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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-04-25, Page 24PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013.Blyth BIA considers rebranding, dropping Union Jack The Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) is looking to rebrand the village. After a presentation on April 18 by the Honey Design Firm focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the existing branding, concerns were aired at the meeting following the presentation that saw the group trying to distance itself from the Union Jack which has been part of Blyth’s brand for over a decade. The presentation, a video of which can be seen in its entirety on The Citizen’s website atwww.northhuron.on.ca, wassponsored by Sparling’s PropaneCompany Limited featured ideas for Blyth’s new brand including a revamped logo that could be more easily applied to souvenirs and more easily recognizable. The firm also suggested fabric signs for Blyth, versus the heavier materials that the BIA had been researching for deployment on the street light standard mounts, to help draw more attention to what Blyth has to offer. After the presentation, the BIA eventually settled on a design that incorporates both British and Canadian influences, despite some concerns that the Union Jack wasn’t the best representation of the people in the area. Deputy-Reeve David Riach, a business owner and North Huron Council’s representative on the BIA, was one of the staunchest supporters of abandoning the Union Jack. He pointed out that Blyth’s history is undeniably British, as it was originally owned by a landowner in England named Blyth who never actually visited the site. However, the reality of the modern Blyth, according to Riach, is that it is made of many different people from different parts of the world including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Holland, Germany and many other nations. “This shouldn’t be about whatBlyth was, it should be about whowe are and we are Canadian,” Riach explained. Chair Rick Elliott, however, said that the history was what was being celebrated, not the British people, and that without that history, Blyth wouldn’t be as memorable. “We only have our story to make us different,” he said. “Everything around here has a history, but we’re focusing on ours. We know that Staffa and Lucan were Irish and that Blyth was British and that is what we’ve focused on.” The new design, which was sketched on the spot based on the design presentation made by Robin Honey of Honey Design, is a maple leaf half-composed of a solid red and half-composed of a uniquely coloured Union Jack featuring softer colours than the original. The group decided to proceed with that icon, since it was easily reproducible. They also decided to begin work on metal signs for Blyth’s streetscape as they are easier to leave up and would weather better than the fabric. As they plan to leave the signs up, which will tout local attractions, a reworking of the seasonal lights will be required. Some members of the BIA felt this was a past-due change. RETIREMENT HOME Independent and Assisted Living 1-877-831-2585 Call for more information! Retirement life to discover!