Hello October!

We hope you had a great summer, a season that has stretched into the early days of autumn! We're excited to bring you the newest edition of the Blue Means Business E-Newsletter.

Highlights: 

• Official Plan Review Phase 2 Information Released
• Town News
• Small Business Week
• Four County Labour Market Planning Board Survey
• Business Spotlight - The Farmer's Pantry
• Upcoming Events & Training Opportunities

We trust you’ll find the resources and information provided valuable. As always, you can reach out to us at any time with your comments, concerns or questions regarding the Town. Connect with the team and email us using the link located at the bottom of the e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Your Economic Development Team

Tim Hendry, Manager of Communications & Economic Development

Allan Gibbons, Communications & Economic Development Coordinator

The Town would like to provide an update regarding Phase 2 of the Official Plan Review. Details regarding the Phase 2 survey results, background papers and public workshops are listed below:

Public Workshops: Public workshops seeking input on Phase 2 of the Official Plan Review project have been scheduled throughout November. These workshops will engage the public by taking a closer look at critical topics as they relate to future land-use decisions in the Town. For meeting details, please visit the project webpage.

Background Papers: Ten Background Papers are complete and can be accessed on the project webpage. The final two Background Papers, the Building Heights Study and Housing Needs Assessment, will be available in October ahead of the scheduled public workshops.

Public Survey: The Phase 2 Official Plan Review and Community Design Guidelines Survey closed on August 13, 2023 and received 603 responses. A report summarizing the survey response is available on the project webpage.

For more information and to subscribe for updates, visit the project webpage.

More Information

Town News

LOVEBIRD SNACK CLUB OPENS IN THORNBURY
The Town of The Blue Mountains would like to congratulate Lovebird Snack Club on their grand opening. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, September 22, with Mayor Andrea Matrosovs and Councillor Shawn McKinlay in attendance.

The Town would like to welcome Alex, Emily and Kyle to the community and wish them success in their future. You can follow the newest addition to Thornbury's downtown on Instagram at @lovebirdsnackclub. 

To request the Mayor and members of Council to attend your special event, please visit the Town Website. 

CHANGES IN RECYCLING SERVICES
As of October 1, 2023, residential recycling services were assumed across Ontario by Circular Materials. The Town will continue to provide limited non-residential (Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) recycling services. Businesses that previously registered their address for services will not see any disruption in their service.

Any inquiries regarding IC&I collection can be directed to the Town's Operations Department. 

Small Business Week

Canadian Small Business Week runs from October 15 - 21 this year, and plenty of events are happening in the area to help celebrate local entrepreneurs and bring together the business community.

Below are some of the events hosted by the South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre and The Blue Mountains Chamber of Commerce.

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE BREAKFAST WORKSHOP
On October 12, 2023, at the Marsh Street Centre in Clarksburg, join the Chamber from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for an empowering morning of education, connection and discussion focused on championing a psychologically healthy workplace. Topics will include:

• Strategies and tools to bolster the mental health of you and your team
• Employee mental health benefits nad support
• HR expertise in attracting and retaining an engaged and flourishing workforce

Tickets available for Chamber members & non-members: Register Here

SMALL BUSINESS WEEK SEMINARS
The Small Business Enterprise Centre has a series of Webinars and Workshops happening during Small Business Week.

• Understanding Legal Business Structures in Canada (Webinar) - Tuesday, October 17
• Spend Smarter: Boost your Digital Advertising ROI - Wednesday, October 18 in Nottawa
• Banking for Entrepreneurs - Building a Relationship With Your Bank (Webinar) - Thursday, October 19

For more information on the SBEC, visit their website.

Local Support & Program Opportunities

FOUR COUNTY LABOUR MARKET PLANNING BOARD EMPLOYEE SURVEY
The Four County Labour Market Planning Board and Advisory Partners have launched the 2023 Employee Survey.

This survey was designed to gain valuable feedback from both Employees and Job Seekers. Local data supports the success of projects and initiatives that address the needs of our workforce. The final report will be shared with local employers, economic development offices, employment services, literacy & basic skills trainers, educators and community stakeholders.

Please share the survey with your organization's employees. The survey is anonymous and takes only five minutes to complete: Take The Survey

ACHIEVING SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH A GREENER ECONOMY
The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay is hosting a collaborative event from 9:30 a.m. to 12:0 on Friday, October 27, at the Marsh Street Centre in Clarksburg. 

Will you help create a more resilient and sustainable future? Connect, share knowledge and collaborate to accelerate positive action in Southern Georgian Bay.

Register here: Achieving Sustainability Through A Greener Economy

Connect with Our Team

We're available to assist with any questions you may have regarding your business development and operations. We're also always seeking new ideas and feedback for our newsletter and economic development initiatives.

Have a question or an idea?
Connect with us by email or call (519) 599-3131 ext. 269.

Email Us