The Citizen, 2004-03-11, Page 6Challenge: Eating Well
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Looking for local heroes
There are so many people out there who do
so much to improve their community.
Now you have a chance to say thanks.
Nominate that special person for the 19th
Annual Citizen Citizenship Awards.
Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of
the Blyth and area and Brussels and area communities to receive an
award for contribution to the community. If you knoW someone you
think should be honoured, please fill in the ballot and send it in. You
may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee
should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and
he or she didn't win, please feel free to try again.
I nominate
as Citizen of the year for
q Blyth q Brussels
& area & area
I feel she/he deserves this award because
Nomination Deadline April 30, 2004.
Name and phone number of nominator
PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2004.
First BIG idea unveiled at public meeting
A new look
Steve Sparling of the Blyth Idea Group and North Huron
reeve Doug Layton show off one of the new signs proposed
for eight locations on main street. The signs will hopefully
show visitors to Blyth the many attractions and what they
offer. (Keith Roulston photo)
A proposal to give Blyth a bold
new look by emphasizing the
village's history and existing assets
was unveiled by the Blyth Idea
Group at a public meeting March 3.
BIG chair Steven Sparling told
about 40 people at the Blyth
Community Centre that by looking
at the village through the eyes of a
visitor, tourist or potential investor,
the group realized it had to promote
"what is unique or special about
Blyth" and that turned out to be the
sense of history. He unveiled a logo
that incorporates the Union Jack into
the tail of a blowing "B" to illustrate
the origins of the first settlers in the
1850s. The logo also includes the
phrase "Historic Village" .
The new logo would, under the
BIG proposal, be used atop large
new signs at each street corner along
main street which would point out
local attractions. Sparling showed
photos of the current signs, often
faded and damaged, beside the bold
new "totem" signs which would
direct visitors more easily to
locations off the main street.
Because local residents know their
community and what it offers, they
have been selling its attractions short
to visitors, Sparling said: He used
the corner of Wellington Street as an
example, saying a simple sign for
"Lions Park" may tell local people
what to expect but visitors don't
know they can stop their for a break
with their children for the
playground, picnic pavilion and
wading pool. The new signs will
point out all these features.
"What a different image we're
creating," he said in showing • the
proposed signs. "What a different
story we have to tell."
Sparling proceeded down the main
street illustrating the different look
the signs at each corner would bring.
He also suggested better signs are
needed at the Greenway Trail.
Visitors don't know by the simple
name Greenway Trail that they can
stop for hiking, a fitness trail, a bike
trail, cross-country skiing, the
butterfly garden and the historic
railway arch, he said. "We owe it to
the trail to package it up and
promote it," he said.
The large main street signs at eight
intersections would cost about
$5,400 plus poles, hardware and
installation, Sparling estimated.
With a public-private partnership, he
said the goal was to have these signs
in place by the opening of the Blyth
Festival season on June 16. He
promised that BIG, working with
local groups, would come up with
$3,000 by May I to help make the
first phase of the project happen.
Sparling told reeve Doug Layton
and the Twp. of North Huron
councillors who were present that
BIG hopes the municipality will
undertake a program to replace
NEW LOGO
damaged street signs at intersections
throughout the village with smaller
signs using the same theme and
colour.
Sparling noted that with the Blyth
Festival, Threshers Reunion,
Bluewater Kennel Club dog show
and Campout Jamoree, Blyth
already draws thousands of visitors,
the envy of many communities
which spend a lot of money to attract
people. In order to give tourists more
to do, BIG is proposing a series of
walking tours which will feature
stories of the names of the streets
plus information plaques at various
sites and the Blyth Mini-Museum
kiosks. The plaques, telling the story
of a particular site, can cost from
$465 each for stainless steel to
$1200 for cast bronze. Erecting 12
signs at the lower price could be
done for $5,500, he estimated.
Also proposed are large illustra‘ed
maps to be erected at the two centres
that host the most visitors to Blyth
— Memorial Hall and the Blyth and
District Community Centre. These
maps would show people places they
could visit such as the Greenway
Trail or the walking tour. Part of the
cost of these could be supported by
discreet advertising, Sparling said.
The history of Blyth would be
used to add to the visual appeal of
the downtown area by using historic
photographs to create large murals
on blank walls around the village. "If
we don't tell our story, no one else
will," Sparling said.
He showed slides to illustrate how
these large black-and-white murals
would look on the walls of various
buildings. These murals while
depicting the village's history are
economical compared to the large
painted murals of some nearby
communities that can cost up to
$10,000. A six-by-eight-foot mural
can cost as little as $1,400 all the
way up to $3,400 for a 12-by-15-foot
mural.
Eventually BIG also foresees
creating a timeline using photos to
illustrate the village's history from
the coming of the first settler to the
current time.
Sparling said BIG hopes local
merchants and property owners will
adopt the theme of historic Blyth in
the look of main street stores. A plan
borrowed from the Walkerton
Chamber of Commerce showed how
economically a building could be
spruced up to maintain the historic
theme simply by using heritage
colour schemes, and historic-looking
signs, he said.
"The challenge is to spend money
wisely, show how creative we can be
and see how quickly we can achieve
it (the new look)", Sparling said.
With permission of the new
owners of the Blyth Inn, he showed
a slide of how, by using awnings,
window boxes and new signs, this
major portion of main street could
set the tone for the historic theme
without major, expensive changes.
Speaking after Sparl ing 's
presentation, Layton called the
proposal "a very interesting,
worthwhile-looking project" but
warned council would have to look
at it carefully before committing
support. "We're challenged by that
nasty word budget," he said.
Blyth ward councillor Ralph
DeVries said the presentation helped
give a clearer vision of what might
happen in Blyth.
John Stewart, clerk-administrator
for North Huron pledged the support
of his staff. "You're off to a
wonderful start," he told BIG
members present. "Whatever help I
can be or our staff can be, we'd sure
like to help."
Stick With the Classifieds.
If you're shopping for something special, keep 1001011g
In the Ctassifieds. Every week, you'll find a great selection of
Wings for everything from apartments for rent to
things to buy and see.
The Citizen