Minding Our Business Sept 09

MINDING OUR

CENTRE WELLINGTON

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 9

Women in Business September 2009 PUBLISHED IN COOPERATION WITH THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER

MILE STONES New Location Minute Man Press has moved to 820 Gartshore Street, Unit 107, Fergus. George, Ann and Elizabeth Satory may be reached at 519.787.2332 or by mail at minuteman_press@bellnet.ca

New Location Family Dentistry has relocated to 390 Tower Street South, Fergus (corner of Albert, across from the tourist information building). Dr. Woo and Dr. Park may be reached at 519.787.8088.

New Business DreamWood Ltd. - Quality Solid Wood Furniture recently opened at 920 St. David Street North (Victoria Plaza), Fergus. Ron Reaume may be reached at 519.787.7676.

New Business Dreamland Pet & Equine is now open at 6480 Wellington Rd. 7, (next to the Grand River Raceway), Elora. Contact Oscar Meier at 519.846.1313.

New Business The Second Story, a women’s fashion consignment boutique, has opened on the second floor of The Elora General Store, 15 Mill Street East, Elora. For information call Barb Lee or Rhoda Lipton at 519.846.2600.

MINDING OUR

BUSINESS

is mailed to all registered businesses in Centre Wellington.

Not registered as a business with Canada Post? Misplaced your copy?

Pick up a copy of Minding Our Business at: Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce, The Wellington Advertiser, Fergus BIA, Elora BIA, Wellington-Waterloo Futures Development Corporation

PAGE 2 | September 09

about

THIS ISSUE

MINDING OUR

BUSINESS

Minding Our Business is a business magazine focusing on items of interest to commercial, retail, industrial and service businesses in Centre Wellington.

COVER Enjoy our pictorial review of women in Centre Wellington who have ventured into the world of business.

Dave Meyer speaks candidly with four women who have demonstrated tenacity in a changing business climate and earned success in the local marketplace.

On the cover Janette Noecker of Carson Wagonlit Noecker Travel.

general policy Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for the signatures, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisements will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. Persons wishing information regarding circulation, rates and additional service are invited to contact our office for further details. The publisher accepts responsibility for claims and honors agreements made by himself or by regular staff on his behalf.

No responsibility is accepted for actions by person(s) not in the employ of the paper, or otherwise over whom the Publisher has no control. All Advertising accepted is done so in good faith. The Publisher maintains the right to approve or reject advertising and articles submitted for publication.

contact MINDING OUR

BUSINESS Box 252, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8 519-843-5410 telephone 519-843-7607 facsimile mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com

2

MILESTONES Openings | Awards | Moves

4

FERGUS BIA BIA Newsletter

5

ELORA BIA The Drimmie Dam

7

ARE YOUR COMPUTERS SAFE? Garth Green

8

WOMEN IN BUSINESS David Meyer

THE CHAMBER PAGES 12 Meet the Members: THE VILLAGE OLIVE GROVE

13 Events Calendar ON THE WEB: Choose Quality over Quantity THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING MISTAKES IN ENTERPRISE Sarah Mersereau

14 EDC Guest article - Deb Dalziel

15 CONTACT LISTING & BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Sales: Sherry Clarke Graphic Design: Helen Michel

September 09 | PAGE 3

MINDING OUR BUSINESS

JULIA TYNDALE-BISCOE

SEPTEMBER 2009

FERGUS BI A 350 movie goers enjoy “Stone of 35 Destiny” on St. Andrew Street

350 THUMBS UP FERGUS!

It was a brilliant addition to downtown Fergus’ events to celebrate the Fergus Scottish Festival weekend. Suggested by George Mochrie, (Cherry Hill Entertainment), it was hoped that the movie goers would do a little shopping, and the businesses that were open did brisk trade.

Michael Kavanagh of SunArt commented that the movie event accomplished its aim of bringing families to the downtown shopping area. However, by

MOVIE NIG AN OSCAR HT WINNER FOR FERGU S! failing to remain open, SunArt missed an opportunity to gain new customers. SunArt plans to stay open for future BIA events, including the Antique Car Show on September 11th & Bridal Tourr on the 26th September.

Our BIA’s ne west event... .

Fergus’ RED CARPET BRIDAL TO UR. Everyth ing a bride needs in one stop.

We will host 3 a nnual shows, the first is on S ept. 26th fro m 93 pm. There will be 2 bri dal shows at 11 am Lots of fun, k and 2 pm.

Thanks for all the support nowledgeab le George - Fergus can’t wait for the he staff, great service. Com e and follow the re d carpet on next one.... the 26th....

Thanks to FSF for the extra music ic downtown duringg the weekend!

Antique & Classic Carr Show

BLACK OUTSTREET ART IN THE DAY

Friday September 11th is the 14th annual car show. This event brings hundreds of people downtown, so lets rev up the town as well as the cars. As usual, along with fantastic cars, we have great music, door prizes and a BIA draw. See you then! www.fergusbia,ca

As submitted by the Fergus BIA

PAGE 4 | September 09

THE DRIMMIE DAM WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW…

by Tim Horton For the last six months or so there has been a quiet debate going on about the future of Elora’s Drimmie Dam. Having been branded earlier this year as “a significant hazard dam” by engineers consulting to the GRCA, the watershed’s directors must decide what to do with it, and they’ve asked the community to assist them with the introduction and analysis of various solutions.

At stake, of course, is the dam’s very survival. At roughly 110-years-old, it’s starting to come apart in places, threatening the safety of tubers, angling enthusiasts and other recreationists who might be enjoying the day down-river if and when it decides to collapse a rapid disintegration of the dam would put anyone less than 200 meters downstream directly in the path of a two-meter wall of water. The chance that this might happen has prompted some to suggest that the dam be permanently removed on our own terms and our own schedule – with strict supervision from the GRCA and the careful work of an experienced engineering firm.

There are others, as you might imagine, who insist that the dam be replaced. (I’d have included “repaired” as well if it were an option: Dave Schultz, the GRCA’s Manager of Communications, has already said that the structure, in its current state, is well beyond repair.) This group is particularly concerned about how removal of the dam would effect tourism to the area, since Elora’s signature “Mill Pond” would cease to exist if this manmade barrier disappeared – leaving two broad and muddy river banks on either side of a much thinner body of water. The flow of water through the Elora Gorge would also be significantly altered, reducing or perhaps eliminating certain recreational activities.

In addition to the issues raised by these

two camps, there is the cost of building a new dam to consider, and the potential impact that each decision would have on the ecological health of the river and the plants and wildlife that live in its water and on its shores.

Assessment. This process is used for projects that are approved subject to compliance with an approved class environmental assessment process with respect to a class of undertakings, such as roads, water and wastewater.

When you put all these issues together, what you get these days, apparently, is a Schedule C, Class Environmental Assessment.

The key principles of successful environmental assessment planning include: - consultation with affected parties early in and throughout the process, such that the planning process is a co-operative venture; - consideration of a reasonable range of alternatives, both the functionally different "alternatives to" and the "alternative methods" of implementing the solution; - identification and consideration of the effects of each alternative on all aspects of the environment; - systematic evaluation of alternatives in terms of their advantages and disadvantages, to determine their net environmental effects; and - provision of clear and complete documentation of the planning process followed, to allow "traceability" of decision-making with respect to the project.

Since the City of Hamilton has already put together an excellent synopsis of what a Schedule C, Class Environmental Assessment actually is, I’ve decide to include a few snippets from their website to explain it all a bit further: ONTARIO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT The purpose of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (EA Act) is to provide for: "…the betterment of the people of the whole or any part of Ontario by providing for the protection, conservation and wise management in Ontario of the environment."

"Environment" is applied in a broad sense and includes the natural, social, cultural, built and economic environments. It is defined in the EA Act as: air, land or water; plant and animal life, including human life; the social, economic and cultural conditions that influence the life of humans, or a community; any building, structure, machine or other device or thing made by humans; any solid, liquid, gas, odour, heat, sound, vibration or radiation resulting directly or indirectly from human activities; or, any part or combination of the foregoing and the interrelationships between any two or more of them.

There are two types of environmental assessment planning and approval processes…. The process typically used by municipalities, including the City of Hamilton, is the Class Environmental

CLASS EA These projects are broken down into three schedules: SCHEDULE A projects are limited in scale, have minimal adverse environmental effects and include a number of municipal maintenance and operational activities.

These projects are pre-approved and may proceed to implementation without following the full Class EA planning process. These projects generally include normal or emergency operational and maintenance activities.

SCHEDULE B projects have the potential for some adverse environmental effects.

The proponent (municipality) is required to undertake a screening process, involving mandatory contact with directly affected public and relevant review continued on next page

September 09 | PAGE 5

agencies, to ensure that they are aware of the project and that their concerns are addressed. If there are no outstanding concerns, then the proponent may proceed to implementation.These projects generally include improvements and minor expansions to existing facilities.

SCHEDULE C projects have the potential for significant environmental effects and must proceed under the full planning and documentation procedures specified in the Class EA document.These projects require that an Environmental Study Report (ESR) be prepared and filed for review by the public and review agencies. These projects generally include the construction of new facilities and major expansions to existing facilities.

Long story, short: because any decision

PAGE 6 | September 09

about the future of the Drimmie Dam will have a significant impact on the natural, economic, social and cultural life of Elora and its residents, all of us have been given the opportunity to study the issue, listen to what the experts have to say, consider the alternatives (or suggest new alternatives), and weighin – officially – with what we feel is the best solution.

By the time you read this, Sanchez Engineering and the GRCA will have already hosted their first public open house, but a second one will be held sometime after Thanksgiving, and the members of the public have been encouraged to provide relevant input at any point over the next few weeks.

For more information regarding the progress of the Class EA planning process, or to register your concern, contact: Leonardo Sanchez Sanchez Engineering Inc. 8440 Danforth Road West, Cobourg, ON K9A 4J9 Tel: 905-372-9594 Fax: 905-372-7812 l.sanchez@sanchezengineering.ca www.sanchezengineering.ca

ARE YOUR COMPUTERS SAFE? “The average corporation spends more on coffee and soft drinks than on computer security”

Locate computer systems (servers etc.) away from public view, preferably in a secure area. Consider attaching cables to lock PC’s to desks or workstations and document serial numbers for all computer equipment.

- Internet Security Systems 2002 Computers, the information they contain and their associated hardware and software are primary targets for business theft due to the ease with which most computer equipment can be transported and their high resale value. The loss of a computer and its contents can seriously impact your business and create significant liability issues if the information contained within the stolen equipment is highly sensitive.

Garth Green critical. Employees carrying laptops or handheld computers should be required to sign upon receipt of the equipment and accept the terms and conditions of their use. Those terms should include taking all nacessary precautions to safeguard the equipment.

Data and programs should be backed up regularly.The frequency can be determined by asking ‘what if?’ - in other words, if your computers were all stolen and you could only access data up to a certain point, what would that point need to be? The previous day? The previous week? Your choice will reflect the nature of your business and the information that you store. In any event, weekly or other regular backup schedules should be strictly maintained and the data stored off site in a secure location.

To safeguard computers and business information, first ensure that your business’ premises are secure. Solid doors and doorframes and deadbolt locks on all exterior access doors are critical.

If your business experiences computer theft due to a break-in, take immediate action to improve the security of the premises. Unfortunately, thieves frequently strike the same business a second time, knowing that all of the computer equipment will have been recently replaced with newer models of greater value.

Laptop PCs are the most attractive computer hardware item to steal, given their convenient size and high dollar value.

They should be secured to office furniture with an appropriate locking system, or stored in a secure area or cabinet.

Employees should be advised never to let a company laptop out of their hands in a public place, including when traveling by air.

Depending on the location and nature of your business, it may also be appropriate to consider additional security for ground floor windows, such as bars or mesh.

An alarm system creates a second line of defense, but may not deter experienced thieves. It may only reduce the amount of time the thieves remain on your premises, and thus reduce the volume of items they are able to steal. With that in mind, you need to ensure that additional measures are in place to protect your information systems.

A laptop should never be checked as baggage, nor should it be left in an automobile unless it is placed out of site in the trunk and locked.

The best defense against computer equipment theft is to be prepared.

Educating employees in that regard is

Garth Green

Tracy Group Benefits

BBA, AIIC CIP Associate

& Financial Services Barney Tracy

57 McNab St. Elora, ON N0B 1S0 Tel: 519-579-333 ext. 324 Fax: 519-579-1151 1-800-265-2625

ggreen@lmicanada.com

Tel: (519) 820-1283 Fax: (519) 886-8562 P.O. Box 31141, Guelph, On N1H 8K1

CFP,FLMI Tel: (519) 866-1283 Fax: (519)886-8562 330 Coleridge Dr., Waterloo, ON N2L 2V6

email: btracy@groupbenefits.on.ca www.groupbenefits.on.ca

September 09 | PAGE 7

Sinkeldam belongs to different women’s groups, and said a balance is “a constant struggle.You only dedicate so much time to your business.

Family has to come first.”

She said having first rate staff and a top support team in her business really helps, and she has learned, “You don’t have to do everything [at home].

I gave up cleaning my house a long time ago. My family and my spouse really support me.”

Sinclair said in her retail world, the balance is “tricky. I have great support from my husband.” She said at certain times of the year, she has to be away during the week for several nights because business requires it.

She summed up the balance in life stating, “It’s certainly possible - but it’s a challenge.”

Janette Gajic, Portrait Studio & Art Gallery Natalie Airdrie, Elegant Affair & Bridal Boutique.

When it comes to decision making, all four women take full responsibility, but they also confer with staff, friends and customers. They attend trade shows specific to their businesses and said developing rapport with suppliers is a big plus in helping them with business decisions. But, in the end, they have to make the final call.

Of course, all businesses have their unpleasant sides.When asked what is the one part of the job they dislike, the four offered four different opinions.

Sinclair said it is doing the books. She does her own payroll and day to day books, but hires experts for the rest.

Kayte Armstrong & Shawn McKenzie, Definition Fitness

Danielle Hildrebrand, Carmen Mooney & Mary Chester, Carmen’s Sequel Cafe

PAGE 10 | September 09

Sinkeldam has a different difficulty.

She has up to 50 staff to deal with, and she said there are a lot of Type As in the business. “I don’t like being the mediator. It’s not generally a huge problem.”

For Noecker, who laughed, it is Air Canada.

She said dealing with large companies can be trying. She prefers smaller airlines, like West Jet. For Beale, modern technology is something she uses, but does not love. “I’m not terribly media savvy, - and up to date and technical,” she said.

When it came to revealing secrets of success, the four are unanimous.The customer comes first and service is the only way to succeed.

“We try to remember the most important part of the day is helping the customer,” Beale said.

Service is also Noecker’s biggest asset, and, she said with a laugh, “tenacity.”

She noted some think the internet can provide cheaper and better airline ticket service - but she disputes that. She said if companies like Sun Quest Vacations did go under and people try to visit their websites to get home from, say, Thailand, they will wait a long time - even with high speed.

“We’re the liaison between the client and the airline,” she said of her services, wondering why anyone would take a chance on a major trip.

For Sinkeldam, success comes because the partners in the clinics are working right beside the employees helping people get well.

“We’re all wearing the clinical hat and wanting to put the patient’s interest foremost,” she said.

Sinclair said, “It all goes back to service - putting the client first. It’s how we survive.” She added that it really helps that, “We have wonderful customers.”

When it comes to business groups, all the women are involved in them to some extent. Beale is part of the Canadian Booksellers Association, which meets three times a year.

Noecker said Carlson Wagonlit is one of the largest travel companies in the world, and it has a lot of power to help clients when they need it. She also noted she has been involved with community groups, too, and served as president on the Elora Chamber of Commerce.

Sinkeldam said with a laugh that she supports Workaholics Anonymous, and added she is involved with Toronto Strategic Coaching, which offers tips on managing business and life. As well, she is involved with professionals for health, manufacturing and insurance.

“We’re all dealing with the same business challenges,” she said.

For Sinclair, she said she meets twice a year with the Ontario Fashion Exhibitors, which provides

her with good sources for anything she needs.

The four have been in business for many decades now, and their success can likely help point the way for others - men as well as women.

The pictorial overview for this article was from MOB archives as we celebrated the openings, anniversaries and achievements of women in business in Centre Wellington.

Pam Edmunds, Just For You Signs

Laura Demers, Jammed Lovely

Julia Cantin Wood & Charm

Jennifer Shrive Salon Chique

Maria Azeredo Belwood Pines Restaurant

Dr. Linda Franchetto Elora Gorge Animal Hospital

Make Dreams Real If you are interested in making a difference locally & internationally

Centre Wellington Centennial Rotary Club

JOIN ROTARY! BREAKFAST MEETINGS - THURSDAYS 7 A.M. At the Gorge Country Kitchen, Elora Centre Wellington Centennial Rotary Club For info. call 519-846-0971 September 09 | PAGE 11

MEET THE MEMBERS THE VILLAGE OLIVE GROVE

avocado and almond oils. Adding these to your diet helps to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. It is also thought to improve how the body uses glucose among people with diabetes. “We see that even though some of our customers are feeling the impact of the current economic situation there is always room for small indulgences – especially if that product adds flavour and health benefits to their diet,” David said.

David Medeiros and his wife Barbara Anderson opened The Village Olive Grove in Elora on Easter weekend 2009. The store offers a full line of exceptional extra virgin olive oils and vinegars from around the world - including the much sought after hand-crafted ice wine vinegar and Verjus produced from the Niagara wine region of Ontario.

The Village Olive Grove carries more than 50 selections of olive, avocado and grape seed oils as well as over 50 selections of vinegars. Other products offered include imported oil can drizzlers, artisan cruets and pottery, dipping plates, books and olive pitters.

“Customers new to the use of fine extra virgin olive oils often do not realize that extra virgin olive oils have different taste profiles depending on which olives are used, where they are grown and how they are processed,” David says. “And as a result, some customers do not understand why fine extra virgin olive oils are priced higher than mass produced oils offered in most grocery stores.”

To take the risk out of the purchase experience, The Village Olive Grove offers award-winning extra virgin olive oils at a wide range of price points, and allows customers to taste before they purchase.

Not only will the customer know that they like when they have selected, but it also makes the buying experience fun. With a spectacular view of the Grand River, a larger tasting room is located at the back of the century old building, where group workshops (during the weekends) and guest experts will educate customers on the fine art of tasting and cooking with oils, vinegars and verjus.

“Our inspiration partly came from where wine knowledge was 20 years ago. Back then there was limited selection and there were many tasting events and workshops to help educate folks about the different

PAGE 12 | September 09

David and Barbara would love to tell you more about the benefits of using extra virgin oils.

“We are big into educating our customers,” David said.

David and Barbara are really enjoying the interaction they have with their customers to provide them with the opportunity to explore the different products which are sourced from a wide variety of countries and regions.

One of the reasons Barbara and David chose Elora is because it is central to their customers, who come from the Guelph, Fergus/Elora, and Kitchener/Waterloo areas. It is also a favourite spot for day trips so they get many folks from Toronto and from southern Ontario as well. Medeiros and Anderson are very happy that Elora has been designated a Culinary Tourism Destination. “We believe that The Village Olive Grove fits with this theme and as the businesses of Elora continue to evolve to support the designation, it will provide a great opportunity for growth,” David says.

It is not always easy bringing great artisan extra virgin olive oils and vinegars from around the world to their customers, because many of the products are produced in small quantities and/or not available for importing into Canada.

“We joined the Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce to connect with other local businesses,” David says. “We try to work with local businesses as much as we can for the services we need, or to partner with for promotional activities.”

The unique and exceptional selection makes it easy to find a fine wedding or birthday gift. But many people also buy extra virgin olive oils because of the health benefits. Olive oil is the richest source of monounsaturated fat – 77 per cent of its total fat is derived from this type of fat.

Other excellent sources of monounsaturated fat include canola, peanut,

So come over to The Village Olive Grove at 8 Mill Street West in Elora to treat your taste buds. You can contact David Medeiros and his wife Barbara Anderson at 226-3847000, or visit their website at www.thevillageolivegrove.com.

grapes and the distinct flavours associated with the grape and where it was grown,” David said.

the chamber OF COMMERCE

ON THE WEB something to cheer about. That is, with average conversion rates...

But what would happen if you had extraordinary conversion rates?

Then maybe those 50 visitors a month would be more than you could handle.

Not all website traffic is created equal.

What matters most is how targeted those visitors are: how many of your visitors are good prospects of what you are selling? How many will actually read your information pages and your offers (rather than just skim over its contents)?

NARDO KUITERT nardo@ ucwebs.com.

CHOOSE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Many website owners are complaining that their website does not receive enough visitors. Maybe rightly so – I can see how 50 visitors a month is not

For an effective website you need to know what your conversion numbers are – so you can improve on them. What percentage of people actually contacts you, subscribes to your newsletter, or buys from you?

Another important metric is Time-SpentOn-Page (or Time-Spent-On-Site): what is the average time that people spend on your website, what are the best-viewed pages, and what is the trend (up or down)?

Then you need to know the average value of a customer or client. How much would a website-visitor-turned-customer add to your bottom line?

Armed with this information you can go out and try to get more (targeted) visitors to your website.You can advertise your site using banners or Pay-Per-Click ads, such as Google AdWords.You can try getting more free traffic using organic search engine optimization. You can do email marketing, article marketing, press release marketing, video marketing, create podcasts, Facebook pages, Twitter updates… options galore.

Which promotion tools work best for you will depend on how targeted these media channels are for your ideal customer. What gets their undivided attention? The goal is not just finding more visitors, but rather to connect with more potential customers. Choose website quality over quantity.

For more information: contact Nardo Kuitert at nardo@ferguswebsites.com or 519-787-7612.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MISTAKES IN ENTERPRISE Anyone claiming to have built a successful enterprise without making a mistake is misrepresenting the truth. Businesses grow - not despite making mistakes but often because of making excellent mistakes. What creates a culture of success within the firm is what became of that mistake. In a society that holds low value for the mistake, the entrepreneur looks at this outcome of risk-taking as a valuable asset.

However, not all successful businesses can be attributed to good decision-making.

You know it, I know it. Sometimes we just get lucky (don’t worry, you don’t have to admit this out loud). And sometimes, we get more than lucky: we make mistakes.

We make flat out bad decisions that form our business’ future – for the better.

of the thrill of business. It doesn’t have to put you under.

As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “The only constant is change.” He was talking about the universe, but since your business is part of the universe, the statement still applies. Innovation and development are essential to staying afloat in this and any economy. New products need to be purchased, or developed. New customers need to be found. Staff members come and go over the years.

With all of these opportunities for decision-making, even when you’re equipped with the best market research and an air-tight business plan, you’re bound to make a mistake or two. It’s part

Join us on Wednesday, October 7th in the Lighthouse Restaurant at the Elora Raceway for CWCC’s annual Business Luncheon. Geoff Malleck from the University of Waterloo will inspire us with The Beauty of Mistakes in Enterprise: a requisite for success.

Geoff teaches in the Department of Economics, is the Director of the Management Studies Program, and Director of the International Trade Specialization in the faculty of Arts at University of Waterloo. His passion is in (cont’d on page 14)

September 09 | PAGE 13

the chamber OF COMMERCE

(continued from page 13) the areas of entrepreneurship and economic development. He recognizes the importance of creativity, innovation and new venture creation, and takes this passion to the classroom, where he is a very popular lecturer in entrepreneurship at the University of Waterloo.

In this interactive discussion, Geoff will cover several topics including: - ositive outcomes from mistakes (lessons learned); - good mistakes vs. bad mistakes; - creating a culture for mistake-making; - how education contributes to mistakephobia; and - how economic prosperity requires mistakes.

economic DEVELOPMENT

This month’s article

by Deb Dalziel Elora Fergus Tourism Summer time - the peak season for visitors to the local area - is coming to a close and in spite of a less-than-banner summer, our information centre staff remains very busy and excited about new initiatives taken on this season. The two centres of Elora and Fergus provide information on attractions, coming events and local business to both tourists and citizens of Centre Wellington.

Despite the rough economy and the poor weather that decreased the number of visitors to the area, staff counted 7,100 walk-in visitors to the centres this summer, a decrease of only 5% from last year’s 7,500.Though both the number of tourism phone calls and emails also decreased since last year, we’re hopeful that this is the result

PAGE 14 | September 09

An example of a bad mistake: missing this event.

To reserve your seat (I’ve got mine!) contact the Chamber office at 519-843-5140 or email chamber@cwchamber.ca Cost is $25 for members and $35 for future members.

Sarah Mersereau (Dreamridge Tack Shop) CWCC Events & Affairs Committee

SUMMER TIME of recent improvements and additions to our website, meaning that more people found answers to their inquiries on the internet and fewer people had to call to clarify or request information not listed on the website.

The new information building that opened in Elora this past March has become a hub for local activity. The new address at 9 Mill Street is the new home not only for the Elora Information Centre, but also the public washrooms, Elora O.P.P. Office, Centre Wellington Economic Development, Elora Fergus Tourism, the Elora BIA, and the Sensational Elora Office.

The close proximity of all of these organizations means that information can be distributed very quickly and easily. The board room in the new building is another welcome addition to the community and is being used not only by the different organizations in the building, but also by local community groups such as the Elora and Salem Horticultural Society.

This year the Elora Information Centre was involved in a local initiative to stay open until 7 pm, along with a number of local shops and restaurants, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The longer hours were very well received by visitors, and we have greeted over 700 visitors just between 4:00 and 7:00 on the extended-

hour days in the past two and a half months. We're hopeful that this new pilot project will assure both visitors and locals that there will be open stores and restaurants in Elora in the evenings, prompting not only more visits to the area, but also encouraging local residents to shop close to home. Information Centre staff in both centres have been handing out special 10% discount cards for certain Elora shops during the new hours to help to try and boost public interest in this new proposal.

Tubing in the gorge was a popular visitor activity this year, thanks in part to some great coverage by the London Free Press and a Global news segment on the activity and the village. The distribution of this year’s "Recipes to Experience" in a May issue of the Globe and Mail also helped to spread information about Elora and Fergus to over 50,000 homes in the Greater Toronto Area and other targeted areas, helping to almost double the number of visitors we saw coming from these regions.

Our information centre staff would be happy to answer any questions you may have on the local community. Contact us by calling 519-846-9841 and 519-843-5140 for the Elora Centre and the Fergus Centre respectively, each open seven days a week.

CONTACT LISTING Ministry of Labour www.employeradviser.ca WCB - 1.800.387.0774 Employment Standards 1.800.531.5551

Waterloo-Wellington M.P.P. 519.787.5247 Ted Arnott ted.arnottco@pc.ola.org

Ontario Government www.gov.on.ca

Wellington - Halton Hills M.P. 519.843.7344 1-866-878-5556 Michael Chong chong.m@parl.gc.ca

Revenue Canada www.cra-arc.gc.ca Service Canada www.servicecanada.gc.ca

The Centre Wellington Chamber of Commerce Phone: 519.843.5140 E-mail: chamber@cwchamber.ca

Township of Centre Wellington 519.846.9691 www.centrewellington.ca

BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) 519.571.6680 Don Cubbidge don.cubbidge@bdc.ca

WCB 1.800.387.0774 www.employeradviser.ca

Elora BIA 519.846.2563 elorabia@wightman.ca Fergus BIA 519-787-1384 fergusbia@wightman.ca Centre Wellington Economic Development 519.846.0971 Dave Rushton drushton@centrewellington.ca Minding Our Business The Wellington Advertiser Box 252, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8 519-843-5410 mob@wellingtonadvertiser.com

BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY Debbie Kurt

Total Computing Solutions

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

519-843-1365 (bus) 519-766-6384 (cell) 519-843-2202 (fax) 888-268-2268 (toll free) dkurt@rlproyalcity.com www.rlproyalcity.com

ON-SITE SERVICE • NETWORKING • OFF-SITE BACKUP WORKSTATIONS • SERVERS • WEBSITE HOSTING www.icscomputers.ca

Call 787-4700 (519)

820 Gartshore Street, Unit 5, Fergus

840 Tower Street South Fergus, Ontario N1M 2R3

Outdoor Advertising Promotional Items Printed Material

Paul Kelly

Marketing Coordinator

Mobile: 519-766-5922 paul@bluprintmarketing.ca www.bluprintmarketing.ca

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