Promote your March Break Specials in our How to Be a Hometown Tourist Campaign, Have Your Say: Vehicle For Hire By-Law, Family Day & more!

Pia's on Broadway

Dear members,

Only 30 more days until Spring!   We are feeling optimistic with the lifting of capacity limits in settings requiring proof of vaccination, increased social gathering limits, and the return of some major events (fingers crossed!) like the Blues & Jazz Festival in June.    Preparations are under way behind the scenes, we will keep you posted in the coming weeks and months of any developments and opportunities to get involved.  In the meantime, we are wrapping up the “Fork it! Let’s Get Take-Out” campaign and looking forward to receiving your March Break specials to highlight in our upcoming Hometown Tourist promotion (see below!).   We hope you get a chance to relax and unwind with your Family this upcoming Family Day – perhaps even taking time to have some fun with your work family too!

How to Be a Hometown Tourist: March Break Edition

***Tell us about your promotion BEFORE February 28th and you’ll be entered in a draw to win 2 tickets to Theatre Orangeville’s latest production, Things My Fore Sisters Saw!***

For the month of March, we are launching an exciting new promotion: How to Be a Hometown Tourist and we want to feature YOUR business on our website and in our social media posts.

Throughout this campaign, we will encourage residents to embrace the idea of a staycation.   This includes highlighting everything Orangeville has to offer from ice fishing at Island Lake to live theatre, amazing places to stay, walking tours, and of course, dining and shopping local! 

To be featured in this FREE promotion, simply tell us about a product or service that you would like to highlight during March Break (promotion should run between the dates of March 11th & 20th).  Please email Julia ambassador@downtownorangeville.ca  with the following details:

  • What is the name of your promotion? Your promotion could be a class, workshop, sale, service, or menu item that will be available during March Break (March 11th –20th).  See list of examples below!
  • Please describe your promotion including all necessary details (i.e. How long does the promotion run? 1 day, 1 week, 1 morning? Specific dates please! Does the customer need to register in advance? If so, what date? What is the cost? What products are included/excluded?)
  • Include a photograph (optional but encouraged!).

 

Tips & suggestions for your March Break promotion!

  • March Break Menu Special: Prefix mini menu, family options, special menu item, feature cocktail, etc.
  • End of Winter Sale: 10% off winter stock, buy 2 get 1 free, etc.
  • March Break Classes: March Break camps, week-long art class, drop-in yoga class, mini group ukulele lessons, etc.
  • Pre-Spring Services: Winter body wrap, free consultation, free gift with treatment, etc.
  • Spring Preview: Feature new spring inventory, offer gift with purchase, door prize, etc.
  • Artist in Residence: Feature a visual artist working on site, an author doing a live reading, a musician performing live music, etc.
  • Any other great idea that’s exciting, will get people talking, and will drive customers through your door!

Vehicle for Hire By-Law – Your Input is Requested

“Finally, our restaurants are permitted to be open again, but our customers can’t find a taxi or car service to take them home at the end of the night.  This is very concerning - we need to know that our customers can get home safely”.  Mike Beattie, Taphouse Craft Beer + Kitchen 

The vehicle for hire bylaw, currently under review, directly impacts our downtown businesses, especially restaurants.   The Town of Orangeville will be holding a Public Meeting on Monday March 7th at 7pm to present and discuss proposed changes to the current Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.   We encourage you to take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the issue (see links to information below) and to participate in the public process by putting your comments in writing for consideration at the public meeting, attending the meeting as a delegation, or by getting in touch with Mike Beattie of Taphouse in advance of the meeting to discuss a cooperative approach.  You can reach Mike at mike@taphousecraftbeer.com.  Please stay tuned for the information about how to participate in the March 7th Public Meeting; we will share it as it becomes available.  In the meantime, you can learn about the issue by reading the existing bylaw and the proposed changes here:

Current Bylaw:  https://pub-orangeville.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4738

Town Staff Report: https://pub-orangeville.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4736

Proposed Fees: https://pub-orangeville.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=4737

FREE Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Self Screening kits are now available from the Dufferin Board of Trade

Click here to sign up and make an appointment to pick up your tests!

February 22nd is Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Join local organization Cry Not for a live information session, 7-8pm on February 22nd.  Learn how human trafficking and sex trafficking are present in our community.  Learn about the risks; learn about the signs, why it happens and how you can help.*   A panel of 6 professionals will answer your questions from the perspective of their own lives and career experience.  

To learn more, and to register, please visit the Cry Not website.

*Content is disturbing.

Family Day

In accordance with the Town's Retail Business Holiday Exemption By-law, retail stores ARE permitted to be open on Family Day. 

If you plan to be OPEN on Family Day, don’t forget to let your customers know via your website and social media well in advance so that they can plan to visit you!

Tag us in your posts @downtownoville and we will help to get the word out!

LIVE THEATRE IS BACK

Live, local theatre is back and you won’t want to miss Theatre Orangeville’s latest production, Things My Fore-Sister Saw!  By all accounts, this is a very special, not-to-be missed show.  For the comfort of patrons, Theatre Orangeville is continuing to operate at a reduced capacity of 40%, so it’s a very comfortable experience for those who are not quite ready to sit in a packed house.  Click here to buy tickets.

Georgian College Employer information session