HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-12-02, Page 22Committee split over results
of pricey marketing strategy
Gerard Creces
signal -star staff
"We could have done this ourselves."
That was the word out of the Community
Development Partnership Committee after a
presentation by Toronto-based Yfactor fell
short of the committee's expectations No-
vember 20.
The company was hired by the town to
create a marketing strategy for Goderich, and
Anya Codack, CEO of Yfactor, presented the
findings of its group visioning session from
October, together with an action plan.
Their target audience for Goderich was
threefold: Entrepreneurs age 45+ from the
GTA, Golden Horseshoe and London areas
looking for a lifestyle change; food process-
ing plants that could use the now -vacant
Volvo buildings and last but not least, local
businesses.
Not everyone around the committee table
was satisfied with the suggested audience.
Deputy -mayor John Grace said he thought
food processing was "very focused", and
didn't take into account the surge towards
green manufacturing and energy.
Codack defended Yfactor's targets by
adding the government of Canada recently
announced $50 million in funding for small-
scale food processors. With so many munici-
palities all vying to get on the green band-
wagon, Codack said food processing may be
easier to get government support for.
Judy Crawford, CEO of the Goderich and
District Chamber of Commerce, offered her
concerns that there was nothing in the plan to
address the young people in town.
"I'm afraid we're not supporting youth
with a market of 45 and up."
Both Grace and Hospital Foundation ex-
ecutive director Heather Glenister thought
not enough was said about Goderich's sec-
ond-biggest industry - health care, and won-
dered if something could be done about that
as well.
However, the committee is already $7,000
over their $50,000 budget for the year.
The new Town of Goderich web site came
with a price tag of $36,280, while the Yfactor
strategy put taxpayers out $15,708. Grants of
$2,500 were also given through the commit-
tee to the Lake Huron Learning Collabora-
tive and the Sallows Gallery.
Town administrator, Larry McCabe, said
anything that the committee decides needs to
be changed on the web site would be done "a
la carte," as they already received what they
paid for.
However, the Yfactor strategy will contin-
ue to be a work in progress. A final payment
of $7,854 is still to be made.
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Page 21
Photo by Denny Scott
Clean-up crew
Firemen clean up an accident scene after two vehicles struck each other at the
corner of Nelson and Victoria Streets November 24. Injuries were minor, although
traffic was stopped while crews removed the vehicles and debris.
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