The Citizen, 2015-10-15, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015. PAGE 23.
The fruits of the Alice Munro
Labour Market Partnership were
presented to Morris-Turnberry
Council at its Oct. 8 meeting.
Alyson Nyiri, the project co-
ordinator, presented the findings to
council, which included five project
activities: developing international
tourism, utilizing digital literacy and
technology, development of museum
opportunities, literacy programming
and development of the Alice Munro
Festival of the Short Story.
Each of the five areas had a report
which totalled 46 recommendations
in seven key areas of focus.
The steering committee of the
group, which included nearly 20
different organizations including
county and township involvement,
local museums and cultural centres,
cultural groups, learning groups and
local school boards, narrowed the 46
recommendations down to 12
priority goals.
First, the group said that
supporting Huron County as a
creative community was of the
utmost importance. The second goal
was to hire a Creative Director for
the festival who, as part of the third
goal, would lead the development of
the Munro branding with the
festival.
The group also wanted to capture
and tell Munro’s story, promote and
leverage storytelling, engage youth,
create bundles including both
literature and other activities to
make for family-friendly marketing,
bring in high-profile authors to
market the festival, enhance
marketing opportunities through
collaboration with groups.
Mayor Paul Gowing said he was
glad to see that the number one
priority was promoting the county.
Actionable items in the report
could take time, according to Nyiri,
who said growing the Munro festival
could take as long as a decade.
Council received the report which
outlined the plan for each achievable
goal. The other member
municipalities, North Huron and
Central Huron as well as Huron
County, have not yet received the
report so any action will depend on
the reactions of those councils.
Those behind Brussels businesses
and services are looking for ways to
attract visitors and shoppers to the
village and they’re focusing on
community events.
Huron East Councillor David
Blaney, who is council’s
representative on the Huron
East core team of the new Huron
County economic development
initiative, said that the first Brussels
meeting, held last week at the
Brussels Library, was a successful
one.
“I think it was a very good
meeting,” Blaney said, adding that
Huron East was able to provide
those in attendance with some
economic development statistics,
which can sometimes be hard to
develop, but that it was very much a
brainstorming session for the
community.
The goal, Blaney said, was to
discuss some ideas to improve the
Brussels economy and many of the
ideas that came from those in
attendance involved making
Brussels a travel destination –
whether it be producing
something people would be willing
to drive for, or creating
community events that will interest
the public at large, not just those in
Brussels.
The goal with starting these
meetings at the local level, Blaney
said, is to see where Huron East
economic development fits into the
master plan and then take those
findings to Huron County.
Blaney said he’s encouraged by
this process. He feels it started at the
county level, but instead of the
normal course of action where
something starts at the county and
then is handed down, Blaney
appreciates the new approach, where
an initiative can begin to take shape
at the municipal level, and work its
way up to the county.
He also has hope, he says, that this
will be one economic development
project that will receive traction,
with the resources in place.
“In the past, I think the county has
tried a number of things that haven’t
really come to fruition,” he said.
Huron East Economic
Development Officer Jan Hawley
also had great things to say about the
meeting.
Having attended both Huron East
meetings, the first being held in
Seaforth in late September, Hawley
says it has been interesting and eye-
opening to see the perspectives that
come from residents in different
parts of the municipality.
With residents of Brussels at last
week’s meeting, and Seaforth and
Walton residents at the first meeting,
she said very different issues were
discussed at the two meetings.
Going forward, Blaney said that
the plan is to take the information
from this fall’s public meetings and
craft them into an economic
development strategic plan for
the municipality, which will
eventually then be sent to Huron
County.
The hope, Blaney said, is that it
will be ready to be presented to
council in time for budget
deliberations, which should begin in
early 2016.
New Munro project begins
Economic development process begins in Brussels
Walking the beat
It was Apple Day in Blyth on Saturday and members of various local scouting groups were out
and about throughout the village selling the one fruit known to keep the doctor away, if
consumed once a day. Canvassing the north end of town were, from left: Leader Erica Clark,
Grace Caldwell, Laura Edgar and Mackenzie Wightman. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Entertainment
Call 519.523.9300 | 1.877.862.5984
or visit blythfestival.com
Book a group of 8 and
we’ll reserve your table!
Special Events Sponsors
www.frankmills.com
Tickets at the Blyth Festival Box Office
call 1-877-862-5984 or www.blythfestival.com
FRI., NOVEMBER 20, 2015 – 7 PM
BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL
Old Tyme
Country Breakfast
Sunday, October 18
8 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
at Londesborough Hall
• Eggs • Bacon • Sausage
• Pancakes and Homefries
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00
Children Under 12 . . . . . . . . . $3.00
Sponsored by Londesboro Lions Club
273 Hamilton St., Blyth • 519-523-4590
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By Shawn Loughlin
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