided to cut a deal earlier to make money and money they are making now, by the bucket loads. It still has the small town feel, lots of great little shops but there is more and more employment there now because of this industry. If people don't have disposable income to spend they won't spend it. We can reach out to Barrie residents or farther for tourism but we need to clean up our own backyard we need to get our own residents spending money.
ReplyDeleteSeptember to June
ReplyDelete- Some thoughts on improving Downtown Gravenhurst
What does a small town’s downtown need to make it thrive?
Nicer sidewalks, attractive streetlights, more parking and flower displays are all wonderful and appreciated, but….
What downtown really needs is
PEOPLE !
More specifically, people who…..
- Work in the downtown core at real jobs from September to June, not just in the summer
- Live within walking or short drive proximity to downtown
- Come downtown regularly for products and services
- Send their kids to in-town schools and get involved in community life
Where did the people go?
- Retailers (who were also major employers) moved to better locations (Canadian Tire, LCBO, Home Building, The Source, Foodland/IGA, ). These ‘anchors’ all moved for good business reasons. They won’t be back. They will not be replaced by comparable large retailers.
- Other larger employers – doctors’ offices, the Town offices, some realtors – have moved away from Downtown. They also moved for good business reasons and will not be back.
- Tourists and cottagers come into Downtown less. The peak season has contracted to Mid-June to mid-September. Those who visit cottages in the shoulder and off-seasons shop at the new locations, for understandable reasons.
- Restaurants – Regatta, Boston Pizza, the Blue Willow and the Wolff’s Den – are all open year ‘round at the Wharf. They have better parking and newer facilities.
- Competition – Orillia and Bracebridge opened Home Depots and Walmarts. Gravenhurst residents now go there.
It could get worse……
- If the school-aged population does not increase there is a strong possibility our high school will be closed and amalgamated with Bracebridge’s. Bad news for Downtown.
- Remaining retailers and employers (e.g Beer Store, dance school, realtors, Muskoka Springs, Knapp’s) could move to better (for them) locations.
- Small retailers could go out of business as their customer base continues to decline.
What won’t work….
- Resource based employment (mining, forestry, fishing). This sector is long gone.
- Manufacturing. This sector requires access to large pools of skilled and semi-skilled labour, low taxes, proximity to markets. These jobs have all gone either to Mississauga or overseas. They will not be back. What remains are very small shops and ‘craft’ level industry.
- Tourism. The season is too short and already economically near saturation during the summer. Adding more summer-only opportunities will do nothing to help Downtown from September to June.
- Winter tourism. There are no hills for downhill skiing. Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are not big enough draws to bring people to Gravenhurst, let alone into Downtown. The season is too short. Other than food and booze, winter tourists do not purchase products and services.
- The Chinese. Increased visits to the Bethune House as a result of Canada’s finally getting approved destination status will not translate into much more economic activity for Downtown. Bethune House will for the most part remain a brief mid-day stop. Tourists will continue to stay in Toronto and Ottawa and shop there. Norman Bethune is a hero to the ‘Mao Generation’ of Chinese, but much less so to the ‘Hu Generation’. Younger Chinese would far rather visit the birthplace of Bill Gates than Norman Bethune. Chinese students will come to Canada to learn English but will not live in Gravenhurst regardless of our connection to Dr. Bethune.
So, what might work?
JOBS
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continued......
ReplyDelete4. Research Facilities
Industry, government and academia all carry out research and development. Some of these programs need sophisticated laboratory and testing facilities. Some only need offices, cubicles and high-speed. Again, a list of prospects could be developed, and then targeted and approached.
5. Non-profits
In addition to the institutes and centres noted above, there are nearly 100,000 registered charities in Canada and as many or more again non-profit organizations that are not charities. All these groups employ professionals and administrative staff and need service contractors. An example of one that could appropriately work out of Gravenhurst would the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (except, of course, that they are already in Peterborough). These organizations are funded by government, membership dues, charitable donations and private sector and foundation grants. Many need to be in Toronto or Ottawa where they can leech off of government, but many others could be located anywhere in Canada where they have access to the resources they need to operate. Yet again, we need to research and target a few of them and entice them to Gravenhurst.
6. Health Sector
Bracebridge already has the hospital, so we’re not going to get that. But there is a growing need (as we baby boomers get older) for long-term care and convalescent facilities, ‘Retirement Homes’, specialized short-term treatment facilities and hospices. Within the private sector health industry there is a growing need for spas, cosmetic surgery operation and recovery centres, weight-loss clinics….you name it.
and finally.......
ReplyDeleteAnd what about housing?
Gravenhurst is a costly place to build a house. So it’s relatively expensive to live here. Like all of Muskoka, we need more affordable housing. But that has little to do with reviving Downtown. There is a wide variety of housing already available within the town limits of Gravenhurst. There are several developments that still have a lot of room to expand. We need to focus on jobs, not houses, not cottagers, not trees, not sewers, not lakes……jobs.
If people have good jobs in the downtown core they will find appropriate places to live.
If they come, you will build it.
Thanks for reading this.
As a lifetime cottager (22 years on Rosseau, 33 years on Muskoka), I’ve watched with concern and sadness as Gravenhurst – which, with no disrespect intended, has always (in my lifetime) been the lost soul of the Muskoka area – has declined even further over the last five years. And to clarify, I should say I’m referring only to downtown Gravenhurst… the area on Muskoka Road roughly from James Street up to Winewood, but also including the similar Bethune Strip. On the other hand, I’ve watched with pleasure as the Muskoka Wharf project has developed, albeit spottily; and as a shopper, I can’t complain about the developments at the south end. So my feelings are mixed.
ReplyDeleteBut the ghost town that downtown has suddenly become is quite perplexing. Why wasn’t this foreseen and understood when the Wharf and south end developments were in the proposal/planning stages? Well, I guess it doesn’t matter… what’s done is done.
Now, however, a remedy has to be found for downtown. In my view, building a better “quaint” shopping avenue isn’t the answer. Little shops selling soaps and candles, or useless bric-a-brac and souvenirs, are not going to compete with the bigger stores in the area or the hundreds of other little shops in Bracebridge, Port Carling and even Bala, all of which are currently far more popular destinations for that kind of stuff.
Nor is turning downtown into a long street of cafes and restaurants going to work either. First of all, there’s nothing attractive about Muskoka St. What is attractive about Muskoka – the water, the views – is half a mile away at the Wharf, or arguably on the Gull side. Sure, you can tart up Muskoka St. with potted plants and hanging flower baskets and Cinzano umbrellas, and that may work for two months a year, but you’re going to have a lot of bankrupt cafes between September and June.
In my view, you have to draw people to Muskoka St. with something unique to the area, with tremendous appeal, and with 12-month staying power. You may want to shoot me for suggesting this… but you could turn the area around by redeveloping Muskoka St. and Bethune Drive into a huge outlet mall destination. I’m 100% serious.
The closest outlet mall is far away in Cooksville (and even at that, is a joke compared to US outlet destinations). Geographically, Gravenhurst ideal for drawing customers from a huge radius of central Ontario, not to mention all the city cottagers and tourists. Companies like RioCan and Calloway are actively looking for opportunities to bring Tanger-like malls to Canada (see today’s Globe and Mail, March 15, 2011 - ROB, page B5). Why not Gravenhurst?
The traffic that would be generated by a vast outlet mall would be huge, and immensely beneficial for both the south end and the Wharf. The mall could be built with some mixed use components – like cafes, restaurants, a huge playground at Gull Lake, a huge central outdoor pond/skating rink, the Opera House, perhaps a new Gateway Museum that celebrates Gravenhurst’s heritage as the home port for the development of the Lakes. (In fact, there’s a name for the whole development: “Gateway Centre”.)
The revitalization of the Town, and the provision of new jobs and economic stimulus, would be incalculable.
Yes, downtown as we know it would be completely transformed, and yes, “olde Gravenhurst” would be lost forever. But it already is lost, and it isn't much of a loss. And what’s more important, worrying about the loss of the past, or building for a prosperous new future?
If I was the Mayor, or a member of Council, I’d be on the phone to RioCan or Calloway today, begging them to come and tell us “what we can do” to make Gravenhurst the site of Canada’s most dynamic and inviting shopping destination!
I have read the comments for improving the Town and even if 1/2 are addressed and used The Town of Gravenhurst would certainly look and feel more pleasing to the eye. I would like to add on to the suggestion of changing the Town of Gravenhurst's name - if you look at 'Grave' and "Kil'worthy, the two names conjour up visions of a cemetary at worst and something depression at the very least. I suggest "MUSKOKAVILLE', PLEASANTVILLE, MUSKOKATOWN,
ReplyDeleteSHOULD READ 'THE TWO NAMES CONJOUR UP VISIONS OF A CEMETARY AT WORST AND 'DEPRESSING' AT THE VERY LEAST. LET'S CHANGE THE NAME AND HAVE A CONTEST MY SUGGESTIONS ARE: MUSKOKAVILLE, PLEASANTVILLE, MUSKOKATOWN ....
ReplyDeleteI find myself in a strange predicament. I give a number of presentations in various communities and usually look at the municipality website for further direction to accommodation. Did I just miss it or do you not have any? Kidding aside, you may wish to put a link to accommodation advertisements - perhaps it will help pay for your website.
ReplyDeleteWhen we started in business here eleven years ago, there was a busy main street and a good cross-section of people. Now, we have the elderly or about to be and the welfare recipients. There are precious few young or middle aged people living or working here. A change of name will do nothing to bring about change in the town. We need to come up with constructive ideas to get young people interested and provide them will DECENT jobs. We need good, affordable housing for young families and places where they can be entertained. Bowling alley, cinema etc... come to mind. The suggestion of finding a buyer with vision for the old Hospital property is excellent. Why is nothing being done with it? Is there a plan afoot to entice industry of some kind? Unfortunately, between the South End of town and the Wharf, there is little of interest in the village anymore. It has been destroyed and will take deep pockets, insight and follow through to come back to meaningful life.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think the idea of mixed-use planning is a good one. Incorporating office space with shopping, housing and recreation can be very effective in drawing people into an area. Of course there would be much work needed into looking into adapting the current downtown area into a successful area for mixed land use.
ReplyDeleteJust another point to touch on the idea of bringing a post-secondary institution or research facility into Gravenhurst. UWaterloo recently opened a new Summit Centre for the Environment Faculty in Huntsville. Now I realize this facility was a result of the G8 summit held last summer, however a facility such as this allows for both laboratory space as well as a facility for the education of graduate and undergraduate students. This could help with the issue of drawing in both youth (the students) as well as people with families (researchers and professors) into the area.
I would also like to add that I don't think changing the name of the town would have any affect on a person's decision to come here.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading many comments posted here, many have the right idea. Attracting post secondary education institutions is what I believe to be the direction town council should be heading.
ReplyDeleteIn turn, many other development ideas will follow.
The manufactoring sector could be attracted here with many areas to be offered for development.
Making the downtown core look good is one thing, but if no-one comes downtown anymore, why bother.
I question town council on their priorities.....
The new pool, sprucing up downtown.....when all the major business's are moving out.
What needs to be done in conjunction with all this work, is for town council to open their eyes, and to realize that our town roads are crumbling right before us.
Bethune, from Winewood to the north end of ferguson, James, from Muldrew lake to Fernwood, Bay street, from muskoka road to the wharf. All these and more need the attention of town council.
Good roads, good solid ideas, and the proper promotion of our town will bring industry, education services here, creating a more solid population base, which in turn will create a more solid foundation for this town.